GREAT NEWSPAPER MERGER

Evening Star, Issue 17316, 1 April 1920, Page 5

GREAT NEWSPAPER MERGER

_ Mr Frank Munsey, long a leading figure in American magazine publication, and , more recently a newspaper proprietor, announced on . January SJS his decision to amalgamate the * Hew York Herald/ ■which he recently purchased, with the ‘Yew York- Sun.' In the- course of a long statement printed in both papers (telegraphed the New York correspondent of ‘ The Times ’) Mr Munsey says that ho had' hoped that' the ‘ Herald ’ might be continued as a separate ‘ newspaper, but it would have been in opposition to all the laws and economics of sound business. “The ‘Herald’s’ printing plant is archaic and worn to the breaking point,” says Mr ‘Munsey, /‘and, in addition, it will have no home In 15 months, when the ground lease of the ‘Herald’ building terminates.” While the ‘Sun’ is in an impregnably strong position, Mr Munsey adds, it cannot help benefiting from taking on the 1 Herald"’ atmosphere, the ‘Herald’ circulation, and the ‘ Herald ’ prestige. No announcement was made in regard to the New York ‘Evening Telegram,’ which Mr Munsev purchased from the executors of the late James Gordon Bennett, or the Paris edition of the ‘New York Herald.’ In a statement published in the Paris edition of the ‘New York Herald’ -on January 19 (adds ‘The Times’) Mr Munsey announced that the name of ‘New York HeraJ'd ’ was immortal. It will now be known as the ‘Sun and New York Herald.’ _ The ‘New York Herald’ was founded in 1835 by James Gordon Bennett, who was succeeded by his son, the late James Gordon Bennett, from whose executors it has now been purchased by Mr Munsey. The * Sun ’ was first published on September 23, 1833. It was acquired in 1868 by Charles Anderson Dana, under whom, and under William M. Laffan, his successor, it remained one of the great dailies of- America. In 1916 the ‘ New York Press,’ formerly owned by Mr Munsey, was amalgamated with the ‘Sun.’ Since that lime the ‘Sun’ has been a Republican paper of the strictest. party line, generally supporting the politics of Mr Roosevelt, and being a very bitter antagonist of Mr Wilson’s Administration.