"Your Publisher"

Youthful Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., able, active scion of an able, active line, whilom Hearstling, who in 1923 branched out from running the national news service that bears his name to endeavoring to establish a chain of newspapers in the U. S. (beginning with two gum-chewers' sheetlets in California [TIME, Aug. 20, 1923]), last week made a loud announcement.

Said he: "The Illustrated Daily News of Los Angeles and The Illustrated Daily Herald of San Francisco lead in daily circulations in the Far West.

"On Jan. 12, 1925, another Vanderbilt tabloid will make its appearance, this time in Miami, Florida. . . ."

The pursuant description made it clear that the new paper, the name of which was not vouchsafed, would be much like its Vanderbiltian predecessors. These, in their day, were modeled after the famed gum-chewers' sheetlets* of Manhattan. Compactly laid out, swathed in photographs, crowded with headlines, cluttered with "features", tabloid newspapers compress the national and international news the day with the local and incidental, expanding the latter into longer stories whenever it possesses sufficiently sensational details. The Vanderbilt papers, however, do not exploit crime am scandal as do their Manhattan prototypes. Their two most visible bents arc educational (stories of science and invention, popularly told, and local school notes) and domestic stories (of family-life, "happy reunion" pictures, brides and grooms, etc.).

Miami readers will also have spread before them "signed editorials," of which the following (from the Illustrated Daily News) is a fair example:

"Providence, R. I., Dec. 29-- (CV Service, Inc.)--Winter, cold, cold winter in New England. What could be more unpleasant? We scarcely know. . . .

"Long Island, its bleak, brown countryside frozen stiff and hard by the hoary winds of December, never looked more woebegone and distant that it did today. . . . An old manor house, the property of one of the first governors of New York state, situated on the top of a little knoll at Plandome, is the residence of a half-brother of our wife, Martin Littleton, the well-known criminal attorney. . . .

"The East, the younger East, enjoys winter. . . . The older East detests it. It longs for Florida and California. And no wonder! What have they here to live for? ...

(Signed) "CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, JR..

"Editor and Publisher."

Or this (from The Illustrated Daily, Herald) :

"En Route to Washington, Dec. 29 (CV Service, Inc.)--Have you, who read this column, done very much traveling? If not, and you care for it, you should hitch yourself to our self-conducted tour of the continent and we can assure you the time of your life; that is, if you have energy enough to keep up with us. For instance, since leaving California some five or six weeks ago, we have covered approximately 7,350 miles, have passed through 23 states and have stopped over in 11 major cities. We have spent 14 nights and 9 days aboard trains, 21 days in hotels, and 7 in private homes. . . . have made 26 public addresses to a total of more than 40,000 people and have been to 2 private dances. We have worked every night except while on the train until 3 a.m. and this latter was in the interest of those who have faith and trust in us and who believe in the future success of Vanderbilt Newspapers, Inc. Your publisher. . . . has consecrated his life to service. . . . He does not claim to be above the average nor perfect in anyway, but he tries to serve. ... In the past few weeks, your publisher has done some things which, it is hoped, will reflect great glory upon those who are about to be interested in this newspaper corporation--things that will be of momentous importance shortly. ..."

(Signed) "Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr., "Editor and Publisher."

*The Daily News (Chicago Tribune owned) and The Daily Mirror (popularly supposed to be "backed by Hearst").