The Washington herald., 1922-09-11
Northcliffe's Chief Feature
Money-making, Says Briton
Lacked in Essentials of Great Journalist
And Allowed Ambition to Blind
Him, Writer Declares.

II would be cause OF serious
Misunderstanding on a vital matter
II the wiser minds in America
should come to think that we re-
garded Lord Northcliffe as the ideal
newspaper proprietor. editor and
publicist. writes J. St. Loe Strachey
in the Outlook. Yet II no voice
were raised here in protest and no
sincere attempt made to show what
Lord Northcliffe really stood for.
and what was the attitude of better
informed British public opinion in
regard to him, they could hardly do
anything else but take him at his
face value, or, at any rate. at the
value apparently set on him by the
British rress.
To judge by the eulogies pub
lished in London. one would i'm
agine that Lord Northcliffe was a
kind OF Delaine and John Walter
rolled into one. and that he fulfilled
the highest ideals of journalism as
understood in this country. am
sure I am right In saying that the
great majority of thinking men
would hold such a misconception to
be little short Of a disaster
Lord Northcliffe was not a great
editor. He was not a great publi-
cist. He was not even a supreme
organizer and collector Of news. nor
great purveyor of publicity. He
was something totally different. In
my opinion. the highest thing that
can he said Of him is that he was
great man of business. a great
money-rlaker accidentally engaged
in the work of Journalism.
Northcliffe q Money-Maker.
firmly believe that the money
makers supply a useful element in
human society. I can supply a fact
in support of my assertion. Lord
Northcliffe, some twenty years ago.
said to me in one OF those moments
of self-revelation which were COM
mon with him as a young man and
were in many ways extremely en-
gaging: II don't pretend to he a
statesman, or even a politician. or
to know much about public affairs
What I do know. is how to produce
a paper and how to sell it." There,
think. he exactly diagnosed his
own mental powers and limitations
He was a great merchant, or, IL YOU
will. a great broker in the wares of
journalism: but he did not go fur
ther.
In the perfectly legitimate arts
of the producer and salesman he
was unrivaled. No matter was too
small for his consideration. no en-
terprise or speculation too big.
Though not an expert in any of the
many branches of his undertakings
he managed to be what was quite
as useful-that Is. successful
chooser of men to help and serve
him.
Rut. though he relied upon the
advice of experts. he showed his
7bility in knowing when to accept
that advice wholeheartedly and
when to reject It and trust to his
own speculative instincts II he de-
termined to buy or found a news
naDer. he followed prudent externa,
advice unless 1t conflicted with his
~~'r and essential decisions.
Successful monev-makers are
rarely thinkers even in their own
srecial trades. and this was.
think. specially true of Lord North
cliTe. As 7 felt Obliged to point
out in nv obituary notice OF him in
the Spectator Of August 10. Lord
Northcliffe was no. a daring limo
,-ator o. speculator in the newspa.
ner world. but rather a skilled and
prudent user Of other mems expert
ments He once said to me with
great impre ssivenoss. and as " he
were saving something which he
regarded as one Of the lodestars Of
his life. Never he a nioneer" He
went on to explain thai the pio-
ree-s in the various walks of life
and business were never the men
who succeeded.
Experiments with Datlies.
An analysis of Lord Northcliffe's
methods would prove that he al
most Invariably followed this plan.
he did not found the Daily Mail
till he had seen the experiment of
the Evening News. which was his
first venture In daily journalism.
succeed. He bought the Evening
News cheaply as going concern
and watched it carefully. Up till
that time he had only been an
owner. though a most successful
owner, of popular newspapers
When. however, he saw that with
wisdom and prudence a halfpenny
evening newspaper could be made,