DRAMAS IN GOLD

Evening Star, Issue 23325, 22 July 1939, Page 12

DRAMAS IN GOLD

The battle of the Press in Britain reached 3. climax at the beginning of this century when Cyril Arthur Pearson launched the ‘ Daily Express ’ to fight Alfred Harmsworth’s ‘ Daily Mail,’ then, as now, “ the largest circulation in the world.” They had previously fought each other for 20 years, these two. The newspaper war, still going on, by the way, was the climax of long rivalry. Pearson and Harmsworth both found their start together in the publishing business with George Newncs, founder of the ‘ Strand Magazine,’ and first exploiter of Conan Doyle’s undying ‘ Sherlock Holmes.’ They both _ left Newnes to found weekly magazines, ‘ Answers,’ by Harmsworth ; ‘ Pearson’s Weekly ’ by Pearson. Never has the world of magazine or newspaper publication seen such rivalry. Promotion after promotion ensued from this war. Missing word competitions; Lloyd’s puzzles; football result competitions; story-writing; buried trea-sure-in short, everything known to the promoters to-day practically originated in the HarmsvyorthPearson feud. Harmsworth was a terrific worker; but he utilised the services of other men. Pearson was an equally terrific worker; but he mapped out his own campaigns and supervised them. He was a prodigious writer of directions to his subordinates. He wrote more than his share of his publications. He wrote insistently and excellently on every subject under the sun. Both had acquired handsome fortunes when their newspaper was started. Harmsworth had imported an American to “ pep ” up the ‘ Mai!.’ * Pearson, following the example of William Bandolph Hearst in fighting the Pulitzers in America, promptlv hired the American away. He is "Ralph Blumenfcld, Milwaukee-born editor of

—■— in By Paul Neumann ■ No. 22—Cyril Arthur Pearson THE TRAGEDY OF A BLIND PUBLISHER.

the ‘ Express ’ to this day, Blumenfeld took the ‘ Express ’ along carefullybuilt paths of newspaper progress to an enormous circulation. Harmsworth blasted his ‘ Daily Mirror ’ through a thousand walls of prejudice to keep just a bit ahead of Pearson and his Wisconsin genius, Blumenfeld. Both had reached a point over the million mark in 1911 when Pearson, then become Sir C. Arthur Pearson, went entirely blind, the sad result of the terrific energy he expended writing his paper to the top. But the blind publisher took it with magnificent spirit. The words were ascribed to him: “ God who took away my eyes, so my soul could see.” He turned over to Sir Max Aitken and Blumenfeld the ‘ Express ’ in its entirety, taking only his dividends, with which he started to do what he could for those similarly afflicted. When the war broke out Sir Arthur founded a hospital for blinded soldiers at his own home in St. Dunstan’s, Regent Park, London. He continued to do all he could for the blind, bewailing the fact that he could' not see to help them better. His newspaper, the 1 Express,’ in the meantime, continued almost parallel success with the Northcliffe ‘ Daily Mail.’ Sir Max Aitken became Lord Beaverbrook, and to-day the battle between Pearson and Northcliffe goes on though both are dead. Sir Arthur died in 1937, leaving his all to the blind, and to the world a legacy of patience, endurance, and courage of the highest order. He amassed a huge fortune, and spent it for the weal of his fellow men. Truly a tragedy of millions, but one alleviated by the victim’s knowledge of a work well done. (Copyright.) Next article: Samuel Instill.