The Washington times., 1922-08-15
ANGEL DRAWS
SCR|PT|ONOF
NORTHCL|FFE
British Author Reveals Early
Life Of Famous Pub
Usher.

OWing TO the death of Lord
NoythclJte, UniversGl Service has
obtained extracts from a timely
article entitled, "Is Northcliffe
Through" tVritten by Norman
Angel for a forthcoming issue of
Hearsts International. Mr.. Angel
lcds for many peqrs an intimate
friend Of Lord Northcliffe and ioas
for ten years mania ging director Of
the Pdyis edition Of London Daily
By NORMAN ANGEL.
Alfred Harmsworth, or Lord
Northcliffe, as he became known to
the world, was the eldest of a very
large family Of brothers, and in the
normal order Of events he would
have gone to the university. He
fell upon hard times. and at the
age of sixteen he went out into
the world and with astounding ra-
pidity was able to provide and
make careers in one way or an
other for every one of thuse
brothers.
/ have seen statements in the
American press to the effect that
Northcliffe was Of working class
origin. or at least not of the social
order which makes him n gentle
man" in the European sense. This
is wrong. He came OF the upper
middle classes. from which. until
a few years ago, the rulers OF Eng
land were mainly drawn. His ia
ther was barrister of the Middle
Temple. that is 10 say an advocate
in the English courts. The fpmily
Is Of partly Irish stock (Alfred. the
Viscount Northcliffe-to-be. was born
in Dublin with. however. humor-
ously enough. both German and
French affiliat tions.
Displayed Great Courtesy.
In his intercourse with his sub
ordinates Northcliffe usually dis
played great courtesy and charm.
exercising a real magnetism over
those with whom he came in contact.
Although autocratic In his methods
OF administration, he was, in his so.
cial contact, democratic, simple,
though not a good converse tionaiist.
He had a pagan Zest in life, a school
boy attitude and humor which made
him a good companion. His heads OF
departments often became close per.
sonal friends. staying at his country
house. Knowing his family, meeting
his friends. He was a model EN-.
ployer. Quick. il is true, both to
Tire and TO hire" but generous to
the point OF extravaganza in his
recognition Of merit. This by way
OF discounting certain legends.
We get the key to Northcliffe's
incredible success. to the real char.
acter OF his influeiAs. and the nature
OF the problem vhirh the North.
cliffe influence in British politics
represent when we note that the
journalist, Hho was to have more
weight In politics than any Jour
naLst his country had known,
laid out his campaign for the cap.
ture or the nations mind by disre-
garding political ideas and move.
ments altogether and by turning TO
the journalism which concerns itself
with the bicycle, sport, photography,
amusement, boys interests. Not
only was this the type OF newspaper
work In which h. vas mainly en-.
gagged as a free lance in the years
from sixteen to twenty-three, but the
same method OF approach is re.
tlected when he came to establish
popeIs Oh MS own.
Odd Paragraphs.
His first and most characteristics
venture was Answers. Answers be.
longs to a category Of publication
Tor which the United States has NO
oupiicate. And II rather defies de.
scription. 1t Is addressed presum.
ABLY to adults. The first item on
the first page Of the first number
OF this historic sheet Is a ten. Inc
paragraph about an idiot that had
haoit or shouting the hours when
the clock indicated them: the sec.
ono paragraph Is devoted to dc.
scrioing the intelligence with which
an anonymous ass worked a horse.
pump; SUBSEQUENT paragraphs deal
with silk stockings, the "origin OF
grog. the origin Of hair powder
ana the discovery Of some fossil
Young Harmsworth applied the
principal following what succeeds
ana doing II more So" He offered
pound a week for life to the
competitor who would come nearest
10 guessing the amount of money
on certain date, in the Bank of
England. There was the usual
oodge OF coupon. two attested
names. etc, result; seven hundred
thousand competitors, and the paper
brought to the attention. through
the names on the coupons, of three
million people.
In the few years the profits m
this one publication amounted To
over a quarter Of a million dollars
annually.
The backbone Of the Harmsworth
business is the weekly peripdical pub.
locations for boys, for girls. for the
home. dealing with amusements,
dressmaking, hobbies, cooking. $50.
ciety, fiction, but not dealing with
any problems or ideas in politics or
sociology or religion Though the firm
publishes religious periodicals. The
firm has never produced a public,.
ton that gave any large place TO the
discussion Of general ideas"
Understood His Public.
To what must we ascribe its enor.
nous success? To two things: First
the education acts of 1870. which
made IT compulsory for every Eng.
lish child to be taught to read Uhis
brought into being by 1888 a r,ubIic
of tens OF millions for ,,,h.... Al. -