The Batt!e for Press Control 153

nor promise of business nor threats of loss availed. It printed the news.

There was a certain Jewish banker· who periodically demanded that

Bennett discharge the Herald's financial editor. The banker was in the

business of disposing of Mexican bonds at a time when such bonds were

least secure. Once when an unusually large number of bonds were to be

unloaded on unsuspecting Amer icans, the "Herald" published the story

of an impending Mexican revolution, which presently ensued. The banker

frothed at the mouth and moved every influence he could to change the

Herald's financial staff, but he was not able to effect the change even of

an office boy.

Once when a shocking scandal involved a member of a prominent

family, Bennett refused to suppress it, arguing that if the episode had

occurred in a family of any other race it would be published regardless

of the promine~ce of the figures involved. The Jews of Philadelphia

secured suppression there, but because of Bennett's unflinching stand

there was no suppression in New York.

A newspaper is a business proposition. There are some matters it

cannot touch without putting itself in peril of becoming a defunct

concern. This is especially true since newspapers no longer receive their

main support from the public but from the advertisers. The money the

reader gives for the paper scarcely suffices to pay for the amount of white

paper he receives. In this way, advertisers cannot be disregarded any

more than the paper mills can be. As the most extensive advertisers in

New York were, and are, the department stores, and as most department

stores were, and are, owned by Jews, it comes logically that Jews often

influence the news policies of the papers with whom they deal.

At this time, it had always been the burning ambition of the Jews to

elect a Jewish Mayor of New York. They selected a time when the

leading parties were disrupted to push forward their choice. The method

they adopted was characteristic. They reasoned that the newspapers

would not dare to refuse the dicrum of the combined department store

owners, so they drew up a "strictly confidential" letter which they sent

to the owners of the New York newspapers, demanding support for the

Jewish mayoralty candidate. The newspaper owners were in a quandary.

For several days they debated how to act. All remained silent. The

editors of the "Herald" cabled the news to Bennett who was abroad.

Then, it was that, Bennett exhibited that boldness and directness o