On March 4, 1926 the United States Daily was born. A daily tabulation of Government news, presented without comment or color, it was the dullest newspaper in the land. To a limited group of businessmen, lawyers, teachers, editors, officials it was also the most useful. It always depended upon endowment. Last week, on its seventh birthday. U. S. Daily suspended publication, a victim of the hard times.
The Daily was created and published by David Lawrence, smart, conscientious, prolific Washington correspondent. Aware that such a paper could not be selfsupporting, he raised money from 72 "sponsors" including Owen D. Young, Otto H. Kahn, the late Edward W. Bok, Albert D. Lasker, Mrs. Charles H. Sabin, the late Julius Rosenwald, Bernard M. Baruch, Col. Edward M. House, Clarence H. Mackay, John William Davis.
At first the Daily did well, climbed to a circulation peak of 40.000. In 1929 Publisher Lawrence enlarged it to include news of the 48 States. But by last year the Daily was losing subscribers at the rate of 1,500 per month, and those who remained-demanded more & more service in the form of answers to their special problems. Publisher Lawrence upped the subscription price from $10 to $50 a year, made it include all special service.
Last week Publisher Lawrence sadly announced the end, clung to faint hope that some day the Daily might be revived. To him it had been as much a struggle for an ideal as if he had been an editorial crusader. The seven years work had yielded him no compensation, yet he voiced no regret save that he could carry on no longer what he considered "an important work for the country."
David Lawrence remains president of Consolidated Press Association, the feature service which he organized in 1920. He first won fame by his distinguished reporting of the Mexican revolution of 1911. Later, as a Washington correspondent, he enjoyed the confidence of President Wilson, whom he had known as president of Princeton. Such was Reporter Lawrence's prestige by 1919, he was able to start his own syndicate, David Lawrence, Inc. (now Consolidated).