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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1911)
Enquired if we were "hiring" a certain "weekly" paper to abuse us Of course every lime a spot light is turned on from any source it offers a solenoid cfirnee to talk about the merits of the products, but 'pon honor now, we are not hiring that "Weekly." i-., . . , Tlie general reader seldom cares much for- the detlils of "scraps." . ' A few may have read lately some articles attacking us and may be inter , ested in the following;. '. - Some time ago a disagreement arose with a "Weekly.'' They endorsed our foods by letter, but wanted to change the form of advertising, to which we objected.' ' '.-.'". ' '" The Weekly? discontinued inserting our advertisements while they were negotiating for some changes they wanted,' in the. wording and shape of the advertisements, and during this correspondence our manager gave instructions to our Advertising Department to quit advertising altogether in that" Weekly." Quite a time after the advertising had been left out, an editorial attack, came. We replied in newspapers and the scrap was on. 4 " . ' Then came libel suits from both sides, and some harsh words. Generally tiresome to the public. That "Weekly" has attacked many prominent men and reputable manufac turers. - ., Our Company seems prominent enough for a sensational writer to go after, hunt for some little spot to criticise, then distort, twist and present it to the public under scare heads. Distortion No. 1 stated that we have been accustomed to advertise Grape-Nuts and Postum as "cure-alls for everything." It has never been the policy of this Company to advertise Grape-Nuts or Postum to cure anything. We say that In cases where coffee dis agrees and is causing sickness Its dis missal will remove the cause of the trouble, and we suggest the use of Post um for the reason that It furnishes a hot palatable morning beverage, and con tains natural elements from the grain which can be used by nature to assist In rebuilding nerve renters that eoffe? may have broken down. i Likewise Grape-Nuts food does not cure anything, but It does assist nature tremendously In rebuilding, provided the undlgestlble food that has been used Is discontinued and Grape-Nuts taken in its place. Charge No. 2 tates that the paasage of the National Food & Drugs Act compelled us to drop from the pack ages some assertions regarding the nu tritive value-of Grape-Nuts. - 1 I . We have never been "compelled" to make any change. Since the beginning tt has been a uni versal rule to print clearly on every package exactly what the contents are made of. ' Before the paasage of the Pure Food Law the packages stated that Grape Nuts food was made of wheat and bar- & ; We did not esteem the small amount ef salt and yeast as of value enough to speak of, but after the new Law came in we became as technical aa the offi cials at Washington and added the words "yeast" and "salt," although we have no recollection of being asked to. We believed that our statement that Grape-Nut will supply elements to nourish the brain and nerve centers Is true and bring authorities to support the fact V j Some state chemists believed this a gross exaggeration and Inasmuch as the Food Dept. at Washington could eaatly harass grocers, pending a trial . on the disputed question, we concluded that much the better way would be to elimi nate from"" our packages such claims, however certain we may be 'that the claims are true. '..v ' V Another statement objected to read as follows: "The system will absorb a greater amount of nourishment from one pound of Grape-Nuts than from ten pounds of meat, wheat, oats, or bread." - . ; Some Department chemists deceive themselves as well aa the public --flCalorle" is the word which defines a unit of heat determined by the amount necessary to raise one kilogram of water one degree centigrade. On this basis a table of calories is prepared showing the percentage of different kinds o'f food. Butter shows 8.60; Orape-Nuts 1.96; milk 0.70. Remember the statement on the package spoke of the nourishment the system would absorb, but ,did not peak of the calories of heat contained , in it, for the heat Is not nourishment. It may be rememberer! that we were first attacked placing facts before that great jury The Public , ; A good "scrap" is .more or less comforting now and , In the case lately tried, an appeal, has been taken to faith in the ultimate decision of our Arhftican Tribunals. and the nourishment cannot be Judged by the number of heat units, notwith standing the fact that certain chemists would have the public believe so. t As an Illustration: 'Attempt to feed a man sixty days on butter alone, with Its 8.80 calories. The man would die be fore the experiment had run sixty days. Then, take Grape-Nuts with 8.9 and milk with 0.70, the two combined equal 4.66-about one-half the number of ca lories contained in btitter. 