[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—" Old Newspaper Manager"
writes that if straight Press advertising were used to lay before the public the facts about the League of Nations it would tend to destroy the freedom of the Press, or more exactly, it would put editors more than ever in the hands of advertisers.
Any large expenditure in advertising is only made possible over any considerable period of time by the continued support of the public for the article advertised, and I do not believe that the public has ever continued to support (for any length of time) an article which is not giving them good value for their money.
There seems no reason to me why advertising should not be regarded just as much as a service to the reader in the Press, as news ; nor any reason why the advertiser, if by fair means he is able to receive support from the public for his expenditure, should not be permitted to influence news, always provided that in the opinion of the editor his public will welcome the publication of such news.
It would seem hard indeed that the fears of an "Old Newspaper Manager" of competition from the Advertising Manager should be allowed to interfere with any project so obviously designed for the public welfare as Mr. Murray Allison's suggestion of paid publicity for the League of Nations 1
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