Fact Book

In many and many a place where the New York World was only a name, there was consternation over its passing last year. The paper was to die, a great pity. And what about the World Almanac? Would there be no more Almanac? Would the schoolboy in Great Falls no longer search its pages for the latest figures on anthracite production in Pennsylvania -- and pause to examine the fascinating his tory of lynching in the U. S.? Would the farmer in Nebraska no longer be able to find at a glance the height of the Empire State Building, the height of the Tower of Babel, the death rate from cirrhosis of the liver by states since 1911? Would all researchers be deprived of that omniscient i.ooo-page volume (most-called-for reference book in the Library of Congress) with its facts large & small -- from an analysis of the latest U. S. census to the manner of addressing an archdeacon? The answer was "No." but not everyone knew it until last week when the 47th annual edition appeared. The publisher is, of course, the Scripps-Howard organization, owner of the World-Telegram. But the book is still called The World Almanac & Book of Facts; its cover still bears the familiar design of the ugly gilt dome of the old World Building, and its editor still is Robert Hunt Lyman. The 1932 Almanac does not differ from last year's by much more than other editions have varied from their predecessors. But that means that about 40% of its substance is entirely new. The remaining 60% consists largely of standing tables which are brought up to date. The new matter includes a thoroughgoing chronology of 1931 in politics, economics, science, sports -- practically everything that made headlines during the year. A new condensation of 1930 census figures fills 100 pages. The book goes to press in sections, beginning Sept. 21. The last section is held until Dec. 21 with a space left open for last-minute news, like the "fudge box" of an evening newspaper. For that reason the new Almanac even reports the overthrow of President Araujo of El Salvador, Dec. 3; the defeat of Prime Minister Scullin of Australia by Joseph A. Lyons, Dec. 19. Included also are late census figures for Canada. France and Palestine, football scores of Dec. 5 and 12.

The Almanac was established by the late Publisher Joseph Pulitzer of the World in 1886 because current almanacs, all of which were political, were strongly Republican. Pulitzer wanted something that told Democratic history and news. Gradually it got rid of its political flavor, lived to be the foremost U. S. general almanac.

Editor Lyman went to work for the Springfield Republican after being graduated from Yale in 1884. From there he went to the New York Herald, was managing editor of its London edition, joined the World in 1893, became acting managing editor. Ten years ago he took charge of the Almanac. His staff consists only of Associate Editor Fletcher Cooper, a business manager, an advertising solicitor and two stenographers. Specialists helped out in fields such as sport, finance, science, etc. etc. Last year 296.000 copies of the Almanac were sold, about one-third of them in the New York metropolitan area. Of the new issue 300,000 copies were distributed. Advertising dropped less than 3% from last year.

Press v. Bench

In a crowded Kentucky courtroom last week the Scripps-Howard organization found itself in one of its favorite roles-- battler against what it thought was official highhandedness. On one side was an outraged judge who had barred from his court reporters for a Scripps-Howard newspaper (Knoxville, Tenn. News-Sentinel). On the other was Scripps-Howard's lawyer, onetime Secretary of War Newton Diehl Baker, demanding "freedom of the press" in the form of a temporary writ from the Court of Appeals compelling the judge to admit News-Sentinel reporters. Lawyer Baker lost; but he could still press another claim for a permanent writ this week. Meanwhile Scripps-Howard papers throughout the land treated the matter as a cause celebre of judicial oppression, sent star men to Frankfort to analyze it, front-paged their reports under headlines a half-page wide. The affair grew out of the murder conviction in judge Henry R. Prewitt's court at Mount Sterling, Ky. of William B. Jones, secretary of the United Mine Workers in Harlan County. In summing up, the prosecutor had been permitted to deliver a fiery oration on subjects of Americanism, Communism, the I. W. W., Russia, etc., etc. Day after the conviction the News-Sentinel said editorially: "Any fair-minded man who has followed the Jones' trial might wonder in his mind whether Jones was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, or because he was a labor leader. . . .

"As long as our courts permit themselves to be a stage for the tirades of political and social prejudice, they will not obtain full confidence of those who believe in even-handed justice."