'The man fed for sixty days on this food would he well nourished, and could live not only sixty days, but six months on that food Alone, '"and -we do not hesitate to say from our long knowledge of the sustain-, tng "power of the food that a man at the end of sixty days would be of practically the same weight as when he started,' if he be a, man of normal weight . We will suppose that from his work he lost & pound a day and made up a pound each day from food. If that prem ise proved to be true the man in sixty days' time would make sixty pounds of tissue to replace what had been lost, and this would be done on Grape-Nuts and milk with half the number of calories of butter, upon which no one can sustain life. Therefore, we have reason to believe that our contention is right that con centrated food like Grape-Nuts, which is partly digested and ready for easy as similation by the body, presents more nourishment that the system will absorb than many other forms of food, and we will further say that In cases of diges tive troubles where meat, white bread and oats cannot be digested, that Grape Nuts, and milk contain more nourish ment that the system will absorb than many pounds of these other foods. Distortion No. 3 charges that our testimonials were practically all paid for and re-written In Battle Creek. These testimonials were demanded by the opposing lawyers. Naturally this demand was refused,' for they are held In vaults and kept safe to prove the truth, and axe not to be delivered up on de mand of enemies," Testimony at the trial brought otH the fact that ws never printed a single testi monial that we did not have the genuine letter back of. Many of these letters came spontaneously A record was kept of twelve hundred and four (1204) let ters received In one month from people who wrots that they had either entirely recovered their health or been benflted by following our suggestions on ' food and beverages. On three or four occasions In the past ten or twelve years we printed broadcast in papers offers of prises to users of Postum and Grape-Nuts, two hundred $1.00 prizes, one hundred $2.00, twenty of 18.00 and five of 110.00 each,- stat ing that each must be an honest letter with name and address. We agreed not to publish names, but to furnish them to enquirers by letter." These letter writers very generally answered those who wrote to them, and verified the truth of the statements. Under this agreement not to publish names literally scores of letters came from doctors. We kept our word and neither printed their names or surren dered the letters. '' vv ,) ' Right , hre ,u notice an !V, "Imitation So an attorney from NewYork spent more or less time for months in Battle. Creek hoping to find impurities in our foods, or dirt in the factories. After tireless spying about he summoned twenty-five of our workmen and took their testimony. Every single one testified that the foods are made of exactly the grain and ingredients printed on the packages ; the wheat, barley and corn being the choicest obtainable all thoroughly cleaned the water of the purest, and every part of the factories and machinery kept scrupulously clean. That all proved disappointing to the "Weekly There are very few factor ies, hospitals, private or hotel and restaurant kitchens that could stand the close spying at unexpected times and by an enemy paid to find dirt or impuri ties of some kind. " 1 . - In any ordinary kitchen or factory he would find something to magnify and make a noise about. But he failed utterly with the Postum Work's and products. Twenty to thirty thousand people go through the factories annually and we never enquire whether they are there to spy or not. It makes no difference to us. He next turned to discover something about our advertising that could be criticised. An analysis of the methods and distorted statements of the "Weekly'1 may interest some readers, so we take up the items one by one and open them out for inspection. We will "chain up" the harsh words and make no reference in this article to the birth, growth and methods of the "Weekly" but try to con fine the discussion to the questions now at issue. spasm." The "Weekly" says: 'Tost got those testimonials by- advertising for them. In New York he used for that purpose the New York Magazine of- ---whose editor' is now in the Federal Penitentiary for fraudulent use of the mails. For example. Post announced in that magazine In 1907, etc.," (then fol lows our prize competition). ' We used nearly all of the papers and magazines in New York, and the rest of America, but the sensational writer gives tbelmpresslon to his readers that the only magazine we used was one "whose editor is now in the Federal Peniten tiary," etc., something that we know nothing of t;h truth of now, and never did. Space was bought in the magaslne spoken of on a business- basis for the reason