Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-05
TAFT Z / DEFENDS
PARIS SECRECY
Noted Publishers and Ad-
men Applaud the Former
President at Aver Jubilee
FIRM IS FIFTY YEARS OLD
Peace Conference Held JUST.
fed in Withholding Del
icate Discussions

iHe poiicy OF secrecy auopteu Dy tHe
Peace Conference was defended by for
mer President Taft in an address at
the fiftleth anniversary of the founding
Of N. W. Aver & Son, which was COM
memorated by banquet at the Belle
vue-stratford Hotel last night.
More than 700 men, and women at
tended the affair, including many ma
tionally known advertising men, pub
fishers and leaders in varied fields of
publicity
The keynote of the meeting was that
advertising is the greatest constructive
force in the world today, and one that
is capable of adjusting every Ill in hu
man society.
Speakers included. in addition to Mr..
Taft, f. Wayland Aver, the host and
head of the firm, who served as toast
master; Edward W. Box, editor of the
Ladies' Home journal; Lafayette Young,
former United States Senator from
Iowa, and many others.
In introducing Mr.. Taft, Mr.. Aver
declared: HE has been President of
the United States, but is bigger than
that now. He is a maker of presidents.
He Is one of the editors of the Public
Ledger
i Mr. Taft traced the value Of publicity
I in building up morale and showed in
stances in which free speech and free
press had prevented the enslavement of
nations
Raps Secret Diplomacy
! 1.-THE first thing those who control a
government do Is to suppress publicity"
he said.
Publicity, or rather its suppression,
has figured largely in the history of our
own country and in international affairs.
The constitutional convention presided
over by George Washington conducted
its proceedings in private. The journals
/. of this history-making convention re-
mained under cover until 1910, when
they finally reached the State Depart
ment. The same method of cautious
procedure was followed by the states
men in the Quebec conference that
drafted the constitution Of Canada Va
rious constituencies were interested and
It was not deemed wise to let many of
them know what was in the making
until a full discussion cleared the way
for q frished draft.
"So 4. is today with the Peace Con-
ferenoa daily sitting In Versailles. There
was a demand from the newspapers for
a free and open meeting. What was the
result? The conferences that were
openly conducted resolved into formal.
cut-and dried motions. But the things
Of Importance to be done and are being
done are threshed out and digested in
secret. These things cannot be discussed
in the open and then spread out before
the public Men, who in the heat of de-
bate are thus quoted, are glad to take
back their published words following o
full discussion"
Referring to Mr.. Aver, the ex-presi-
dent told the guests that they were
honoring man who had made advertis-
ing a science. 1t requires reiteration
he said, to get an idea into the head
of the average American citizen be-
cause he is too busy with the affairs
of life to bother much with anything
else. The psychology of advertising, he
pointed out, was to challenge the at.
teption of those you desire to reach
and having attained this, to hold it.
Four Hundred Co-workers Present
More than 400 Aver employees were
there, but not as employees. They wer,
there as co-workers of F.. Waylant
Aver, who for fifty years has stood a
the helm of the nations greatest adver
tising agency.
advertising can do much more and big
ger things than merely to sell goods
Today advertising educates people re
rarding political situations, industrial
crises and social development In thes,
later years there has. however,. com'
what seems marvellous recognition o.
advertising as a social force"
That advertising pays Is not a subjec
4 of debate. for in fifty years the n. w
Aver & Son Agency has placed 800,
900, 900 of orders in various publication
of the United States.
In a nutshell. that statement tell
the story of the company that last nigh
celebrated it's fiftieth anniversary ant
promised to celebrate it's hundred birth
day fifty years hence.
One of the surprises Of the evenini
came when Nv. C. Freeman, represent
ing Advertising and Selling" presente,
a huge gold cup to Mr.. Aver MI
Freeman was but one of a big group o
notable publishers who journeyed I
ing the Aver Jubilee.
Among them were Felix Agnus, Balti
more American; Elbert II. Baker
Cleveland Plain Dealer; Ogden Rett
New York Tribune; Charles II. Taylor
Jr., Boston Globe; Jason Rogers. Ne,
York Globe; C. A. Rook. Pittsburg
Dispatch; H. L. Bridgman. BrooSly
Standard Union; Senator-elect Arthu
Capper. Topeka Capital; H. s. Hous
ton, Worlds Work; George w. Wilde
Butterick Publishing Company; John A
sleicher, Leslie's Weekly; Herbert {
Myrick, Farm and Home Paul Bloc
and ]. Cotner, Jr,, Sprague Publishin
Company and score of others.