The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-14

have been seen as far west as the Golden Gate, there being no record of their hav- 1 ing stopped of anywhere Tn between for more than few hours at a time Aside
 from New Workers learning about their country from the foreigners they may l possibly come into contact with, the reason why they have nc other oppor- tunity is because no source exists ex- cept the New York newspapers, and it {, is a solemn principle, or a fixed habit, among New York newspaper men not to know anything about any other place
 but New York. And it is to these be- nighted creatures that would now draw your attention and enlist your sympa- thies.
 There is really no reason why a New
 York newspaper man should know what is going on outside of New York; the fact that it is a moral prir ciple or habit with him not to know shows what hap pens to you when you live in New York.
 You get so in a short time that what you thought was all right before now seems to be something that is all wrong So We must be gentle with the New York newspaper men. and try to educate them 1 by gradual stages into a curiosity about what is outside. We must take them in our arms, lift them up out of the sub ways into the windows and give them glimpse of the broad -prairies of the west, of the toiling candidates for presi- dent who ar now roaming at large through the great Mississippi valley, and : Of the herds of lions and tigers and won { derful flocks of buffalo not to mention the great crested antelopes, the merry old ichthyosauruses that eavort up and 1 down the marvellous moving picture siores of the Rocky mountains. When the New York newspaper men thus come to learn that there are real places out side of New York they will naturally write about them in the New York papers and once get the New York papers started printing things about the rest of the country and there Is no telling where thee VIII stop It should be remembered how ever, that the thing must be done very gradually It will not do to put too great strain on metropolitan minds. The newspaper men are really not to blame It takes all their time and energy at present to keep up with Mayor Hylan and the Albany legislature. By the time they get through with these twin deities tkey are exhausted.
 It is quite true of course that many of the New York newspaper men were born elsewhere and come here in the be- ginning with soa1e knowledge of the out side But it Is a peculiarity about New York that when you have lived in 1t for a little while you forget that there Is any other place on the map And if you are reminded of this fact you out Wardly nod, but inwardly you don't be- heYe 1t. For example, I have known a New York newspaper man to admit that there was such place as Chicago He really didn't believe it, but it is a habit with New Workers to admit everything they don't believe in, as this saves the tune that might be consumed in ars11- ment- Since Sir Oliver Lodge has been in New York many of the inhabitants have come to believe in a life hereafter But the real difficulty of this whole sit nation must he perceived. When VOL see him writing something about the rest or the country it isn't because the New fork newspaper man believes 1t but be- cause 1t is easier to do 1t that way than to set up an alibi
 The first thing to do with our New York newspaper men is give them a sj,n pie efficiency test in order to find ouf just where we must begin A ouestfon- nstre like the following should be filled out:
 TEST CARD
 For guidance of sociological experts. "ho Will hereafter be engaged in the task or retaining all New York news paper men. Write the answers. when tt IS iegiole handwriting, to the best of your Knowledge and belief.
 Did do ever hear of the Rocky moun- talns? ------ Of Kansas? of tflram Johnson?
 what great ocean is 1t that lies wes+ or Broadway. beyond the barren nrasi. ueNtldt SteppeS of Ohio and I,di,,o,