that it went to a good class of readers. The incident seems to have furnished an opportunity for a designing writer to deceive his readers. , We look upon honest human testimony from men and women as to the means by which they recovered health as of tremendous value to those In search of it. Our business has been conducted from the very first day upon lines of strict integrity and we never yet have published a false testimonial of human experience. Many of these letters cov ered numerous sheets;, some. If printed, would spread overf half a page of news paper. If we would attempt to print one such letter in every one of the thou sands of papers and magazines we use, the cost for printing that one, letter would run-Into many thousands of dol lars. ' We boll down these letters exactly as a . newspaper writer bolls his news, sticking Faoredly to the important facts and eliminating details about the family and other unimportant matters. This work of boiling down, or editing. Is done honestly, and with a full knowledge of our responsibility, but notlne the art of the "twister" In the way hfWjresentB to his readers this matter of testimonials. 7 Distortion No. 4 This is a bad one. It reads as follows: "The only famous physician whose name was signed to a testimonial was produced in court by Colliers and turned out to be a poor old brokendown homeopath, who Is now working In a printing establish ment He received ten dollars ($10.00) for writing his testimonial." W will wager -ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) with any investigator that we nave, subject to Inspection of any fair committee, upwards of three hun dred (300) communications from physi cians, many of them expressing the highest commendation of our products, but thee will not now or ever be turned over to the publisher for his Use. Notice the statement in this charge: "The only famous physician whose name was signed to Postum testimonial, etc." The truth Is, this Dr. Underwood was one of a great many physicians who haye not only written commendatory words about the value of our foods, but every now and then some physician writes an article on coffee or on foo(L and sends it to us with a suggestion of compensation for his time and medical knowledge." Previous to the time when we employed physicians In r own business, wa occasionally employed a doctor te write an article on coffee, al ways Insisting that the article be an ' " ' - ' and have' since defended ourselves by then, if you know you are right. the higher courts. We have honest expression of his opinion and re search. The "Weekly" hunted up this physi cian, and because he seemed to be poor, and as It says, "brokendown," had him brought to court to be exposed before a Jury as the "only physician that had ever endorsed Grape-Nuts," but much to the chagrin of the "Weekly," when our attorneys asked him If tho article he wrote about coffee was true, he replied, "yes." Statement No. 5 reads: "The health officers- of Mloh., Maine Penn-i New Hamp.i and other states In their official bulletins have for years been denouncing as preposterous and fraudu lent the claims made by the Postum Cereal Company." We do not recall any criticism except from Mich., Penn., Maine and S. Dakota. The average reader might think that the opinions expressed by the State Officials are always correct, but that conclusion Is not borne out by facts. As an illustration: About thirteen yeans ago the Dairy and Food Commis sion of Michigan for some personal rea son printed a severe criticism on us for making Postum of Barley (according to his official chemist at market price and selling too high. He was shown there was never a grain of barley used In Postum. His report was false and misleading. The governor dismissed him. We believe that most of the state officials are honest, and on the other hand we are firmly convinced that some of their conclusions cannot be substan tiated by facts In scientific research. They never criticize the purity of our foods, for so much we are thankful. If our conclusions in regard to its be ing a brain food differ from thelr's, and we are both honest, they have rather the advantage, because, under the law they can order us to eliminate from the pack age any statement if it disagrees with their opinion. Otherwise they would harass grocers. Spasm No. 6 says -The most dangerous thing In the world for one threatened with appendicitis is to eat any food whatever. Notwithstand ing he knew that danger, C W. Post advertised Grape-Nuts at fifteen cents a package forth o so so threatened." This Is Intended to muddle the reader Into believing that we put out Grape Nuts as a cure for appendicitis. Mr. Post, himself, has had probably as wide experience as any other man in Amorlca in the study and observation of fooo as related to the digestive organs. and we proved In Court by the physt cians and surgeons on the witness stand that the