The Press: A Personal Attack

As editorial-page boss of Boston's rock-ribbed Republican Herald, John Crider won a 1949 Pulitzer Prize for his clear, terse, political editorials. But lately Editorialist Crider, onetime New York Timesman (16 years), has not seen eye to eye with Herald Publisher Robert Choate on GOPolitics. Though both privately favored General Eisenhower, they disagreed on how Senator Taft and other G.O.P. candidates should be treated by the Herald. Fortnight ago, Crider ran an editorial which shredded Senator Taft's new book, A Foreign Policy for Americans. Wrote Crider: "Standing against what Mr. Taft says he's for is what he voted against." Yet, across the page, the Herald's political pundit, W.E. Mullins, praised the book in his review.

Editor Crider prepared to fire back. For last week's editorial-page "Thoughts on Books" column, he wrote another attack on Taft, sniped at his "blind spots in the international area," and added that the book "is full of booby traps."

A few hours after Crider left his copy at the Herald, Publisher Robert Choate phoned him at home. The review, said the boss, would not run. Crider simmered, then called Choate back, told his wife (who answered) to "tell him he won't have an editor tomorrow." Then Crider made sure he wouldn't change his mind; he called the news services and the Times to say he was quitting the Herald. Three days later, the paper finally printed Crider's review. Along with it was a noncommittal New York Times review, and an announcement that the Herald would serialize A Foreign Policy. In a statement, Choate explained his stand: "I thought it inadvisable for [Crider] to make a personal attack on Senator Taft under his own name on the same editorial page in which from time to time in the future he might be expected to comment rationally on the Senator's speeches and campaign." Snapped Crider: Choate "thinks you must pull your punches in the event that the candidate you don't like wins the nomination. I feel that you must not only support the guy you're for, but also lambast the guy you're not for."