The New York herald., 1921-12-10
Sir Arthur Pearson.


News of the tragic death of Sir
ARTHUR PEARSON, which occurred in
London yesterday, is distressing to
his wide circle of friends on this side
of the Atlantic as well as in Europe
The accident that caused his death
was due to total blindness. Handi-
capped by his lack of sight, he
slipped while bathing and fell, stun
ming himself. and while unconscious
was drowned.
Sir ARTHUR was the son of an Eng
lish clergyman. His schooling was
at Winchester; he did not go to a
university. He felt that he could not
afford the time. He was burning with
impatience to get to work. Like AL
FRED HARMswoRrH, now Lord NORTH
CLIfFE, he joined the staff OF the late
GEORGE NEwNEs, publisher Of Tit
Bits, the Strand Magazine and many
other periodicals. He was only a
youngster at the time, but young as
uC Noo iiC aAluOot lIlaiCulQLCiy
cnstrated that he possessed unusual
qualities. His rise in the Newnes pub
fishing house was meteoric. His alert
mind swept over the whole ests blish-
ment from editorial to business.
Then something happened that
caused the termination of his asso-
citation with the veteran publisher.
That something was vacation trip
to America. Here he saw young neil
doing business for themselves, often
at the head of large concerns. The
picture thrilled him, and he deter.
mined that Immediately on returning
to England he would strike out for
himself. On the voyage home Pear.
sons Weekly took shape in his mind
and a few weeks later il became q
reality.
ALFRED HARMswoRTH had already
launched his initial publishing ven
ture, called Ans,cers, and was hitting
on with cynical scepticism. And all
this was food for Parsons young
and venturesome mind.
He made good. Pedyson's Weekly
caught the popular fancy and at once
became financial success. Other
periodicals were added in quick sue
cession. Later lie turned to daily
journalism. He founded the Daily
he NJ
BEAyERBRooK. He purchased the old
established London STANDARD and
came near getting control of the Lon
don Times just prior to its passing
to Lord NogrHcLIrFE.
During these strenuous years OF
periodical and daily newspaper pub
fishing ARTHUR PEARSON ruined his
eyes reading manuscripts on the train
to and from his home in Surrey.
When he had become totally blind he
retired from all his publishing inter-
ests and devoted his time to helping
sightless men TO see.
In the war Sir Arthur PEARSON
did a great human work in this field.
He founded st. Dunstan's, where he
brought light into the souls of the
hopeless. Here he taught blinded
soldiers that their hope lay in their
own efforts; that they must readjust
themselves to their limitations, and
that they must and could lea. 20 see
through the senses yet remaining to
them. In work. he assured them,
they would find themselves anew. and
he led them along the paths that
opened I'D a future OF usefulness and
happiness.
It is not too much to say of this
man OF rare imagination. with his
deep human interest, his extraordi-
nary energy, that In the war he did
work that ranked high with that
OF the great men of his country. If
he had been spared the affiictiou
which has just now brought his brill
liant career to an end he too would
have been an outstanding figure in
the dramatic activities of the war
period But, robbed Of his sight, his
soul heard the cry OF the hopeless
and he answered the call.
Cropping In the darkness Sir
ARTHUR PEARSON touched a human
chord and left legacy In passing
that placed him high amcng those
who have achieved well for the
world.