predominating cause of appen dicitis Is undigested food, and that it is necessary to quit eating food, and when the body requires food again, use a pre-digested food, or at least one easy of digestion. Dr. Ochsner In his work on appendi citis refers directly to the use of the well-known pre-digested foods that can be obtained on the narkct. He also brought nut the interesting fact that In "after treatment It Is advantageous to take on a pre-digested food. The price ,of the package (referred to highest unbounded by the weekjy) a not known hy us. to have any relation to the question. Our advice to stop using Indigestible food In bowel troubles and to use Grape- Nuts food has been a. great blessing to tens of thousands of people, and we hope will continue to bless a good many more in the succeeding yeara. No. 7 Is a live wire. It refers to C. W. Post and his studies and experi ence in "Suggestive Therapeutics," or "Mental Healing" which further lead to a most careful and systematic study of the effect of the mind on the digestive and other organs of the body. ' He attended clinics In Europe , and fitted himself for a future career In which he has become known as one of the food experts of the world,- fitted to Judge both from the material as well as the mental side of the question. For about eight years previous to 1891 he was an Invalid. In that year, after being under the oare of several well known physicians he was quickly healed, by what to him was a curious and not well-understood method. Suf ficient to say he beuame a well man, weighing, about 185 pounds. This experience challenged his In vestigation into causes of disease and their amelioration. Those studies and experiences developed a very profound reverence for a Supreme Power which directly operates upon the human being, and this reverence for the Infinite be came to him a form of religion which Included honesty of purpose towards his fellowman. A statement which will be Indorsed by everyone who knows him closely. He will make a public announcement in detail of these facts, and the Postum Company will cause that statement to be published In newspapers and magazines in due time. We suggest the reader look for It Prevarication No. 8 'Tost spends nearly a million a year In ad vertising and relies on that tn Irpnn nut of the newspapers the dangerous nature of the fraud he Is perpetrating on the public. The Postum Company does pay out upwards of a million a year for trade announcements. Newspaper men be lieve our statements truthful or they would not print them. Large numbers of newspaper men use our products. They are capable of telling the public whether or not we "bribe" thero. It may have escaped notice that we did not "bribe" that particular weekly, l0 u states that the amount of the verdict will "be devoted by the 'weekly' to exposing fraud." This Is almost real humor. We have two suits pending against the "weekly," total, $500000.00. We haven't "devoted" the sum to any particular purpose yet. Item 10 Is a "discovery" that wheat bran is a part Postum. But the criticism neglected to mention After all the smoke of legal battle blows away, the facts will stand out clearly and never ba forgotten that Postum, Grape-Nuts and Post Toasties are perfectly pure; have done good, honest ser vice to humanity for years, the testimonials are real and truthful and the business conducted on &3 plane of commercial integrity. "There's Some testimonial letter been printed by the Postum Cereal Co., Ltd., which' did not have behind it a genuine letter signed, and believed to be an' honest statement. To the best of our knowledge and belief the Company has received, upwards of fifty thousand, (50,000) genuine testimonial letters. f This Company has never knowingly, made nor permitted an.un1 truthful statementrregarding . its products or its methods. !, M. K. HOWE, Treasurer. L. J. LAMSON, Inspector of Advts. F. C. GRANDIN, Advertising Manager. R. M. STERRETT, M. D., Physician CHESTER SYER, Advt. Writer. CHARLES W. GREEN, Advt. Writer. HARRY E. BURT, General Sup't. H. C. Hawk, Assistant to Chairman. C. WPOST, Chairman. (With that for yeare -every Postum package i announced in plain type that the outer covering of wheat (bran), made part of the beverage. They Ignorantly fell Into a trap here. not knowing enough of food value to know that "Taka-Dlastase" the article used by physicians the world'over for "starch Indigestion" la made from "wheat bran." So we use that part ef the wheat berry because - It contains .the element needed to develop the valuable diastase in manufacture. Good Postum Is rm possible without this part. These self-appointed crltlos do make some laughable blunders through Ignor ance, but be patient Item 11 Is an Illustration of the squirming and twisting of the senssj tlonal writer delivering distorted matter to hfs readers. Willie on the witness stand Mr. Post testified to his studies in Anatomy, Physiology, - Dietetics and Psychology, all relating to the preparation and di gestion of food. Asked to name authori ties studied he mentioned six or eight from memory, and, commented on some clinical experience covering several yeara in annual Journey to Europe. Now notice the distortion. (Copy from the printed criticism.) He (Post) pointed out a pile of books In possession of his attorneys as the very ones he had read." (Notice, "the very ones he had read," leading the reader to believe that they were the only ones.) 