The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-05
USE or CLUB ON
PRESS CHARGED
TO POWER CAR
Mobile Newspaper Owner
Makes Accusation to
Senate ProberS.
BY RUTH FINNEY,
Times STAFF Correspondent

WASHINGTON, March 5.-The
power industry is meeting reyela-
lions of the federal trade COM
mission with new determination to
control sources of information and
propaganda, according TO evidence
Just laid before United States SEN
ate investigators.
The story of how the Alabama
Power Company has moved within
the last few weeks to smother an
independent newspaper in Mobile
has been brought to the attention
of Senator George w. Norris.
Recently the federal trade COM
mission learned that Leon G. Brad
ley, former propaganda for the
Alabama Power Company, had told
his employers that he could have
editorial matter inserted in certain
Alabama newspapers without leav-
ing his office, that he had had sew
enty-five different articles reprint
ed in one paper within year; but
that he could not get his pro-
paganda into the four Thompson
papers III Alabama, one of which is
in Mobile.
Publisher Bares Methods
What happened after this testi-
mony was made public is told in
a letter written by Frederick 1.
Thompson, publisher of these four
papers and former member Of the
United States shipping board.
Thompson wrote the letter because
ne believes the matter to be of
broad national concern. 1t was put
into the Congressional Record by
Norris.
Thompson said, Immediately fol-
lowing the development before the
trade commission, Logan Martin,
brother of Thomas Martin, presi-
dent of the Alabama Power Com
pany, and Thomas Martin himself,
working through Thomas M. Stew
ems, an attorney of Mobile who does
legal work for them, and D. P. Bes-
tor, director of the power COM
pany and president of the First Ma
tioal Bank of M-bile, with T. K.
jackson, vice-president of the Ala
bama Power Company, proceeded to
organize to publish newspaper in
Mobile.
"Mr. Bestor, In addition to being
director in the power company
and president of the First National
Bank, is recognized as one of the
large stockholders in the Merchants
National Bank, and these two banks
practically control the only remain
ing financial institution in Mobile.
Declares Club Was Used
"These bankers had initial meet
ings with R. B. Chandler of Birm-
inghan, who is known to represent
the interest of Martins. Following
this organization to proceed with
plans for launching the new news
paper, these bankers sent for and
called on various merchants in Mo-
bile to whom they advanced in
season the current accommodations
accorded merchants by banks.
1T is of specific information that
they forced, to what extent OF
threat 1 do not know, certain mer-
chants against their will to agree to
advertise in the paper yet unborn, at
an advertising rate higher than that
of the established papers.
ST am not interested in the compe-
tition that thus would be promoted.
But it is obviously fact that the
issue raised is one of broad nation
al concern.
'It is understandable how in some
smaller fields, or even fields larger
than Mobile, where there was pub
Usher who sought honestly and in
best Judgment to run an independ-
ent newspaper and serve the public
rather than private interest, that
he might be subjected by threat OF
competition because he would not be
financially strong enough to resist