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Hewing straight to the line: editorial control inAmerican news broacasting, 1941–42K.R.M. Short aa Westminster College , Oxford, EnglandPublished online: 12 Aug 2006.

To cite this article: K.R.M. Short (1981) Hewing straight to the line: editorial control in American news broacasting, 1941–42 ,Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 1:2, 167-176, DOI: 10.1080/01439688100260151

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Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1981

D O C U M E N T

Hewing Straight to the Line: editorial control in American news broacasting, 1941-42

K. R. M. SHORT, Westminster College, Oxford, England

The name of Arthur Hale does not immediately spring to mind as a newscaster in the 1930s and 1940s, as do the names of Drew Pearson, Walter Winchell, Edward R. Morrow, and Lowell Thomas to name but a few. Hale, born Arthur Glunt in Altoona, Pennsylvania, graduated from Gettysburg College and fought fin France with the AEF as an artillery officer. After playing the piano in an Altoona cinema in the 1920s, he moved to New York where in 1931 he became an announcer and then newsreader on the WOR 1 lpm news. WOR contracted this news programme to the Transradio Press Service in 1935 which provided both the script and Arthur Hale (Transradio having changed his German surname for one linked, apparently, with the American revolutionary hero Nathan Hale). After four years Transradio created a new programme Confidentially Yours on WOR for Hale to provide, hopefully, the Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) with a new early evening news personality. The success of the programme in the Metropolitan New York area led to the Richfield Oil Company's increased sponsorship, a net-work hookup, and a laudatory feature in Time Magazine (15 January 1940). As David Culbert persuasively argues in News for Everyman; Radio and Foreign Affairs in Thirties America (Greenwood Press, 1976, p. 5), radio news created mass interest in foreign affairs beginning with the Munich crisis. Richfield's announcement over Confidentially Yours of a free European NewsMap in December 1939-January 1940 resulted in almost 100,000 maps being given away in the New York area and ensured the programme a network slot.

Hale did not write his own scripts. The information came from (according to Transradio press releases) 7500 authoritative correspondents world-wide. The mate- rial was "checked, double-checked and carefully qualified by impartial experts... No inference of propaganda or prophecy, partisanship or prejudice is permitted in the production of Confidentially Yours". Among the scoops that MBS advertised was that, during the summer of 1940, Hale had announced, ten days before the official announcement, that FDR had told James Farley (who hoped for the nomination) that he was going to run for an unprecedented third presidential term. MBS claimed that Hale had proven to be the perfect commentator since he was an "exponent of the American type of thought and complete impartiality that is characteristic of Transradio News material". To refer to Hale's "insight and open-minded attitude in a world crisis" was really to claim those attributes for Transradio; Hale had little to do before a broadcast; after he had 'learned' the script, playing the studio piano provided pre-broadcast relaxation.

Personally, Hale's political convictions were running against the stream of events, both as an opponent of post-1937 New Deal policy and increased involvement in the

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168 K. R. M. Short

European crisis. The series of letters reproduced here passed between Hale and Herbert Moore, the President of Transradio Press Service, with copies to Ben Pollak, President of the Richfield Oil Company. The final letter of the group, dated 27 June 1942 indicates that the pre-war problems of his modifying scripts before broadcast were not completely solved.

Interestingly enough, Hale's most serious problem as a broadcaster emerged in 1944 when he read the script exactly as it was written by Transradio vice-president, Dixon Stewart. Inserted in a three minute item on the amazing advances in chemical research reference was made to atomic energy! Hale claimed that FDR "who usually enjoyed the program" called Henry Stimson (Secretary of War) in "wild alarm and ordered him to get General Groves on the job immediately" (unpublished article by Hale, written in early 1952). Hale took 'moral responsibility' for the broadcast; Transradio pleaded ignorance. Eric Barnow (The Golden V/ebb. A History of Broad- casting in the United States 1933-1953, NY, 1968, 157) cites this incident as being the most serious crisis successfully faced by the voluntary review plan which operated in war-time American radio. Military censorship was not to be established at every radio station. Arthur Hale remained on the air as a news broadcaster until Richfield withdrew its sponsorship in 1947.

Document reference: private possession--refer to Editor.

