Liberty

"The leading wet journal in America" is a title which many a publication would be pleased to accept. Judge or the American Mercury, for example, would love it. Last week, F. Scott McBride, general superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League, had this title on the tip of his tongue and, forthwith, he deposited it upon Liberty, prosperous nickel weekly.

This, no doubt, surprised Liberty readers, many of whom regard the magazine as light entertainment (in fiction and article). But Liberty has flayed Prohibition, on occasion, on its editorial page; has published articles revealing the iniquities of bootleggers and Prohibition agents.

It would be more accurate, however, to refer to Capt. Joseph Medill Patterson as "the leading wet publisher in America." He is as outspoken as a wealthy publisher can be; and furthermore his Liberty, Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News are read by more than 4,000,000 people. His partner in these enterprises is his cousin. Col. Robert Rutherford McCormick. The two men are not one in editorial policy. Capt. Patterson, whose chief interest is the New York Daily News, supported Alfred Emanuel Smith in the campaign; every day, during the two months before election, the Daily News said on its editorial page: "If you are for Prohibition vote for Hoover. If you are against Prohibition vote for Smith." The Chicago Tribune and Col. McCormick supported Hoover, but remained wet.

Liberty is going to change, not its editorial policy or contents, but its size. It is going to be smaller and undoubtedly fatter --approximately the same size as Hearst's Cosmopolitan or Good Housekeeping. The change goes into effect with the Jan. 12, 1929, issue. Advertising rates will remain the same, though display space will necessarily be smaller.

Along with the change in size, Liberty offers to advertisers a wide variety of display shapes. The lineage system is to be abolished, and all advertising based on fractions of a page, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8 (1/12), (1/24), If an advertiser wants to buy one-third page, he has his choice of a tall, thin space (one full column) or a square space (one-half of two columns). Thus, the flexibility of the Liberty scheme. Two-page spreads can also be purchased in several fractions and shapes, in rotogravure.

Specimen Liberty rates:

Center spread (four colors) $13,000

Back cover (four colors) 9,000

Page (black & white) 4,250

1/24 page 177.09

For the first six months of 1929 Liberty guarantees a net paid circulation of 1,750,000; for the second six months 2,000,000. Bigger circulation means bigger paper bills; but the smaller page means smaller page bills; hence Liberty chooses a convenient moment for its change in format. "It will be the popular size," believes Liberty. "There is less room to waste on the library table."

More important, it will be one of the standard sizes which the A. A. A. A. (American Association of Advertising

Agencies) and the Bureau of Standards urge all magazines to adopt.

Last week's news contained another item. The largest amphibian plane ever built was delivered to Captain Patterson. He promptly christened her Liberty. She is a Sikorsky with a top speed of 140 miles per hour with comfortable cabin for nine passengers. He has been taking flying lessons at Curtis field, Long Island.