Evening star., 1955-03-07
Frederick BirchaII,
Ex-NeW York Times
Executive, "a, Dies
By The Asseeiutsd Press

BY the Asseeioisd Press
NEW YORK, Mar. Fred
erick T. Birchall, "a. acting man
aging editor of the New York
Times from 1926 to 1881. died
today at Dawson Memorial Hos
pital, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.
After q years as a news editor
for the Times. Mr.. Birchall in
1882 left the desk to become q
foreign correspondent. His first
series Of stories. covering espe-
cially the Nazi rise to power in
Germany, won him a Pulitzer
Prize in 1888.
In recent years Mr.. Birchall
had been living in retirement at
his home at Petite Riviere. 18
miles from Bridgewater.
Mr.. Birchall's wife, Mrs. Annie
Hood Birchall, 90. died last Feb
ruary 81 in New York and
he attended her funeral here.
A stocky, bald man with red
dish whiskers, Mr.. Birchall
brought to his newspaper work
vast energy and an alert and
vigorous mind.
Was Born in England.
He was born in 1871 at War;
rington, England, and wrote for
several British papers before
coming to the United States. In
this country he worked first for
a Philadelphia weekly and then
for a New York news bureau, the
New York Tribune and the
Morning Sun before going to the
Times as night city editor in
1905
Mr.. Birchall's last work with
the Times was in Ottawa. Can
ada, where he reported that
dominion's preparations for
World War II. After retiring he
was with British war relief.
During World War I. Mr..
Birchall had taken leave to work
for the British government. He
always retained his British citi-
zenship and for this reason the
Times said it never invested him
with the title of managing edi-
tor. This policy had the full
approval of Mr.. Birchall.
Wrote Series on Europe.
The Pulitzer prize, awarded in
1888 to Mr.. Birchell, was for his
first series of stories in the Times
on the European situation, COW
ering particularly the Nazi revo-
luton in Germany and the rise
of Adolf Hitler. This he &C
cepted as IAN acknowledgement
of an honest effort to tell the
truth without fear OF malice
about happenings of interest and
Importance to the whole world" &"
He became one of the out
standing foreign correspondents
of his day, rowing over Europe
of his day, rowing over Europe,
witnessing and reporting epochal
events. Shaking off the burdens
Of an executive, he was as eager
as a cub reporter. For the first
time in nearly 70 years." he told
a colleague, I'm really living" "
Intended for Ministry.
Educated in the Lancashire
schools, he attended college in
England but left when he learned
that his father intended him to
enter the ministry. He became a
volunteer reporter on a local
newspaper, getting much expert
ence but not much money, so he
drifted to various English news
papers and finally worked under
w. T. Stead. famous editor of
the Pail Mall Gazette. He came
to America in 1893.
His first experience in this
country was as editor of a small
weekly in Philadelphia. His sal
airy was almost invisible" he
said, and he went to New York,
covering the police beat" for a
news bureau. Theodore Roosevelt
was then police commissioner.
Meantime, he married Miss Annie
Hood, who came from his native
county in England.
On the Way Up.
He moved to the old New York
Tribune as copyreader and then
to the Sun. becoming assistant
city editor under Selah M. (Boss)
Clarke, one of the most famous
newspapermen of that day. In
1905 he went to the Times as
night editor. He worked in close
harmony with Carr v. Van Arfda,
the distinguished managing ed
itor, who had once been his boss
on the Sun.
In 1912 he was made assistant
managing editor. During the
early years of World War I he
was Mr. Van Anda's right-hand
man. when foreign news took on
an unprecedented Importance