Correspondence: Dr K. R. M. Short, Westminster College, North Hinksey, Oxford OX2 9AT, England

Guidelines for the Publication of Documents

The Journal will consider publishing documents of particular significance for the history of mass communications and propaganda in the twentieth century. Contribu- tors should refer to the criteria for such documents which appeared in this journal, Vol. 1, No. 1 (March, 1981, p. 66). Documents/introductions for consideration should be submitted to: Nicholas Pronay, Senior Lecturer in History, School of History, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, England.

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Hewing Straight to the Line 169

- TRANSRADIO PRESS SERVICE �9 521FIFTHAVE' . NEW YORK

O F F ' I @ [ OW "1"HI[ P I q I [ 8 1 D I E N T

July 29, 1941 REGISTERED

Mr. Arthur Hale 21 East S?th Street New York City

Dear Arthur:

This is to further supplenent the memo which Dixon Stewart addressed to you under date of July 25th, calling your attention to the fact that a recent ~Iteraticn which you made in a "Confidemtially Yours" script, is a dangerous practice. No one would question your patriotism for a moment, but the wisdom of the recent change in the news material co,~Id be questionedand challenged on several points. It is not fair to the sponsor or to !~tual and certainly not fair to the ~_merican people for this sort of thing to be done even once, and there seems to have been several instances of it in the past few months.

All of us can u~lerstand how you feel about neutrality and isolationist ideals, bttt the tradition of a free press which we all should continue to respect, requires you and requires us to leave our personal feelings at home when we go to work, particularly in the news business.

Special emphasis is being given to this matter because ~ have Just returne~ from Washington and know the inner official attitucle toward similar indications of personal bias that certain corlmentators and columnists are manifesting from day to day. Apart from the ideal which we feel in this matter, there is a practical, dollar-and-cents aspect to it which no one will want to overlook, least of all Arthur Hale.

Thus, the real purpose of this letter is for the record, to show quite clearly to everyone ~oncerned that Transr~ilo is hewing straight to the line. We would not presume to tell you how you should feel or to criticize you for your opinions, but we, mindful of our responsibilities as a news service which supplies the script for "Confidentially Yours," are required by the sponsors and 1~h~tusl to perform these functions in a manner laid down by contract end must therefore remind you that ~Iterations of the substance or meaning of the material c~n-ot be m~de after it has been delivered to the studios of WOR.

Best regards.

cc }:!r. Ben Pollak P~chfield Oil Company New York City

Sincerely,

Herbert Moore V J

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170 K. R. M. Short

Transra41o Press Service ~21 WLfth Aven~o New York. New York

~eer ~e~b,

I h a v e J u s t r e c e i v e d y o u r l e t t e r , which p ~ l e s ~ ~ e w h a t e~d eeem~ t o c a l l fc~r m l i t t l e ~oAn~ c ~ ~he r e c o r d c ~ - ~ p ~ r t . X c a n w e l l ~ndeXs~end en~ s ~ z c ~ t ~ l ~ e ~Ath yotu- p r i d e o f s ~ t h o r a h t p , bu t any chan~ee ~ h a v e me~e i tn t h e s c r i 2 t h a v e b e e n n o t to i n j e c t hu t t o e l i ~ i n e t e ~ A a s ~ - ~ ~ e p the ~ro~r~m coldly faot~a~ r~r than eve~ e~A~y ~Atorlal. It bee been the et~dAedly inoffensive attlt,a~e'-~ tSe salesman for Rich- field, rather than the critic of o ~ a~olo~ist for factions o~ jolicAes. Z believe ~t ~ ~a~cce~e~.

I don't believe that R~chfield has lost a ~In~le customer on either ~Ide of ~ny !f~uce, ~nd I ~elAeve the p r o ~ r ~ ha~ a z ' ~ a ~ a ~ l ~ f ~ r s en~ i n t ~ e c t , , ~ l h ~ e s t y . ~'he g r e e t s h a r e o f t he c ~ e d i t ~ f ~ r t h a t t~ ~ o ~ r s , b u t I f e e l t h a t I h a v e contrlbute~ ~ e-.m~]~ ~ r . ~ I have often consiSered it f c r t ~ n e t e ~ o r th~ ~ r o ~ r a ~ + ~ ~een k e e l t h a t c~uc b a s s e s were o c - ~ e i o n e d ~ y opposed.

