The Press: Battle Called Off

In 1936 and 1940 the tabloid New York Daily News’s “Presidential Battle Page,” offering the Democratic and Republican parties equal campaign space in side-by-side columns, was a top feature. Three weeks ago the Daily News started the page again, as usual saying the lid was off, and asking only that combatants accompany libelous material with an indemnity bond. For 17 days the battle raged.

Roared the Republicans: “CLEAR EVERYTHING WITH SIDNEY!” What about the shipments of steel and oil to Japan under Roosevelt? To avoid unemployment, a WPA on the Rhine.

Roared the Democrats: “THE ELEPHANT DOES FORGET” (its isolationist statements, the Hoover depression). Dewey is unpopular with his own party. Dewey is full of confused contradictions in his frantic effort to keep up with public opinion.

Last week, the Democrats contributed a cartoon showing Governor Dewey speaking from a platform that concealed a fatuous-looking cellar gang. Included in the gang was Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publisher of the news-slanting Chicago Tribune, and cousin of Daily News Publisher Joe Patterson. Captain Patterson forthwith called off the Battle Page. His reasons: below-the-belt hitting, fear of libel.

Cried Democratic National Chairman Robert E. Hannegan: Ridiculous! Patterson can dish it out but he can’t take it.

Newspapermen, long familiar with the News’?, aggressive method of fighting libel threats, were inclined to agree with Bob Hannegan. But few thought that hard-headed Joe Patterson either wanted to spare his readers below-the-belt copy, or minded too much the family slight in the cartoon on Cousin “Bertie.” Best guess was that astute Captain Patterson wanted no side music to distract attention from the blaring, anti-New Deal tune played daily by his accomplished trio of Editorial Writer Reuben Maury, Cartoonist C. D. Batchelor and Columnist John O’Donnell.

Whatever the reason, Democrats were quick to capitalize when 18 papers, including the Detroit Free Press, the Chicago Times, Manhattan’s Post and PM offered both parties space to continue their raucous ruckus. The Democrats accepted with loud alacrity; the Republicans said they had not decided whether to reopen the battle.