Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



377 



THE ATLAS OF THE "TIMES." 

 Mr. J. Murray A'llison. 

 The other day I sent Mr. J. Murray Allison of the 

 Times a small terra-cotta statuette representing Atlas 

 hearing the world upon his shoulders. I inscribed it, 

 " To the Atlas of the Times newspaper." I am glad, 

 therefore, to find in Printers' Ink for April that Mr. 

 Murray Allison is the subject of its cartoon inset. 

 Mr. Allison has been in complete charge of the adver- 

 tising side of the Times since it passed into the hands 

 if its new proprietors, and the result has justified 

 the confidence placed in him. The writer says that 

 in round figures the advertisement revenue of the 

 Times, since Mr. Murray Allison took hold, has 

 increased by a sum running into nearly six figures 

 per annum. 



Mr. Murray Allison, who began life on an Australian 

 stock farm, started as an advertising man with 

 -Messrs. Spoitiswoode and Co., and in a year or two 



was managing 

 director of 

 .Spottiswoode, 

 Dixon and 

 Hunting. When 

 he went to the 

 Times he found 

 the true scope 

 for his great 

 ability. His idea 

 is that the Times 

 is the mightiest 

 means for pro- 

 moting British 

 trade all over 

 the world. Its 

 special foreign 

 editions have 

 been the em- 

 bodiment of his 

 ideas : — 



Murr.iy .Vllison 

 knows every side 

 ol the advertising 

 liusiness. Me can 

 Mrite advertise- 

 nienls, canvass ad- 

 vertisements, origi- 

 11,'ile advertising 

 schemes, manage 

 ilirnls' advertising 

 ' ihcir entire satis- 

 ion, or organise 

 f'ig staff such as 

 he has at Printing 

 House Sfjuare. 



1 1 is theory is 

 ih:it a principal 

 ^hould know all 

 the details of his 

 lusincss .ind then 

 -elect the light 

 people to carry 

 them out. In his 

 own words, "every 

 farmer ihoii.'dinru/ 



hmu to plough an,/ yd not plough. His hisiiuss is to /arm." 

 Advertising ability he defines as " literary and artistic ability 

 combined with selling sense and common sense." That is worth 

 remembering ; it is far and away the best definition of adver- 

 tising ability we have ever heard. 



" Lvery good business man who has some literary ability and 

 can sketch is a potential .advertising man." .\Ir. Allison is 

 passioiiately fond of pictures — and knows something about them. 



He is fond of horses and dogs. Shoots a bit and is reported 

 to be a clever fisherman. He says he is the worst golfer in the 

 advertising profession— if so, he is pretty bad ; some might say 

 bad ! He likes the river and does a bit of rowing. 



The number of Printers' Ink in which this article 

 appears is remarkable for the beauty of its co^ er. The 

 magazine specialises in its covers,' but it has seldom 

 done anything better than the April number. Mr. T. 

 Swinborne Sheldrake's " Character Sketch " is devoted 

 to Mr. Joseph Simpson, R.B.A. Mr. Simpson was 

 started on commercial art by Mr. Murray Allison, who 

 seven years ago asked him to design some magazine 

 advertisements for Fry's cocoa. He is full of enthu- 

 siasm as to the possibilities of converting hoardings 

 into art galleries. He does not think that French posten; 

 are either strong or artistic. 'I'here arc better posters, 

 he says, in Germany. The character sketch is followed 

 by a paper by Mr. Reginald Arkell, on " How the 

 Man in the Street has influenced Modern Adver- 

 tising." Jlr. Timcke publishes a " Pier, for Photography 

 in Advertising " ; and .Mr. E. S. Hole continues his 

 papers on " The Philosophy of Advertising." In his 

 second paper he deals with the function of advertising 

 in the social fabric of to-day. He regards ad\ertising 

 as an incubator of li\ing forces. He compares adver- 

 tising to the interesting electrical instrument called 

 the " Booster," which takes in a current of a certain 

 voltage, and, by running it round and round itself, as 

 it were, sends it out greatly increased in power. 



Murray Allison of the " Times.' 



Curious Reminiscence of Napoleonic" Days. 



L\ Blackicood's for .April Mr. .\rlhur Weigall 

 describes Napoleon's great adventure in Egypt. The 

 writer quotes a remarkable reminiscence of Napoleon's 

 invasion of Hgypt which recently came to light : — 



In the year 1907 a detachment of English troops was route- 

 marching in the l)elta, and, being somewhat short of provisions, 

 baited near a small village in order to purcluise a few chickens 

 and pigeons. The OmJch, or headman, hearing the news and 

 thinking that the supplies were to be commandeered without 

 payment, hurriedly sought amongst his papers until he had 

 found a certain document preserved with care in a sealed 

 envelope. With this in hand he made his way to tlie officer in 

 command, and told him that the village was exempt from 

 supplying food to the troops, this document being proof of his 

 statement. The officer opened the envelope and found therein 

 an order signed by one of Bonaparte's generals, stating that in 

 return for services rendered to the French army the village was 

 to be free from interference in future. 



The Englishman smiled, and laid the document aside. 



"This was made rut by the Erench over a hundred years 

 ago," he said to the Om,!th. " It is no longer valid." 



The Egyptian shrugged his shoulders. " French or English," 

 he replied, " now or then : it is all the san^e to us. //V arc the 

 same people." 