There ~ e m s to he a l i t t l e ~ o n d e r s t ~ u l l ~ as t o what n~V b i a s e s ~ r e . ~ n a p s I had ~ t t e A " 8 a t the.~a f o r t h f o r t h e reco~-d. I adn f o r s s t ~ a ~ n 8 ~ t ~ a l d e f e n s e . I em f o r a i d t o E n g l a n d . I sm ~e~nst ent~A~ t~e war ~,-~e~s there is a hostile ~ove a~i~st t ~ e a ~ s t a r n h e m i s p h e r e o r any ~ r r i t o r y o f t he U n i t e d S t a t e s . g h e t ~ e r t he p r o p e r ~erm f o r t h i s i s ' I s o l a t i o n i s m f I r e a l l y d o n t t k n o w - - b u t I b e l i e v e s r e ~ r e s e ~ t s t h e v ~ e e p o i n t o f t h e ~ r e a t m a j - o r i t y os ~ r i c ~ n ~ . Aa s ~ s ~Ae, a , I ~ s t r o ~ l y f o r t h e ~ c i a l o b j e e t l w e e o f t he New Dea l ms I ~nder s~ood them An 1732 and 193~ when I wee an e n t h n s i a s t i c s u p p o r t e r o f . ~ r e s i d e n t R o o s e - v e l t �9

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Hewing Straight to the Line 171

~. He~bex~ ~ a - 2 - J.17 30. 19~I

I n 1937 I beEan ~o hewD d o u b t s t h a t t h e New Dea l methods were l e e d l n ~ o r wo.~ld e v e r l e ~ t o t h o s e ob~ec tAves~ ~nd e t t h e s ~ t4m~ ~r~serve the form of ~ov~n~ent uhich h~d" ~x~de the ~Ic~us ~hS ~ t e a ~ p e o p l e t~ t h e - o r l d (ano tha r of' ,T~ ~ i a s ~ s : ) I have sn ~ h o l y c o n t e m p t end h a t r e d f o r bo th N a z i i s m '~u~ =o~w,n~s~, end r e s e n = a n y t h i n ~ t h a t s ~ e i l s o f e i t h e r o [ Mbs~A i ~ ~ own ~ o v ~ " n - merit- To m~ mind. pra~AcAll$ all t~a.~gpean countrles h~ve e l - ways bed p r e t t y s o r r y s y s t e m s . They hews n e v e r - . ~ e l i e v e d i n o r d e - s i r e d d ~ c r e e y ~ s ~e u n d e r s t a n d i ~ _ and t h e i r c u r ~ n t s y s t ~ o f deviltry is simply thelx r os davil~ry~ A no lu~ge~ ~1"~ ~ ~y r.,o~'e ~ h f a l v ie~" ~h~t we~ e ~ l ~ e ~ e h o w f o r c e on them our ~merleen ethics end we~ .~ tolere~g llfe. The v~ry ~est we can do As to let th am slo~A~ ~.r~ Xt/An a~ it~ n~tAve s~An~- l~*s a tni~ t o love even A~*~'re-'*ls ill-~ed, ~nd Ill- ale:had, (end my people for g~n~r~ons were ill-house~ and Ill- clothed, end cert~ 2~n'.y ~d--end h~p~y), Meca~a those thA~s wsr~ not ~ ' ~ e n r , . . ~ , t ova~'~, /-~- .- , r le~ ~uew At.

It's possible ~het I have unconsciously ~ot some of these basses and ~reJudices A~O m7 Sali~e~y and the tonin~ down o f eSitarial a d j e c t i v e s ( ~ l a n a r e so ~ atron6eu~ s~oken ~hea r e e d wi th t h e eye)~ ere we ~mden~arta~ly et varlenee, end should ~e hop so strc~ on the probated, de band-gs~on with the Steele'. the Coo~s', th~ ~AllAams' a~ the SsAug~' ?

B e s t R e g a r d s ,

A~,pmh ca, kr. Ben Pollak

Richfield Oil C~any NeT Xozk. New Xork

A r t h u r Hale

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172 K . R . M . Short

" TRANSRADIO PRESS SERVICE �9 5 2 1 FIFTH AVE., NEW YORK

O l r P ' l r O F VM[ P ' R I [ I I D I N T

~mlst i, !841

l(r. Arthur Hale 21 ~-ast 87th Street New York City

Dear Arthur :

Nothing pleases us more than to have a frank, straightforward statement of your attitude, as is apy~zrent in yours of July 8Oth.

