Tribulations in Paris

For Americans in Europe, the Paris edition of the New York Herald Tribune, with its gossipy items about tourists and its store of U.S. news, has always been as comforting as a letter from home. Since its first issue in October 1887, the Herald has also been a comforting and legendary outpost for a legion of freewheeling roistering U.S. newsmen who worked there while they saw Paris--and later filled a dozen books with their nostalgic, wine-ripened memories. But the Herald Tribune has never found it easy to keep its 62-year-old outpost victualed and supplied. Its circulation, once up to 35,000, was down to 10,000 in 1939. After the Germans took Paris, the Herald suspended.

When it reopened in 1944, it had a new editor--36-year-old Geoffrey Parsons Jr., wartime chief of the Trib's London bureau and son of the New York Trib's chief editorial writer. Parsons, a solid newsman and no roisterer, tried to put a new polish on the old formula by adding such features as David Low's cartoons and increasing the coverage of international news. By 1947, circulation had climbed to above the prewar peak (the Herald appears on 6,500 European newsstands), but the paper had stayed for the most part in the red. Later it was hard hit by currency devaluations, which raised its costs and cut its advertising revenues.

Nevertheless, last year Editor Parsons was assured by General Manager William Wise that the Paris Herald was finally climbing into the black. But a preliminary audit towards year's end indicated a moderate loss. By the time all the returns were in--and the complexities of devaluation taken into account--the loss had soared to more than $100,000.

Publisher Helen Reid of the Herald Tribune, as appalled as Parsons, sent Buel Weare, the New York Trib's syndicate manager, hustling to Paris to take over from Wise, who had resigned. Weare started to trim the small (19 men) editorial staff, and cut the Herald's eight-page editions to six and sometimes four pages. Month ago, Editor Parsons got a cable from Mrs. Reid to come home for a conference. There he learned that Weare had made another recommendation: lop off the editor's job--and Parsons' $19,500 salary--and combine the editor's functions with the general manager's. Last week Editor Parsons resigned, pocketed a $10,000 consolation prize and began to look around for another job. Walter Kerr, Herald Tribune foreign editor, was named European Editor for both papers, with headquarters in Paris. The new president and top dog of the Paris Herald: Buel Weare.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.