CORRECTING THE TIMES

The Napoleon of the British Press--as Lord Northcliffe liked to be known--pondered much on the future of The London "Times". What was to become of the paper that many consider the greatest in the world he dared not surmise. To insure its economic future he conceived of several plans, not the least interesting being the proposal to deposit the stock with the British Museum. In such a way, no thought the paper would maintain its status "in perpetuity".

An even greater concern to him than the paper's material security must have been the maintenance of its ideals and standards of truth and public service. In the past, the Times used to take such pride in its accuracy that it would test out in court any of its statements that might be questioned. Lord Northcliffe would welcome any move that helps to restore this former impartiality.

Such is the recent project of including weekly articles, by an unprejudiced authority on current political affairs in the United States. Their purpose, as the editors state it, is "to counteract to some extent, the impression often created by sensational or highly colored accounts of incidents in the life of the United States."

Such a series of articles, if written with the fairness and sincerity promised, should serve to disillusion the British of many of their misunderstandings in regard to "these United States". It is in line with several recent steps in England, among them the appointment of Doctor S. E. Morison of the University to the newly-founded Harmsworth Chair of American History at Oxford.

Between Mr. Hearst, Mr. Wells, and Mrs. Sheridan's edition of Kipling, it is to be regretted that America has not a similar service of enlightenment. Our own motes need tending, if we can find the oculist.