The question involved in this exchenge of correspondence im simply this: Is it still possible, advisable or clesirable, for those of us who are engaged in the production of "Confidentially Yours," to insist upon the right and privilege of "broadcasting as usual?" Is this national emergency, limited or unlimited, only a figure of speech? Is it still possible at this late date for any news publisher or broadcaster to maintain a neutrality of viewpoint?

In our opinion, it is not possible or advisable for any of us to pretend that the United States is not on a war footing and that our conduct must be shaped ac c ordingly.

~or our part, we are loyal to the policies of the government in this emergency, even if we do not agree with the moves which have been ts-ken or are likely to be taken. In the preparation of the news material for "Confidentially Yours,, we are steering a close, parallel course to the broad policies of the ~vern- ment and will continue to do so, until the emergency has passed and it has once more become possible to maintain a "business as usual" policy.

Apart from this general statement of viewpoints, we think the issue can best be settled by caref~l study of the editorial change in the news copy, which occasioned this exch=~ge of letters between us. With your change,this statement is objectionable, no matter how you may view President Roosevelt.

It is therefore up to Richfield to decide whether they want to t~-n back the clock and preach neutrality at a time when the mere suggestion of a neural viewpoint is well-nigh tantamount to treason.

~th best regards, I am

HH:mr

Sincerely,

Herbert !~oore

~r. Ben Po!lek Richfiel~ Oil Corn!any New York City

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Hewing Straight to the Line 173

A~ast 5. ~41

Mr. He~bert Mnore, ~2~unmdAo PA~so Sere tee , 521 F i f t h Avenue, New TerM, N. Y.

Dear Herb ,

I am d e l i g h t e d ~ t t h the tone and e o n t e n t o f y e u r l e t t e r o f August 1 , f o r At shows me t h a t ou~ t h o u . ~ t p r o c e e a ~ a r e n o t so d l v e r E e n t a s I ha~ begun ~o s u s p e c t .

~Ust t o g a t h e r up the l o o s e ends - w e , r e d i s c u s e i ~ a m a t t e r i n which the P r e s i d e n t h a s t he o o n s t i t u t l ~ a l a u t h o r i t y t o ac~ without ~ @or.sent c~ n~pr~ of Cor~se, cu~ ~sn in d i r e c t op~ositi~ t o ~.,heir wiah~s. Sta~ents by czbAnet ~e~bers ( n o t ~y ~ P r o v i d e n t ' h i m s e l f ) have given rlse to a debate in Cc~xs. In ro~o~in~ t h a t d e b a t e , I say, �9 ~hile th~ ~sidont pro t~b~y ~i~hes to act onl~ wlth the c o n s e n t aud a p p r o v a l o f C o n ~ w e s , he does n o t h~ve to h~v~ that oon.~nt ur a~;~ 'ov~l . '

F ~ , f o r t he l l f e o f me, I c s n ' t s e e e m y t h L ~ i n ~ t s t a t e - ment t h a t ean be i n t a r~n re t ed a s d e r o g a t o r y o r e r i t l c a l o f the P r e s i d e n t . To ms, i t se~=~ e n t i r e l y Impersonal. I must eonfeee that I wee both u ~ e t and h n ~ t h a t you and Dix eon - s l d e r ~ i t o t h e r w i s e . I ~ . . ~ d l a t e l ~ o w i t h o u t . l eed tn~ c~ l o ~ e d que~tlons, a~ksd the opir~l.cm of the str~ngest ~ o o s ~ e l t t~op le X knew, inaluSir~ ~ud~e We~ster 0liver, ~ho owes has appointc~ut t o t h e C u e t ~ Cour t t o P r e s i d e n t Rooseve l t . Done of th~ c o u l d fLu~ a~ythlng ~ren faintly ~ in the statement. I would no ~__~re question y~u~ sincerity end ~tr1~t!~ than I ~ouId mY own, but i s n ' t i t p o s s i b l e t h a t you ~ r e r e a d l n ~ between my l i n e s som~thin~ t h a t w a s n , t there?

