The Seattle Star Newspaper, January 14, 1911, Page 3

THE STAR—SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1911, Some Suspicious Persons “weekly” paper to abuse Enquired if we were “hiring” a Of course every time a spot light is turned on us from any source it offers a lendid chance to talk about the merits of the products, but ‘pon honor we are not hiring that “Weekly.” The general reader seldom cares much for the details 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 our Advertising Department to quit advertising altogether in that “ Quite a time after the advertising had been left out, an editorial attack came. We replied in newspapers and the scrap was on. Then came libel suits from both sides, and some harsh words. Generally tiresome to the public. That “Weekly” has attacked many prominent men and reflitable 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 Postum for the reason that it furnishes @ hot, palatable morning beverage, and contains natural elements from the grain which can be used by nature to assist fm rebuilding nerve centers that coffee may have broken down. Likewise Grape-Nuts food does not cure anything, but it does assist nature TFemendously in rebuilding, provided the undigestible food that has been used is discontinued and Grape-Nuts taken in its place. Charge No. 2 states that the passage of the National Food & Drugs Act compelled us to drop from the pack ages some assertions regarding the nu- tritive value of Grape-Nuts. We have never been “compelled” to make any change. Since the beginning it has been a unt- Versal rule to print clearly on every package exactly what the contents are —_— made of. —_ Before the passage of the Pure Food Law the packages stated that Grape- Nats food was made of wheat and bar- ley. We did not esteem the small amount salt and yeast as of value enough to peak of, but after the new Law came we became as technical as the offi celal: Washington, and added the words “yeast” and “salt,” although we have no recollection of being asked to. ‘We believed that our statement that Grape-Nuts will supply elements to Bourish the brain and nerve centers is true, and bring authorities to support the fact. Some state chemists believed this a gross exaggeration, and inasmuch as the Food Dept. at Washington could easily harass grocers, pending a trial on the disputed question, we concluded that much the better way would be to elim!- mate from our packages such claims, however certain we may be that the claims are true. Another statement objected to read as follows; “The system will absorb a greater Bmonnt oF urishmen' m one pound of Grape-Nuts than from ten pounds of meat, wheat, oats, or bread.” Some Department chemists deceive themselves as well as the public. ‘alorie” {s the word which defines a Unit of beat 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 reentage of different kinds of food. itter shows 8.60; Grape-Nuts 3.96; milk, 0.70 Remember, the statement On the package spoke of the nourish- ment the system would absorb, but speak of i calories of heat con- tained in it, for the heat is not nour- ishment, and the nourishment connot be §udged by the number of heat units, not- f withstanding the fact that certain chem. ists would have the public believe so. As an illustration: Attempt to feed a man sixty days on butter alone, with its 8.60 calories, The man would dic be fore the experiment had run sixty days Then, take Grape-Nuts with 2.96 and milk with 0.70—the two combined equal 4.66—about one-half the number of calories contained in butter. The man fed for sixty days on this food would be 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 ing 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 a 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 Mfe, Therefore, we have reason 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 ab- sorb than many other forms of food, and ‘We will further say that in cases of di gestive troubles, where meat, white bread and oats cannot be digested, that Grape-Nuts and milk contain more nour ishment that the system will absorb than many pounds of these other foods to believe Distortion No. 3 charges that our testimonials were practically all paid for and re-written in Rattle 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 are not to be delivered up on demand of enemies. Testimony at the triat brought out the fact that we never printed a single testimonial 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 (1,204) letters received in one month from people who wrote that they had either entirely recovered their health or been benefited by following our sug- gestions on food and beverages. On three or four occasions in the past ten or twelve years we printed broad cast in papers offers of prizes to users of Postum and Grape-Nuts—two bun- dred $1.00 prizes, one hundred $2.00, twenty of $5.00 and five of $10.00 each— stating that each must be an honest let er, W name and address. @ agreed hot to publish names, but to furnish them to inquirers by letter, These let ter 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 Tether printed thelr names nor surren- dered the letters, “Imitation “Post here notice an The “Weekly” says: Right spasm.” before that great jury —The Public. A good “scrap” is more or less comforting now and then, if you know you are right. In the case lately tried, an appeal has been taken to the higher courts. We have unbounded faith in the ultimate decision of our American Tribunals. Jeekly.” now, of some kind. make a noise about. criticised. inspection. got for them. those testimonials In New York he used for that the New York Magazt whose editor is now in the purpose eral Penitentiary For 4 in that magaz (then follows our prize competition) for fraudulent use mails exam Post an m0 In any ordinary kit whether they are there to spy or not. by