The story of the Sun, New York: 1833-1928 / by Frank M. O'Brien ; with an introduction by Edward Page Mitchell ...

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THE STORY OF "THE SUN"

capable hands of his general manager, William T. Dewart.
In the summer of 1912 Mr. Munsey bought for $1,000,000
the New York Press so that he could support the candidacy of Theodore Roosevelt for president. He retained
Ervin Wardman as the editor, enlarged the paper, and, in
four years, increased the circulation from 90,000 to
135,000. In 1915 he sold the Washington Times to
Arthur Brisbane and the Baltimore News to Stuart
Olivier. In 1917 he regained the News. In 1921 he
bought the Baltimore American and the Baltimore Star
for $1,500,000 and combined the News and the Star under the title of the News. He sold his Baltimore papers
to William Randolph Hearst on April 1, 1923, for
$3,000,000.
On June 30, 1916, Mir. Mlunsey )urchased the Sunl alnd
the Evening Sun from William C. Reick for $2,468,000.
He merged the Press, which had an Associated Press franchise, with the Sun, the name of the Press vanishing. Mr.
Munsey liked the Press, but he wisely remarked that "fifty
years might not have given it the prestige it will get in a
single day through amalgamation with the Sutn." He reduced the price of the Sttn from two cents to one cent.
Edward P. Mitchell was retained as editor of the Sun with
all his staff, Mr. Wardman becominig I)ublisher. Keats
Speed, who had been managing editor of the Press since
1913, was appointed managing editor of the Siun. Kenneth Lord, son of Chester S. Lord, and city editor of the
Sun since 1912, remained at his post until 1922.
In October, 1917, Mr. Munsey bought, for $2,210,000,
the Stewart Building at 280 Broadway, at the corner of
Chambers Street, and on November 30, 1919, the Stun
moved there, leaving the rented quarters at 150 Nassau