Typed Letter Signed

SWOPE, Herbert Bayard (1882-1958)

Beschreibung

This colorful and influential editor and journalist -- brother of General Electric president Gerard Swope -- won a Pulitzer prize for his World War One coverage; he edited the New York World from 1920 to 1929. TLS, 12pp (rectos only), 8" X 10¼", Washington, DC, 1918 January 23. Addressed "To the Council, New York World" -- though Swope crosses this out in pencil and adds "Dear RP" (publisher Ralph Pulitzer, eldest son of Joseph Pulitzer and himself a highly influential journalist). Very good. All 12 pages of this lengthy missive have been neatly tipped together along the left margin, the whole of which was affixed into one of Swope's personal scrapbooks (since removed). Late in 1916 Swope authored several articles collecting titled "Inside the German Empire," which earned him the 1917 Pulitzer Prize for reporting -- which must have impressed President Woodrow Wilson mightily, for only months later Swope writes this detailed report to the editorial board of his employer newspaper (of which he would soon become editor). Writing "Confidential" in the upper left corner of the first page, he opens with an auspicious "The president asked me to come to see him yesterday. I was with him almost an hour. It was most enlightening." The remainder of the report is a detailed, frank and flattering look at Wilson and his conduct of World War One. Swope obviously made a carbon copy of this report, one to mail and the other to keep. This is his retained copy, although the first two leaves are the originals and leaves three through twelve the carbons. He signs this copy in full and boldly at the close, and throughout the text are original (non-carbon) additions, deletions and corrections in ink. Two heavy stock scrapbook margins in which Swope describes the content in thick blue pencil are also present (each roughly 10" X 3") and provide interesting background. These read: "This was written after I had been in Wash[ington] for several months, assigned there to '[?] the administration out of the water' if I thought things were going badly. The World was a strong Wilson paper which would have given extra force to the attack [? ?] NY in the Boston [ / ] Phila. No one were to use my dispatch if critical," adding in regular pencil "Waddell Catchings of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had announced that "we had lost the war." A fascinating letter -- whether it saw light of day in any published form is unknown. Also accompanied by a superb, unusual glossy 9" X 7" news agency photograph (International News Photo), a fine image showing a smiling Swope standing with General Eisenhower and two others. Original mimeographed paper label affixed to verso, which dates this scene 9 September 1947, titles it "Swope Decorated for War Services" and describes it: "James F. Byrnes, former U.S. Secretary of State, indulges in a bit of good-natured ribbing after General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower had presented the Medal for Merit to Herbert Bayard Swope (right) in a ceremony at the War Department. Looking on are Gen. Eisenhower and Bernard M. Baruch (second from right). Mr. Swope was honored for 'exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding services in World War II.'". Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 40479

Bibliografische Details

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