Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-19
wall Street Journal
Loses GIN Ads After
Story on IS Models
BY The Asseejassd Press


Wall Street Journal says the
General Motors Corp. apparently
has Cancelled all advertising in
the business daily as a result Of
q story in the Journal forecasting
1855 automobile models.
A General Motors statement,
without mentioning cancellation
of advertising, stated objections
to the story appearing in the
May % issue of the journal.
GIN has been spending more
than $3.50. 900 a year in advertis-
ing with the newspaper.
In the story were drawings Of
the 1855 Chevrolet and Dodge
cars, presented as being "ren-
dered from the manufacturers
own blueprintS. !" The article also
included q sketch of the hood
and grill Of the 1855 Ford based
upon information and sketches
from several informed industry
sources"
No comment has been forth
coming from. the Ford or Chrys-
Ter companies. The Chevrolet is
produced by General Motors and
the Dodge by Chrysler.
Statement Answers Query.
The situation became known
yesterday after Bernard Kilgore,
president and publisher Of the
newspaper. issued a statement in
reply to a query from Advertising
Age. national weekly marketing
newspaper.
In a statement, Mr.. Kilgore
said:
"It appears to be true that
General Motors has withdrawn
all advertising from the Wall
Street Journal. These things
happened just after the Journal
published q story on the plans Of
several automobile makers for
1855 models.
81 find 1t hard to believe that
this represents the policy Of
General Motors top management,
because I do not think that Cen
eral Motors would use this sort
of pressure to express dis
approval Of editorial or news
policies of any newspaper"
In its statement last night.
General Motors said it had no
objection to the article Ito the
extent that this was a reporting
of news derived from sources
free to divulge the information
even though such informa-
ton, published many months in
advance of the introduction of
new models. may interfere with
and prejudice the sale of our
current products"
Objections Outlined.
The GIN statement added:
I'VE do, however, object to
the publication of statements.
and particularly sketches which
have as their sources confidential
information and material di-
vulged in breach of the conf
Dental relationship and in vio-
lation of our property rights.
while we have no advertising
policies as such based on a sit
uation such as this, we certainly
do not believe that we should be
placed in the position Of i'm
| pliedly approving or condoning
such a practice by permitting
our paid advertising to appear
on one page of publication
which might at any time on
another page of the same issue
publish information involving
our property rights and trade
secrets, which has been obtained
from sources in a confidential
relationship with us"
Advertising Age said in a
statement that General Motors
advertising cancellation orders
were sent out on the day the
story broke in the Journal"
The advertising publication
also reported that GIN has
stricken Wall Street Journal
bureau offices across the coun-
try from its press release mall
ing lists.
Difficulties Reported.
In his statement, Mr.. Kilgore
also said:
"It is true that Wall Street
Journal reporters have recently
encountered certain difficulties
in obtaining routine news re-
! leases from General Motors"
Concerning that phase of the
situation. the General Motors
statement said:
ITO the extent that news re-
leases are issued to the press for
general publication. our practice
is to make them available to
every one"
In the May % story the
Journal said in part:
Forecast for 1855 auto
models: More makes will be
thoroughly restyled than ever
before in the half-century of au-
tomotive history"
1t, said that Ford, Chevy.
Mercury and Pontiac, Lincoln
and Packard will get that green
house look by joining the wrap
around windshield trend" That
was a 1854 development of Gen.
eral Motors.
The Journal story went on to
discuss the 1855 look of Dodge
and Plymouth, De Soto and
Chrysler, and said va engines
will appear in Chevrolets. Pom
tiacs, Plymouths and Packards
for the first time.