British Outcast

New Magazines

News-Week-Thomas John Cardell Martyn, 41, a spirited little Britisher whom the New York Times employed for six years in its editorial department, left the Times last year to write a prospectus, raise money, start a magazine. Samuel Thurston Williamson, 16 years with the Times and once its Washington correspondent, quit his job to join Publisher Martyn as editor. Last week they presented their product, News-Week, written & edited in Manhattan, printed in Dayton. Ohio. Their advertisements said: "It marshals facts against their background, throws revealing light into obscure situations--helps you understand the news. . . . NEWSWEEK is today with enough of yesterday to fit it to your thinking for tomorrow." To advertisers an average circulation of 50,000 was guaranteed.

First issue featured articles on the farm mortgage problem and "the move to give Franklin D. Roosevelt a 'dictator's' powers." Followed a series of departments (Sport, Business, Entertainment. Headliners, etc.). The front cover and three inside pages were devoted to well-chosen photographs. In typography and style, but not in subject matter, it resembled The Business Week, brought out by McGraw-Hill Co. in 1929. Price 10-c- a copy, $4 a year. -

Publisher Martyn's backing is derived partly from the Cheney Silk family, into which he married three years ago. Editor Williamson's wife is Cora Mancia Chase, onetime Metropolitan Opera soprano.

Real America-Publisher John Marcus Lansinger, who started College Humor eleven years ago, lately lost it. The magazine was taken over by its printer and papermaker who then handed it to Stanley Gibson, Manhattan publisher of Motion Picture and Movie Classic. With College Humor went Mr. Lansinger's money-making Real Detective.

Last week Publisher Lansinger made a new start with a new monthly called Real America, "The Outspoken Magazine." Its purpose: "to tell the REAL TRUTH about present conditions in the U. S." Real America is a gaudy, sensationalized Plain Talk. Cover of the first issue, which might be mistaken for a cover of True Confessions, was vivid red, showing a bare-shouldered girl registering unexplained terror. The fat contents (100 pages) were generally less amazing than the editors intended. Articles entitled "The Rise & Fall of Jimmy Walker," "Great Scott! And Technocracy," "Another American Tragedy" (Homewood-Gibson seduction case) were mainly rehashes. Prolific Robert S. Allen ("Washington Merry-Go-Round") contributed a "Washington Whirlpool." Most outspoken feature: an anonymous account of Chicago receivership methods entitled "Jesse James Was a Piker!"

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