History of Philippine press / Carson Taylor.

42

History of the Philiprpine Press

tor. The American was purchased by Putnam and combined with the Cablenews about 1908, leaving the CablenewsAmerican as the only morning paper in the field, except
the shipping Bulletin, the Manila Freedom having passed
out of existence some two or three years before.
P. G. McDonnell, former member of the Municipal
Board, took over the management of the paper for a time
and it was later sold to Nelson and Posner, passed to the control of Carlos Young who sold it to Phil C. Whitaker early in
1919. In October 1919 Mr. Whitaker sold the paper to The
Catholic Publishing Co. On November 1, 1919, Captain
Robert E. Murphy succeeded Norbert Lyons as editor and
general manager.
In 1920, a group of Filipinos headed by Senator Quezon
started the Philippine Herald. After starting it they found
themselves unable to secure a paper supply and purchased
the Cablenews-American in order to secure its paper contract. They discontinued the Cablenews-American and the
Philippines Herald took its place in the morning field.
The Sunday Sun, the first American Weekly was published during 1902 and possibly as late as 1905, by Edward
O'Brien and Dan O'Connell. It was of local interest only
and attracted most attention by the publication of a serial
satirical parody in Shakespearean style criticising the Taft
administration.
The Far Eastern Review a monthly devoted to engineering and construction was founded in 1904 by George
Bronson Rea. The office was moved to Shanghai about 1912,
where it is still published by the original founder.
An American weekly called Manila Opinion was published during 1905 and a part of 1906. Bob Wescott and
H. Furman Hedden were the publishers.
The Philippines Free Press was founded in 1908 by
Judge Kincaid with Pat Gallagher as editor. It was taken
over after a few months by R. McCulloch Dick, who had been
editor of the Manila Times for a number of years. The Free
Press has developed the largest circulation ever attained in
the islands by a paper in English. R. McCulloch Dick is the
sole owner and F. Theo. Rogers is manager.
The Spanish press has gradually disminished since
American occupation. Since 1900 only one Spanish daily
has been established, excepting the Catholic publications,
namely El Mercantil. This paper was established in 1902
and is still being published. It is kept alive only by the personality of its founder and present editor, Don Romero Salas,
perhaps the most conspicuous of all Spanish editors.