Enraged by what he deemed a libel, Judge Prewitt summoned Reporter John Moutoux of the News-Sentinel who was about to cover the next trial, that of William Hightower, and cited him for contempt. After Reporter Moutoux convinced him that he had not written the editorial Judge Prewitt dismissed the contempt charge but informed him that neither he nor any other News-Sentinel man might enter his court until the newspaper apologized. Moreover, he "wished the editor of the News-Sentinel lived in Kentucky. If he did. I'd have him here on a contempt charge right away."

Presently the News-Sentinel sent Reporter Jack Bryan, who had theretofore written nothing about the Kentucky mine situation, to ask access to the court. When he, too. was shut out Scripps-Howard got Lawyer Baker to go before the Court of Appeals.

The presence of potent Lawyer Baker as an opponent was not enough to draw Judge Prewitt away from his own county bench, where he said expenses of the murder trials were $500 a day. To defend him he sent his sons Allan, 29, and Reid, 27. He said: "I spent a lot of money to educate my sons to be lawyers, and they might as well work for me."

Lawyer Baker: "The right to gather news is a property right. The publication of news, publicity of trials, is among the great safeguards of liberty in a free country. If what Judge Prewitt has done in this case can be done, then it is within his discretion to exclude any representatives of any newspaper, and all representatives of all newspapers, and hold a star chamber session from which the observing eye of public .opinion has been withdrawn." The offending editorial, Lawyer Baker thought, was "exceedingly temperate." Lawyer Allan Prewitt: "Are you going to let that paper stay across the border and exercise this baleful influence? . . . When a man interferes with court he is told to stay out. Are you going to let this paper interfere with justice? The right of free press is no greater than the right of free speech. . . . Why can't they put a newspaper out? Powers of court are not so ossified they can't take care of a situation like that!"

Judge Prewitt (smiling broadly): "Well, the boys have won out over New- ton Baker."

Hearst's Breadline

Broadway and Seventh Avenue come together to form an acute triangle five blocks long with Times Square at its apex, Longacre Square at its base. Here is the centre of Manhattan's theatrical district, "The Gay White Way," the most crowded part of the city by night and the spot that strangers want to see first. Such pleasure-bent strangers and New Yorkers as have gone there between 7 and 10 o'clock any evening in the past few weeks have viewed an interesting sight: a line of shabby men (a few women among them), chins deep in coat collars, hands deep in pockets, shuffling ever so slowly around the edge of Longacre Square. At the head of the line is a large truck with electric lights ablaze, from which each one receives a sandwich, a doughnut, a cup of coffee. On the side of the truck a sign blazons: "New York American Christmas & Relief Fund Lunch Wagon." For placing a breadline (the American calls it a "sandwich line") in the most con- spicuous spot he could find, Publisher William Randolph Hearst has drawn bitter condemnation from a variety of sources. Showmen declared that the spectacle of misery at the doors of their theatres caused strollers to change their minds about spending money for fun. Merchants charged that out-of-town buyers are actually depressed by the scene to the point of curtailing orders. Many an observer has seized the handy conclusion that Publisher Hearst had the hungry accept alms, in the glare of Broadway instead of on a darkened side street-- simply to get cheap advertising for his paper. Day before the breadline was opened last month the Welfare Council of New York City sent Publisher Hearst a telegram stating that: 1) breadlines are unnecessary in New York, as facilities for feeding & lodging homeless men are ample; 2) public feeding "raises serious questions of public policy." Last week the Welfare Council published Publisher Hearst's telegram of reply: MY OPINION IS THAT IF FEEDING THE HUNGRY BY BREADLINES NOT NEEDED THERE WOULD BE NO BREADLINES. . . . AMERICAN'S REASON FOR DISTRIBUTING CHARITY IN PUBLIC PLACES IS TO BRING HOME TO PEOPLE THE GRAVE CONDITIONS WHICH EXIST AND THE NEED FOR CHARITABLE THOUGHT AND ACTION. . . .

* Fortnight ago Publisher Bernarr Macfadden opened, on shoddy obscure Third Avenue, a restaurant where a dish of "health food" may be had for a penny, a fair sized meal for 5$.

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