Title: Typed Letter Signed with an Autograph Note. A Diatribe Against the News Media Accusing the New York Press of Being "Socialist and Bolshevist Propagandists" by President Hoover's Friend, the Right Wing Journalist George Lockwood Browning.
Description: Washington, D.C. January 21, 1931. 1931. - Over 650 words typed on two pages of 11 inch high by 8-1/2 inch wide "National Republic" stationery. In his letter to Robert Caldwell Patton, the editor of "The Patriotic Digest", Lockwood foreshadows current politically charged criticism of the Press. He bemoans the "unfriendly attitude of the New York daily press toward enemies of revolutionary communism.." paraphrasing Samuel Gompers in stating that "the metropolitan press is worm-eaten with bolshevist propagandists and immature editors and reporters susceptible to the blandishments of anti-American influences." He goes on to elaborate, naming specific editors and journalists whose politics differ from his. Lockwood charges that one of the New York Post's editors minimizes communist strength in America and that "The Scripps-Howard paper, the Telegram, has on its editorial staff Jas. Cannon, secretary of the Communist League of America, - the Trotsky faction of the Russian revolutionaries. Another of its editorial staff, Harry Elmer Barnes, is a well known radical, who recently formed a branch of the A.C.L.U. at the University of Wisconsin.. A third editorial writer is Heywood Broun, who says communists are impatient socialists.." No publication escapes Lockwood's angry writings, including the Herald Tribune, The New York Journal of Commerce, The Brooklyn Eagle, The Daily News, The Hearst papers, etc. "In other words", he writes, "the daily press of New York is organized against American interests." Lockwood calls for drawing the attention of readers to his comments so that "Several thousand people assembled for the purpose of adopting resolutions of characterization and denunciation might cause these papers to wonder if, in catering to revolutionary elements, they might lose the support of the American elements.." Signed "George B. Lockwood" with an additional 70-word AUTOGRAPH NOTE penned in his hand as a postscript at the bottom of the second page and continued on the verso of that page, proclaiming that "Despite the attitude of these newspapers, the people are awakening - See our reference in The National soon to appear.." Lockwood has made a few corrections in ink and penned that the letter is "Not for publication in this form" at the top of the first page, signing that note with his initials. Additional notes penned on the verso of the second page in an unidentified hand may well have been written by the recipient, Robert Caldwell Patton. These notes list 3 points: "A Protest Against the Press", "A Movie against Communism", and "Names of Congressmen". Additionally, a note thanking 2 individuals (including Congressman Albert Johnson) concludes with the highly fascinating line in light of current affairs: "Suspending Immigrat[ion] for 2 years". Serving on the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, Congressman Albert Johnson (1869-1957) played an important role in anti-immigration legislation. He was the author of the Immigration Act of 1924 which he claimed was a bulwark against "a stream of alien blood, with all its inherited misconceptions respecting the relationships of the governing power to be governed". Folded for mailing with paper clip stains to the top left of both pages. The edges of both pages are lightly creased with the left edge of the first page being more heavily creased and with a short tear the edge of the lower fold of that page.
Born in 1911, the recipient Robert Caldwell Patton was the editor of The Patriot Digest, a single issue of which was published in October 1938. Patton also published the satirical and humorous pamphlet "Roosevelt for King" against Franklin Roosevelt and his administration.
George Browning Lockwood (1872-1932) authored two books early in his career. "The New Harmony Community" (1902) and "The New Harmony Movement" (1905) were studies and histories of the famous 19th century Indiana Socialistic Utopian Community. Accepting the post as chief editorial writer for the "Indiana Star League" in 1907, he resigned after purchasing a controlling interest in the "Marion Evening Chronicle". At that same time, he became Secretary to U.S. Vice President Charles Warren Fairbanks. He acquired the Muncie Evening Press in 1912 and subsequently established the "Indiana State Journal" which became the "National Republican" in 1914. Relocating to Washington, the journal became the semiofficial organ of the Republican party. In the 1920's, the now monthly journal was renamed the "National Republic". Because of his close association with party leaders, Lockwood served as secretary of the Republican National Committee from 1922 to 1924, and subsequently as director of the Washington headquarters of the Hoover for President Club which supervised Hoover's national nomination campaign. Hoover was then Secretary of Commerce under President Coolidge. Lockwood remained in Washington as publisher of the "National Republic" until his death in 1932. Advised of his friend's death, President Hoover dispatched a message expressing his and his wife's deep sorrow to Mrs. Lockwood. News of his death also brought expressions of sorrow and sympathy from Senator James Watson, Senator Arthur Capper and others. The editor-in-chief of the Washington Post, Mr. Bennett, wrote" "I availed myself of every opportunity to read his writings. He was never interested n public office for himself, but he was ever interested in promoting those who stood for sound doctrines". And, ironically, Bascom Timmons, president of the National Press Club, commented "We all recognized George Lockwood as one who reflected great honor, both because of his talent and his character, upon our profession. Good .
Keywords: AMERICANA; GEORGE BROWNING LOCKWOOD; JOURNALISM; RIGHT WING; REPUBLICAN; TYPED LETTER SIGNED; AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED; SIGNATURE; ANTI-PRESS; DIATRIBE AGAINST THE NEWS MEDIA; SOCIALIST; BOLSHEVIST; PATRIOTIC DIGEST; NATIONAL REPUBLIC; ANTI-IMMIGRATION; ROBE
- Book number: 35084
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