advertising | ways | brought to ¢ We used nearly all the papers and | magazines in k and the rest of America, but the sensational writer gives the impression to his readers that the only we used was one magaz! | whose editor ts now the Federal Penitentiary,” ete., something that we know nothing of the truth of now, and never did, Space was bought in the magazine spoken of on a business basis | for the reason that it went to a good class of readers. The incl furnished an ning writer to deceive his ri at to opportunity for a fers. We look upon honest human testt y from men and women as to the ns by which they ith in recovered he as of tremendous value to those search of it. Our business has been con ducted from the very first day ines of strict integrity, and we never yet have published a false testimonial of human experience. Many of these letters covered numerous sheets: some if printed, would spread over half a page of newspaper. If we would attempt to print one such letter in every one of the thousands of papers and magazines we use, the cost of printing that tter would run into many thousan lars. upon letters exactly as iter boils his news, atick important facts and eliminating detaiis about the family and other unimportant matters. This work of boiling down, or editing, ts done honestly, and with a full knowledge of our responsibility, but notice the art of the “twister” in the way he presents to his readers this matter of testimo- nials, ing sa 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, We we have, subject fair committee, upwards of three hun dred (300) ¢ommunications from physi- cians, many of them expressing the high- est commendation of our products, but these will not now or ever be turned over to the publisher for bis use. Notice the statement in this charge: “The only famous physician whose name was signed to Postum testimonial one of a great many physicians who have nos only written commendatory words afout the value of our foods, but every now and then some physician writes an article on coffee or on food, and sends {t to us with a suggestion of compensation for his time and medical knowledge. Previous to the time when we employed physicians in our own business, we occasionally employed a doctor to write an article on coffee, al will wager ten thousand dollars | ($10,000.00) with any investigator that | to inspection of any | certain discussion to the questions now at issue, insisting that the article wu search. The “Weekly” ian, and because he hunted up this physt et seemed to be poor and, as it sa 4, “brokendown, rt te » exposed before a physician that had but much to when our he jury as t only sed Grape-Nuts, Weekly the ever inde the chagrin of the asked bim if attorneys article wrote about coffee was true, be replied, “yes Statement No. 5 reads: health officers of Mich, Maine. New Hamp., and other official bulletins denouncing as preg “The Penn states In have for years a sterous and fr made by the We do not recall ny criticism except from Mich., Penn., du the claims Cereal Company Maine and 8. Dakota. The average reader might think that the opinions expressed by the State Officials are always correct, but that conclusion {s not borne out by facts, As an filustration: About thirteen years ago the Dairy and Food Commis- | sion of Michigan for some personal rea 1 & severe criticiem on us for making Postum of Barley (according to son prin his official chemist) at market price and selling too high. He was shown there was never a grain of barley used in Post um. ing. His report was false and mislead The governor dismissed him. We believe that officials are honest, most of the state and on the other hand we are firmly convinced that some | of thelr conclusions cannot be substan: tiated by facts in scientific research, ‘They never criticise the purity of our foods, for so much we are thankful If our conclusions fn regard to ite be ing a brain food differ from theirs, and | we are both honest, they have rather the advantage 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 ad vertised ape-Nuts, at fifteen cents a package, for those so threatened.” ‘This is intended to muddle the reader into believing that we put out Grape Nuts as a cure for appendicitia Mr. Post, himself, hy wide experience as any other man had probably as in ete.” | America in the study and observation of | food as related to the digestive organs, The truth is, this Dr, Underwood was | | | It may be remembered that we were first attacked and have since defended ourselves by placing facts and we proved in ©ourt by the physi- cians and surgeons on the witness stand that the predominating cause of append: icitis 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 appendl- citis refers directly to the use of the well-known pre-digested foods that can because under the law they | tories, hospitals, private—or hotel and restaurant kitchens that close spying at unexpected times and by an enemy paid to find dirt or impurities nen or factory he would find something to magnify and But he failed utterly with the Postum Works and products. Twenty to thirty thousand people go through the factories annually, and we never enquire It makes no difference to us. He next turned to discover something about our advertising that could be An analysis of the methods and distorted statements of the “Weekly” may interest some readers, so we take up the items one by one and open them out for 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 confine the be an | opinion and re-| had him | Postum | as damages, and may the right man win. | ed, So an attorney from New York spent more or less time for months in Battle Creek, ho) ping 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 fac- could stand the us. Some Facts Battle Creek, Michigan, December 30, 1910, nial letter been printed by the Postum Cereal Co., Ltd