Lorimer v. Long

Editor George Horace Lorimer's Saturday Evening Post has a weekly circulation of three million. Editor Ray Long's Cosmopolitan (owned by Publisher William Randolph Hearst) has a monthly circulation of 1,620,000. Lately these two able men have been engaged in a little game of magazine golf; and now the score is all even at the turn--Editor Long with Calvin Coolidge's autobiography appearing in Cosmopolitan; Editor Lorimer with a contract for the life story of Alfred Emanuel Smith tucked snugly away in his safe. Last week something occurred to bring forth the question: Will Editor Lorimer soon be "one up" on Editor Long? That something was this: To the White House went Editor Lorimer, there to dine with President Hoover, then to spend the night in a White House guest chamber. Over the dinner table, and later, up in the second story White House den, President and Editor talked. What they talked about, no one knows. From the Executive Offices came no statement. To newsgatherers Editor Lorimer said nothing, except that his was a "social, personal visit." But the newsgatherers, other editors, journalists were set to thinking. During the presidential campaign, they remembered, The Saturday Evening Post said many a kind word about Nominee Hoover, in articles, in editorials. So now, asked observers of the magazine golf, is President Hoover about to return those favors by promising to write his autobiography for the Post after his term is ended? The observers recalled, not without amusement, that Editor Lorimer had evened the score with a long, well directed putt. While many were waiting with some interest the appearance of Citizen Coolidge's life history, Editor Lorimer quietly announced that he had signed up Citizen Smith for Post articles. Many were astounded, surprised. Little had magazinemen dreamed that strong Republican, quite dry Saturday Evening Post would publish words written by strong Democratic, very wet Citizen Smith. Least of all, it was said, did Editor Long have any such dreams.

Others gave another reason why Citizen Smith did not agree to write for Editor Long's Cosmopolitan. Publisher Hearst and Citizen Smith are far from friendly, and, it was said, when a Cosmopolitan spokesman asked why Smith had not suggested that he write for that magazine, a Smith spokesman replied:

"You'd better ask Mr. Smith about that. He'll tell you."

Hardly had Editor Lorimer driven from the White House grounds through the east gate, than Publisher Hearst drove in through the west gate. He, with Mrs. Hearst, took lunch with the President "by special invitation." Again statements from any of the lunchers were lacking, but the coincidence set people wondering who would win the race, which is sure to come among publishers and editors, for Hoover articles.

Readers of public prints recalled that only a few weeks before he sat down to this luncheon, Publisher Hearst had sat the President down pretty hard on the subject of Prohibition, in his national broadside against the Hoover speech in Manhattan to the Associated Press, which Publisher Hearst called "a blank cartridge fired against a blank wall" (TIME, May 13).