X am i n co~ple~e a~ reemsn t wi~h you t h a t ~e shou ld beck t h e P r e s A d e n t . ~e have neveT been n e u t r a l , aud a l l p r e t e n s e o f n e u t r a l i t y wBn$ o v e r b o a r d wi th t~he D e s t r o y ~ d e a l and the Lease Lend A c t . N e u t r a l i t y i s no l o n ~ e r a subJe@t f o r d e b a t e . ~he q u e s t t a n b e f o r e t h e p e o p l e now I s whethel- we shou ld e n t e r t h e ea~ ~ as an a c t l v e t~IZi~erent. T~er9 As a stron8 ~-oup which thanks we ~ o u ~ l . There i s ~ op~os lu~ Stoup which t~ inka we are not yet sufficiently pl-epare~. Cn both eld~e *.hem are

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174 K. R. M. Short

-2-

Za'. H ~ r b e ~ IJ~'o ~ZX'a,uAra:lAo Press Sez~rAoe A ~ s t .5, 192~1

h ~ t ~ r l ~ ~ t r ~ ! m t 8 I h o ~ l m t r l o t l e ~ ean ~ ~ u e s t l o ~ d e but t h a t d~ean0t ~ e t he r e a l A t i ~ o1" 1Lho ~ r ~ n e u t . l belon~ to the m~ond ~ r ~ p , and so , X em e e r t a J ~ , does P r e s J L ~ t .~oos~relt .

So l o ~ as the ~ o f "Conf l~ len t l~ l ly Y o u ~ �9 :Ls t ~ n ~ r a t e (and t h e r e f o ~ o f f e o t t v o ) , I d o n ' t tht/~k t h e * 3 a ~ v t h ~ fo~ us t o wor ry abou t .

~ i t h bes~ re~Lr~So

3 l~ .ere. lu

A r thu r ~ .

/i~sDD cc : Mr. Ben PolZak

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Hewing Straight to the Line 175

. T R A N S R A D I O PRESS SERVICE �9 . 521FIFTHAf's NEW YORK

i t

OFI r IG I r O I r T~K p N I r I ~ I n E N T

Au@~st 7, 1941

~r. Arthur Hale ~utua! Broadcasting System New York City

Dear Arthur:

It is good to know, by yours of AUb~ust 5th, that we are in agreement as to objectives. In the furze, you should telephone me or Dixon Stew~t to point out a~fthing you thi~ is intemperate. ?le Can then mull it over in c~ndid discussion emd slter the stress wherever sound news judgment inc!icatee it should be done.

?re have earnerl, but must never cease to Justify, the confi- dence that a vast audience has reposed in us.

Best regards.

Sincerely,

Herbert l~oore

E~:mr

cc to: L~r. Ben Pol!al~ Richfield 0il Con2~my 19 West 80th Street ~ew York City

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176 K. R. M. Short

TRAIISRADIO nEWS FEATURES, IllC. N I N E R O C K E F E L L E R P L A Z A

NEW YORK CITY

June 27, 1942

Mr. A r t h u r H a l e 210 Eas t ? 3 r d S t r e e t New York C i t y

Dear Ar t b u r :

E v i d e n t l y , t h e r e have b e e n one o r two r e c e n t i n s t a n c e s i n which y o u have s e e n f i t t o d e l e t e o r a l t e r c e r t a i n i t e m s in " C o n f i d e n t ~ i a l l y Y o u r s , " r e v i v i n g an o l d p r o b l e m we had hoped was p e r m a n e n t l y b u r i e d . We f e e l t h a t t h i s i s n o t soun~ p r a c t i c e i n p e a c e t i m e and t h a t i t i s e x t r e m e l y d a n g e r o u s nowadays , b e c a u s e o f t h e o f f i c i a l s c r u t i n y o f e v e r y t h i n g ~ t h e a i r a s w e l l a s i n p r i n t , w h i c h i s r e a c h i n g ~xheard of proportions,

Your d e l e t i o n s o r a l t e r a t i o n s a t a q u i c k g l a n c e t o most p e o p l e would seem to indicate that you want to protect the isolationists and certain other types of anti-Roosevelt critics or politicians, because of some sense of falr play. Whatever the motive, it can certainly ~ imagined that a great deal of distortion could be attached to these deletions and alterations if someone in the official family in Washington wanted to make a point out of it.

So, it would be a good idea for us to talk this matter over again without delay and re-establish the arrangement by which nothing is to be changed without prior consultation and then only when it is clearly a matter affectln~ the public interest.

So, sometime during the week if you are in this neighborhood, please drop bF and we can discuss it with f~uality.

W i t h b e s t r e g a r d s , I am

S i n c e r e l y ,

TgAI~RADIO NEWS F-EATUR~, INC,

By

H e r b e r t Moore /

HM :mr

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