THE  AMEEICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PH 
MAY> 1918  ^  Jjtft  :   .  ■ 
EDITORIAL.  Xjgg^f^ 
A  JOURNAL  THAT -  IS  READ. 
Quite  naturally  an  editor  endeavors  to  gauge  the  effect  of  his 
work,  to  determine  whether  the  selection  of  matter  published,  the 
literary  menu  that  he  serves,  is  acceptable  and  inviting  to  his  readers. 
He  realizes  fully  that  the  extent  to  which  the  publication,  whose 
course  for  the  time  being  he  is  shaping,  is  read  determines  not  only 
whether  he  has  the  right  viewpoint  and  ability  but,  likewise,  whether 
the  publication  is  fulfilling  its  proper  sphere  of  usefulness  as  an  edu- 
cational medium,  stimulating  progress  and  recording  the  advance- 
ments in  the  interests  which  it  serves  and  is  a  measure,  also,  of  the 
service  which  it  renders  to  its  advertising  clientele.  Consequently, 
an  editor,  who  conscientiously  is  concerned,  is  on  the  alert  for  evi- 
dences as  to  extent  to  which  the  subscribers  are  reading  the  journal 
and  each  wind-blown  straw  is  indicative  to  him  and  becomes  a  foot 
rule  of  the  success  of  his  efforts. 
An  editor  mentally  debates  if  an  original  contribution  is  on  a 
subject  that  will  prove  of  interest  to  his  readers.  Somewhat  uncer- 
tain of  his  decision  to  accept  and  publish,  he  awaits  results.  When 
he  later  finds  that  the  paper  has  excited  comment  or  republication  in 
other  journals,  his  debated  query  is  answered.  Again,  an  article  in 
another  journal  impresses  him  as  worthy  of  reprinting,  but  he  is 
confronted  by  the  thought  that  it  is  too  technical  to  interest  very 
many  readers.  However,  he  decides  to  reprint  it  and  shortly  his 
heart  is  gladdened  by  a  letter  from  an  esteemed  educator  comment- 
ing upon  the  pleasure  he  had  experienced  in  reading  this  same  article 
and,  above  all,  a  new  subscription  is  directly  traced  thereto.  Such 
examples  are  satisfactory  affirmations  of  the  correctness  of  his  judg- 
ment. 
