Approx. 28 lines of manuscript, of varying length up to 50.5 cm. (20”), written in the margins and on the printed portion of p.5 of the Nov. 30, 1935 issue of the New York American. Newspaper is 55x42.5 cm. (21½x16¾”), archivally framed under plexiglass.

William Randolph Hearst, newspaper magnate with enormous political influence, comments on two short articles in his newspaper the New York American, one about Bruno Hauptmann, alleged kidnapper of Charles Lindbergh’s baby son, the other about the opinion a group of clergymen had of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The first article begins “Bruno Hauptman is innocent in the opinion of his new spiritual advisor, the Rev. John Matthieson, pastor of the Trinity Lutheran Church…” The second article is headlined “Clerics Hail Roosevelt as Toilers’ Friend. 47 Pastors and Religious Educators, However, Urge Him To Go Further in ‘Move Left,’” and lauds the president for “doing more for the working people than any previous Administration…” The 72-year-old Hearst sees a commonality of theme in the stories, and is decidedly uncomplimentary to the Democratic president: “Dear Mr. Delucaras (?), Many clergymen are good souls and mean well but are painfully innocent and unpractical and ignorant of the ways of the world. One such yesterday discovered that murderer Hauptman is a gentleman and a child of God consequently a gentleman and a child of God does not lie and consequently Hauptman is innocent… Several other worthy clergymen assembled and decided that President Roosevelt was also to all intents and purposes a child of God and couldn't lie although on frequent occasions he has ???? something vaguely resembling a contract ???? desperately near it. These good clergymen concluded that Roosevelt is the toilers' friend and that he ought to go still further to the left than he has gone - even to the jumping off place and that the profit system ought to be abolished and that the government ought to take over the basic industries and so on and so forth… There are to be sure a few people in the country more radically unbalanced than this but they for the most part are in asylums. Exactly how the toiler is benefited by the government bureaucracy to the breaking point the industry which must in the last analysis provide him with employment and exactly how industry is to be benefited by taking it out of the hands of competent and experienced business men and putting it in the hands of incompetent and very largely dishonest politicians the reverent clerics do not say… In the first steamer that sails with deported communists a few berths should be reserved for reverend but red eyed radical children of God who mean well perhaps but teach subversive nonsense.” After penning this revealing diatribe, Hearst evidently turned it over to his personal secretary Joseph Willicombe for transcription. Provenance: Joan Willicombe, daughter of Joseph Willicombe.