The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-07
by A. B. MAGIL.

latlon to the Forward" on Its thlr.
tieth anniversary. 1.-THE Nation
doesn't always agree with the meth
IDS of this Yiddish socialist daily, the
EDITORIAL said, but the Forward" con.
flutes, nevertheless, an admirable
journalistic achievement on a non
rofit making basis.
THE Nations" naivete irked me.
1 remembered that some years ago
Oswald Garrison Willard, its editor,
published a lengthy blurb on the
Forward" which was later incorpor-
ated in his "Some Newspapers and
Newspapermen." And knowing the
infamous role that the Forward" has
played during the thirty years of its
existence, thirty years of consistent
betrayal of the interests Of the work
ing class, decided to make some pro-
test.
Unfortunately I neglected to make
a duplicate copy Of my letter to
'The Nation" but its salient argu-
mSnts are still fresh in my mind.
! pointed out that the Forward"
was the. first Yiddish newspaper to
szploi3Ale journalistic methods of
Mr.. He@rst-snd to improve on them.
That, founded in opposition to the
"Abend-Blatt," organ Of the socialist
labor party, it went to all extremes
of vilification in its effort to crush
its rival
That during the Spanish-American
War it openly supported the imper-
ialistic aggressions Of the United
States, referring contemptuously to
the "Abend-Blatt" as "the Spaniard"
because of the latter's opposition to
the war.
That with the accession of Abra-
ham Cahan to the editorship in 1902,
and with the "Abend- Blatt" finally
stamped out, the Forward" began
in earnest its career Of betrayal,
sensation-mongering and vulgariza-
ton.
That its "non-profit making" basis
has enabled it to erect a magnificent
ten-story structure and to pay its
proletarian editor-in-chief. Abe
Cahan, $3.50, and its proletarian gem
eral manager, B. Vladeck,. $500 a
week regular salary-out of the pen
MES and voluntary contributions Of
workers.
Finally, pointed out to the editors
Of ''The Nation" that if their lack of
knowledge of the Yiddish language
might be some light extenuation for
their ignorance about the paper,
there is nothing to prevent them
from reading the Sunday English
section of the Forward" where they
will be edited by such tidbits as
"Are Intermarriages Ever Happy ?"
and "Should Girl Tell?" or the pro-
found Interpretation of the Chinese
liberation movement by William Nor
ris Feigenbaum, written in the best
manner Of G. A. Henty, the boys
favorite.
also mentioned the f5@ that "The
Nations" congratulation to the "Frei-
heit" on its fifth anniversary had
somehow escaped me. and commented
briefly on the magazines impartial
Interpretation of the needle trades
struggle according to the gospel of
Benjamin Stolberg.
My letter did not appear in print.
Instead I received on May q the fol-
lowing communication:
Dear Mr.. Magil:
II am sorry that your letter of
April 2Sth has not yet received an
Acknowledgement 1t went to Mr..
Gannett, who has been away i'll, and
has only today come to me.
Il note what you say about the
Forward have never denied,
either in my writings about or in
speaking Of the Forward that it
often stoops to the gutter, though
I have tried to make plain in my
book and in my lectures that it is
the most interesting experiment in
Z American journalism in that it is
non-profit making and gives away
its surplus. Whether it gives that
surplus away wisely or unwisely l,
Of course, do not know. l am sorry,
too, that I am handicapped in not
being able to read it to see for my
self how bad or how good it is.
"Your letter has also been for
warded to Mr.. Stolberg for his in
formation.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) Oswald Garrison Willard
Editor"
II gems obvious to me that Mr..
Willard has rather effectively sue
ceeded in hanging himself He says,
." 1t is the most interesting ex-
pertinent in American journalism in
that It is non-profiting making and
gives away its surplus. Whether it
gives that surplus away wisely I, of
course, do not know"
In other words, Mr.. Willard is un-
concerned whether the earnings Of
eI,a on.f.i,nA lfL,.,-.rn..I y A. - -