'TJid you consult the books from these editions?," was asked. "From those and various editions," answered Post. , The attorney "picked up book after book from the pile and showed the title pages to the Jury, all except, two had been published since 1906." This 1s an example of distortion and false coloring to produce an unfavor able Impression. The facts are Mr. Post purposely In troduced the latest editions that could be obtained of prominent authorities to prove by them the truth of his state ments regarding appendicitis and tho analysts of brain, also the latest con clusions in regard to the action of the digestive organs. These works are: Human Physiology, by Raymond. Physiological Chemistry, by Simon. Digestive Glands, by Pawlow. Hand Book of5Appendlcitls, by Ochs ner. Physiological Chemistry, by Hammar sten. Biochemic System of Medicine, by Carey. The "Weekly" carefully eliminates from its printed account testimony re garding the years of research and study by Mr. Post in fitting, himself for hla work, and would lead the reader of tho distorted article to believe that his edu cation began since 1905. . .. ' a Reason' Postum, Cereal Co- Facts Battle Creek, Michigan, December 30, 1910. (With Company about 14 yeafs.y' (With Company about 9 yen.) (With company about 13 years.) in charge of Scientific Dep't (With Company about 44 years.) rwr.ii. r -1 . i v (With company about 5 year.) J (With Company about 13 years.) (With Company about 7 years.)' Company 16 years, from the beginning.) Distortion No. 12 reports Mr, Post as a "dodging witness." , r His eye is not of the shifty kind ob-' served In the head of .one of his chief critics. On the witness stand Mr. Post . looks quietly but very steadily straight Into the eyes of the haggling, twisting' ' lawyer, trying by all his art to ask, r double-barreled questions and trall-doxe. and confuse a witness. t The ".dodging" It seems consisted ot replying, "I don't know." Opposing counsel holds a book tn hla hand while he queries, 1 4 "I want to know if there is a slngl thing In your whole book here that sug-f rests any partlctular kind of food.! Then followed some discussion between attorneys. ' -1 When Mr. Post was allowed te reply he said, "I don't know until I read th book over to see." i This book. H rums out, was wrttt by Mr. Post seventeen yearn age an probably has not "been read careful! by him In the last fifteen years, . It would reaulre a remsrcsbla memnrv trl Instantly say "yes" or "no as t wha4 a book of 14T pages did or did not ooiM tain, without reading It over, but sucq conservative and well balanced answer are construed by sensation seekers t bi "dodging." The attorney sought by every art impress the Jury with the fact that Mri Post's belief in the power ef Kind lq relation to the body branded him as m reliable and worse. . . , t -1 The following Is quoted from one f the questions: .! (The lawyer reading from the book.) 1 "The writer of these pages desires t say nothing of himself other than as ft simple instrument through which the Divine Principle chooses te manifest Itself by precept and example. j "Skill In mental practice Is gained iij the same way as skill In any department of science by observation, study, ex4 perience and the ability to evolve eon rect conclusions. ' i ? "Read ,'earef ully, thoughtfully no more than twenty pages dally. Afterward seek an easy position where yon will not be disturbed. Relax every muscle. Close your eyes, and go Into the silence where mind is plastic to the breathings of spirit and where God talks to the Bon; The thoughts from Divine Universal Mind come as winged angels and endow you with a healing power. : If youj ga into the silence humble, and trusting, you will come out enriched and greatly strengthened in body by contact - even for a short time with the Father of all life and all power.' You will feel" re freshed In every way and food . taken will digest readily as the stomach works smoothly when under the influence Of A Higher Power." , , . ' ' "I ask you if you did not write that and it you did not believe It when you wrote It" it, i. For a moment the Court Boom was in absolute silence. . w Mr. Post slowly leaned forward over the rail, pointed his finger at ths Atty's face to emphasize his reply and with eyes that caused those of the Attorney to drop, he said. "Yes, I am proud to say I did.- , . Ltd. Battle Cr f