The Press: Again, Block to Hearst

When Paul Block bought the Los An-geles Evening Express (reputedly for $2.800.000) ten months ago, the Los An-geles Times set up a sustained cry that William Randolph Hearst was the real purchaser. That big Publisher Hearst and small Publisher Block are warm friends, mutual admirers, is no secret. Publisher Block, more an adman than a newsman, has the sole right to solicit national advertising for Hearst’s New York American. Many an observer besides the Los Angeles Times has believed that their business relationship was much closer, took as evidence the fact that they had traded papers in Pittsburgh. Detroit and Milwaukee. But Publisher Block denied that Mr. Hearst had any part in the ownership of the Express.

Last week, after operating the Express for ten months at a loss, Publisher Block announced its sale to Hearst, and its merger with the latter’s Evening Herald. “Because of the present business conditions.” he said, “I find it necessary to give all my attention to my newspaper interests in the East.”

With 226,419 circulation the Herald already dominated the Los Angeles evening field. After eliminating the Express (127,990) its only remaining competitor is the Scripps-Canfield Record (63,554). By the purchase, Hearst gets the only evening A. P. membership in Los Angeles.