History of Philippine press / Carson Taylor.

History of the Philippine Press

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provost marshal, commander of the guardia civil and collector of internal revenue, etc.
The first private American newspaper enterprise was
The American Soldier. It was published by a group of
enlisted men of the 13th Minnesota Volunteers. The first
number appeared September 10, 1898, and carried the name
of George A. Smith as managing editor.
W. W. Brown, who has been locally known as Mayor
Brown since the early days of American occupation, financed
the publication and took advertising space in payment for
the loan. The Mayor was connected with the American Commercial Co. which was one of the first American firms to
be established after American occupation. The news contained in the first number of The American Soldier was
limited almost exclusively to the officers and enlisted men
of the 13th Minnesota Volunteers. The scope of the paper
was soon broadened to cover news of the entire 8th Army
Corps and the name changed to The Soldier's Letter. With
the establishment of two daily newspapers in October the
original American paper, having served its purpose, passed
out of existence.
The Manila Times, the first American daily, was, established on October 11, 1898. It was published by Thomas
Cowan, an Englishman.
George Sellner joined the staff in 1899 as business manager and later bought the paper. He sold it to a group of
American business men about 1902 and bought it back about
1905. About 1907 he sold it to Thomas C. Kinney, who incorporated the present Times Company, with prominent
American and British business men on the board of directors. During the Harrison administration about 1917, the
majority stockholders sold the control to a group of Filipinos headed by Manuel Quezon.
About August 1920 the controlling block of stock was
sold to George H. Fairchild who directed the editorial
policy of the paper until September 1926 when it was sold
to J. Rosenthal, a prominent local merchant.
Among the editors of the Manila Times who have contributed most to the development of modern journalism in.
the Philippines are R. McCulloch Dick, Martin Egan, W. H.
Lewis, L. H. Thibault, A. V. H. Hartendorp and the present
editor, Walter A. Wilgus.
The American, the second American daily, appeared
for the first time on October 15, 1898. It was established
by Franklyn Brooks, a newspaper correspondent from New
York.