The New York herald., 1920-01-22
How Others See
Herald'S Purchase
by Mr.. Munsey
Mr.. Mun.ey Buy. the Herald.
(Watertown ~ ~ Times.l


Frank A. Munsey. the publisher buys
the New YORK HERALD. its evening edi-
tion, the Telegram and the Paris edition
of the HERALD. Once an ambitious would
be purchaser OF the HERALD cabled James
Gordon Bennett. the owner, asking MN
IL the HERALD was for sale. Yes came
back the reply. three cents copy on
week days. five cents copy on sunday
That was as near as James Gordon Ben
nett came to selling the paper during MS
lifetime. but it was his wish that the
paper pass into good hands upon his death
and therefore the administrators OF the
estate sell it to Mr.. Munsey. Thus the
paper that was established by the elder
Bennett in the early sos and remained IN
the control of the family, father and son.
for nearly ninety years passes to new
owner.
Bennett, Sr., and Bennett, Jr., made
a great newspaper Each had an un-
erring sense of news value. The elder
Bennett made it the leading paper OF
New York during the period prior to the
civil war and during the SOS, and the
son, who it was predicted would rum
the property, took up active management
in 10 and continued it the great paper
his father had made it. y . He as
pred to make an international newspaper
and in his ambition he succeeded. 1t was
his desire that no celebrity should land
at foreign port without being greeted
immediately upon landing by news
paper correspondent who said:-"I rep
resent the New YORK HERALD" Every
foreign country had enough HERALD cor
office
Now comes MIR Frank A. Munsey TO
take possession of the property. Munsey
will make a live and wideawake paper.
His outlook may be more national than
International, but it is assured from his
past history that the editorial policy Will
be progressive. Mr.. Munsey bought the
New York Press that Colonel Roosevelt
might have a political organ in New
York city in the campaign OF 1912. lie
later acquired the New York morning Sun
ard the Evening Sun, and has made or
them aggressive and progressive Repub-
lican newspapers. 1t is assumed that he
will do the same with the HERALD, and
coming into possession of the property on
the eve of Presidential campaign indi-
Gates that Mr.. Munsey purposes to take
q hand in the proceedings leading up to
the nomination Of President and the
activities preceding the election.
There is marked contrast in the
careers of the former owner of the HERALD
and the new owner. Bennett received the
HERALD as gift from his father together
with a very substantial fortune In the
bank and in real estate. Frank A. Munsey'
State of Maine boy, went to New YORK
practically penniless to win name ana
fame as novelist. He literally went
hungry in a garret to write his stories.
He started the Golden Argosy in very
small way, wrote practically all OF the
copy for it, had every form of experience
in getting on firm ground as puplisher'
but ultimately triumphed and today owns
the most valuable series Of magazines IN
the country, not to mention his profitable
New York Sun property. Bennett sue
ceeded in keeping the property together
and in conducting up to the mark the
that was given to him. Mum
sey succeed in accumulat ting a property
and then began to acquire newspaper
properties through which to express his
ideas.
Munsey is making a good newspaper out
of the Sun and the Evening Sun. 1t was
Ipredicted that it would go back under his
mana cement. In fact it has gone ahead.
He will make the same good newspaper of
the HERALD that il has been for series of
years Recently IT, had been Of an un-
usually strong, progressive and liberal
policy editorially. The coming of Munsey
will not lessen that strength and in many
ways will increase it.