The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-16
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

|
NEW YORK.--Marshall Field. 3rd will re-
,eive late this month the remainder Of the
estate left by his grandfather. A dispatch to
| the New York Times states that the windfall
will amount to something between $40, 900, 900
and SIS, 900 and that he has already re-
ceived, since his grandfather's death in 1906,
about 500 600 000
The first Marshall Field was born in Massa-
chusetts in 1885 and went to Chicago at the
age Of II to work for wholesale dry goods
company. He became partner four years
later and during the Civil war; which broke
out when he was 2e years old. his company
had very profitable dealings with the Union
government in furnishing clothing and other
necessities for the soldiers. By the end of the
war he was already rich.
| As Chicago and the Midwest grew. Marshall
Fields wealth pyramided. He bought Chi
cago real estate cheap and profited by the
increase in value and he invested in railroads
and other public utilities. He paid low wages
and was arrogant and indefatigabe. tax
dodger and one of the privileged rulers of
a community and section of the growing
nation whose pioneer inhabitants in all drec-
tons paid profits to him through his network
O! property interests.
His grandson. now interested in newspaper
publishing in New York and Chicago was
sent to England for his education, and his
enterprises until a few years ago consisted
Of marriage, three times. horse racing and
Long Island estate of more than 1000 acres
II it can be assumed that Marshall Field
3rd, is guided by the successful wisdom of
the old gentleman who left him the money,
he has kept intact the inheritance which he
has previously received. and has managed
his affairs as the old man did so as to pay
minimum of taxes. He would thus have at
this time, about Sl60. 000,0 900 which, at the
conservative yield Of 3 per cent would pay
him an income of 900 year Unless
he were able to show loss, this income
would be largely siphoned off into the United
States Treasury to pay for the war which
Mr.. Field coming and which he fercely
berated others for not anticipating. However,
with two daily publications, one OF them, in
Chicago outwardly conventional newspa-
per. the other, in New York, journalistic
query which makes pretense of factuality.
he is in position to show operating losses
which. if reckoned in his tax returns. would
reduce his taxes considerably.
His income, at this rate of estimate, would
be more than 800, 900 week. enough to sup
port both ct his publications at loss and
still leave an attractive sum for the govern
ment
deal in both of his ventures and he has re-
ceived the support of the Department OF JUS
tice and the Roosevelt administration in his
efforts to compel the Associated Press to give
him franchise in Chicago. After his appli-
cation was blocked the Department Of JUS
tice attacked the A. P. monopoly not
withstandng the fact that the United Press
and International News, both excellent are
available.
Fields New York paper PM. began with
rather subtle underground ballyhoo 1t was
mentioned day after day before publication
in the gents room journalism which several
years ago became adjunct of the commu-
mist press. Then shortly after it came out it
was discovered that its editorial department
was a nest. or CELL of fellow travellers and
similar radicals 1t is European, not Ameri
can in pattern and Notwithstanding its leftish
character it is distinctly reminiscent of the
Nazi press of Htler's early phase.
There is wrote a young American lourn-
alist now in the Army who served Field as
a sub-editor of PM for some time "a Pc
culiar parallel between PM and the Nazi pa
pers during Hitler's rise There is the same
subsidy by rich man. Field in case
Fritz Thyssen in another The same pseudo
sympathy for the poor. The same disemboW-
cling of context. The same consistent dis
crediting of democratic institutions, such as
Congress, the same dedication OF single
leader, or fuehrer. The same smearlng OF
business and emotional appeals to the masses
BY PMS own standards, PM is an outstanding
virulent example of native American fasc
| ISM
"Of course this former sub-editor wrote,
PPM has never tried for accuracy RMI has
said again and again that it does not want
people to understand, only to feel
RMI refers to Ralph Ingersoll, Fields first
editor, who was drafted over Fields protest
after clamoring savagely for war; then quick
w promoted to captain and assigned to seden-
tary duties in London
Like Thyssen in Germany, Field has stu
pendous fortune to pour into his political ad-
Venture He is socially reticent, if not fur
tive and never sets forth any definite politi-
cal objective. His objective must be sur
missed from his performances and day-to-day
parallels with the journalism of the Nazis,
and and even if he were to pay full taxes on his
income. claiming no losses, he could, out of
inherited principal, maintain his present pa
smablv expect to live; and the fortune of
the first Marshall Field might wreak serious
if not disastrous damage on the country which
provided the money.