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Show THE AMERICAN WAY "Eleven Thousands 1- 1 Unsung Heroes t 't'fJL By Georg p,, frtAJ i This wcc,k I would like to say a few words regarding the editor of this newspaper and his approximately ap-proximately 11,000 fellow and j sister editors who pilot the weekly, semi-weekly and daily newspapers in the smaller communities com-munities of the nation those men and women whose journals may be small in size but which bulk large in influence and prestige. pres-tige. The editor of the big metropol-ital metropol-ital daily, sitting in his comfortable comfort-able swivel chair behind his expensive ex-pensive and expansive mahogany mahog-any desk, may imagine he is a moldcr of public opinion. Behind him he has the marvelous facilities facil-ities of the various press services; servic-es; assisting him a staff of high-lypaid high-lypaid assistants, feature writers writ-ers foreign and domestic correspondents, corres-pondents, and reporters. In his press room, he lias a modern, up-to-the-mintue press, capable of printing thousands of copies per hour. His newspaper goes out on to the city streets to be sold by the hundreds of thousands. thous-ands. Small wonder, then, that he deludes de-ludes himself into believing he is one of a small and select group which is leading the thinking and subsequent action of the American Ameri-can people, But, he is wrong, Tthe people he reaches through his publication publica-tion are not the typical Americans Ameri-cans not the backbone of the nation. Those people ore to be found in the smaller communities communi-ties and in the rural districts. In the hinterland are the hard-headed, hard-headed, clear-thinking citizens, the people who cannot be fooled by false doctrines or deluded by quack panaceas, and who steadfastly stead-fastly adhere to sound American principles. These people depend for their news and editorial comment upon up-on the local paper which serves their particular district. The editors edi-tors of those local papers have a rendezvous with destiny to them has fallen the gigantic task of insiting upon sound government, govern-ment, encouraging business, preserving pre-serving free enterprise and maintaining main-taining democracy. That's a tough assignment for any group of men, but they are measuring up to it. It is my privilege priv-ilege and pleasure each week to look through many hundreds of these local papers. Whenever doubt assails me as to where this nation is heading, I am reassured re-assured by the knowledge that 11,000 editors of the local newspapers news-papers are on the job, quietly, without fanfare, but consistently fighting for the betterment of their communities, their states and of the nation as a whole. Throughout the war your editor edi-tor had a mighty tough lime of it. Uncle Sam just had to take some ! of his hired help away from him, newspaper was scarcer than hens teeth, new equipment and replacements re-placements were practically unobtainable, un-obtainable, and manufacturers having nothing to sell, had no ads for him. Yet, somehow he surmounted these obstacles and got his paper -to you regularly and on schedule. The editor of this newspaper probably doesn't sit in a "comfy" swivel chair, before an elegant desk. (If he does, please don't begrudge it to him. He rates it). He doesn't have a corps of ex pensive assistants, even though the war is over he's still having a dickens of a time getting his type set and obtaining enough newsprint to print his paper on, i but in spite of these lacks and handicaps, he does give you a newspaper replete with the news pf your community and abounding abound-ing with wisdom and good, old-fashioned old-fashioned horse-sense on his editorial edi-torial page. Why not drop in on this unsung un-sung hero and let him know that you appreciate his service to your community? A pat on the back has never hurt anyone, not even a newspaper editor. |