New Voice

To radio's multitude of voices, one of considerable authority was added last week: the plain, human voice of long, lean, earnest Hanson W. Baldwin (TIME, Nov. 9), the New York Times's ace military reporter and critic. Baldwin took to the air for the Blue Network on a one-a-week sustainer (Sun., 3:15-3:30, E.W.T.). He is available to any sponsor who thinks that Baldwin is worth the Blue's asking price.

That price is secret, but it is no secret that the salaries paid to heavily sponsored newscasters are more than newspapers are willing or generally able to pay for unsyndicated writers. The Times had to grin and bear it. Baldwin will continue to turn out his almost daily war column for his paper. He broke no Times precedent by going on the air, and the paper did not forbid his being billed as its military editor. But America's best newspaper is rightly jealous of its trained talent, would prefer not to share it.

Warcaster Baldwin's series debut reviewed the military news of the week with a clarity and detachment not common to radio newscasting. His voice was believable--a happy departure from the standard radio announcer-commentator voice, which suggests that its owner has been thickly padded with heavy cream. The rest is up to Baldwin's listeners. If they like his realism--in contrast to the bombast and theatrics of scores of commentators--he has a new career. If they do not like it, he still has a wide reputation for professional learning, personal acuteness and balance.

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