The Press: Out of the Night

In their pre-World War I heyday U. S. Socialists boasted a potent press. Under Debs's leadership the Socialist weekly Appeal to Reason ran its circulation up to 5,000,000; the New York Call once had a million readers. Of such might, the mere remaining shadow is the Manhattan weekly, the New Leader. Under forced draft it pulls 43,000 readers—mostly among Manhattan and Hollywood malcontents and old Socialists who sigh for the good old days. Its assistant editor—tireless, 5 ft. 2 in. Victor Riesel—is also most of the New Leader's editorial staff (he writes under five noms de guerre and is the New...