"To Injure No Man"

On May 12 TIME published two articles purporting to show that on occasion The Christian Science Monitor plays favorites in its presentation of the news. One of these articles dealt with what appeared to be an attempt by The Monitor to minimize the extent of British displeasure over the recent U. S. Supreme Court ruling on liquor on the high seas.

On May 23 Mr. Charles E. Heitman of the Christian Science Committee on Publication wrote a courteous letter to the editors of TIME, referring to quotations from London papers published in these columns by way of contrast with The Monitor's story.

Said Mr. Heitman: "The quotations published by you from the British press were first utterances of these papers on this particular prohibition ruling of the Supreme Court, whereas The Monitor's story was of a later date."

This is strictly true. The Supreme Court decision was promulgated on April 30. Bare announcement of the fact was all that got into most English papers on May 1. On May 2 there was a flood of comment, from which most of TIME'S quotations were drawn. The Monitor's stories referred to were published on May 3 and May 4. Comment had dropped off to a certain extent in the British press on these two following days, but there was no apparent change in its sentiment.

Mr. Heitman continued: " The Monitor assumes no self-righteous attitude and makes no claim to absolute perfection in its construction; it does, however, stand for honesty, accuracy and fair dealing and would not even for the success of that which it deemed worthy deviate from that established policy and purpose so definitely indicated by its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, when she said, ' The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.' While those identified with The Christian Science Monitor are not indifferent to its success, I can say--to once again quote Mrs. Eddy --that they ' would much rather fail of success than attain it by reproachable means.' (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 147.)."

In the interest of fair play TIME takes pleasure in devoting this extended space to Mr. Heitman's defense of The Monitor's reputation.