behind it a genuine letter signed, and believed to be an h We, the undersigned, certify that never, to our knowledge, has a testimo- which did not have est statement. To the best of our knowledge and belief, the Company has received ups wards of fifty thousand (50,000) genuine testimonial letters. This Company has never knowingly made nor permitted an untruthful M. K. HOWE, Treasurer. (With C H Cc. be obtained on the wm alno brought out the inte after treatment” It is ket. He ing fact that in advantageous to take on a predigested food ‘The price of the pact age (referred by kly) is by ot known us to have any relation to the question. Our ad indige food in bowel troubles and to use ¢ ¢ to stop using Nuts food has been a great blessing tens of thousands of people. and we he will continue to bless a good many mc in the succeeding years. No. 7 is a tive wire Cw It refers to Post and his studies and experi in “Suggestive Therapeutics, ntal Healing,” which furt & most careful and systemat the effect of the and other or or lead to atudy of digestive mind on the ans of the body. He attended fitted himself for a career In which he 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. clinies in Europe and future has becom! For about elght years previous to 1891 he was an invalid, In that year, after being under the care of several well known phystelans, he was quickly heal by what to him was a curious and Sufficient to say he became a well man, weighing about 185 pounds. not well-understood method. This experience challenged his inves tigation into causes of disease and their amelioration. Those studies and experi ences developed a very profound rever ence for a Supreme Power which direct ly operates upon the human being, and this reverence for the Infinite became to him a form of religion, which Included honesty of purpose towards his fellow man, A statement which will be im dorsed by every one 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. «Post spends nearly a million a year in adver tising and relies on that to keep out of the newspapers the dangerous nature of the fraud he is perpetrating on the pub: lie.” The Postum Company does pay out upwards of a million a year for trade announcements, Newspaper men Neve our statements truthful or they would not print them, Large numbers of newspaper men use our products, be They are capable of telling the public es whether or not we “bribe” them, ——— It may have escaped notice that we did not “bribe” that particular weekly. — No, 9 states that the amount of the verdict will “be devoted by the ‘weekly’ to exposing frav pa Be This is almost real humor, CHESTON SYER, Advt. Writer. CHARLES W. GREEN, Advt. Writer. | that | covering of wheat (bran) | the b L. J. LAMSON, Inspector of Advts. F. C. GRANDIN, Advertising Manager. R. M. STERRETT, M HAWK, Assistant to Chairman. (With Co have two sults pending against the 0,000.00. weekly,” tot We haven't “devoted” the sum to any particular purpose yet, Item 10 is a “discovery” that wheat bran ix @ part of Postum But the critcism neglected to mention for years every Postum pack announced in plain type that the outer made part of verage. They ignorantly fell into a trap here knowing enough of food value to know that “Taka-Diastase,” the article used by physicians the world over for starch indigestion,” wheat bran.” not is made from So we use that part of the wheat berry be it contains the element needed to develop the valuable diastase In man ufacture. Good Postum is impossible without this part. ause These self-appointed critics do make some laughable blunders through ignor ance, but—be patient. Item 11 ts an jilustration of the squirming and twisting of the sensation: al writer delivering distorted matter to his readers - While on the witness stand Mr. Post testified to his studies in Anatomy Physiology, Dietetics and Psycholog. all relating to the preparation and diges tion of food, Asked to name authorities he mentioned six or eight from mory, and commented on some clin 1 experience covering several years in annual journeys to Europe. studied Now notice the distortion, from the printed criticism.) (Copy He (Post) pointed out a pile of books in of his attorneys as the very ones he had read possession (Notice leading the reader to believe that they were the only ones.) “Did you consult the books from these editions?” was asked. those and answered Post, various editions,” ‘om 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 1905,” This {s 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 the analysis of brain, also the latest conclu sions in regard to the action of the digestive organs, These worke are: Human’ Physiology, by Raymond, Physiological Chemistry, by Simon, Digestive Glands, by Pawlow, Handbook of Appendicitis, by Ochs- ner. Physiological Chemistry, by Hammar- sten. Biochemic Carey. System of Medicine, by With Company al par | the question | “the very ones he had read,” | statement regarding its products or its methods. years.) t 13 years.) D., Physician in charge of Scientific Dep't. (With ¢ pany about 4% years.) 3 years.) (With about 5 years.) HARRY E. BURT, General Sup’t. (With Company about 13 years.) Cc. . W. POST, Chairman. v (With Cc y about 7 years.) ginning.) The “Weekly from its print garding by Mr. work carefully eliminates testimony ree ¢ years of research and study Post in fitting himself for his and would lead the reader of the distorted article to believe that his edu cation began since 1905, account Distortion No. 12 reports Mr. tas a “di ging witness.” 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 er, trying by all his art to ask dow barreled questions and bulldoze and confuse a witness, The replying, lawy dodging,” it seems, consisted of 1 don't know.” Opposing counse! holds hand while he queriee— book in his “I want to know if there is a single thing in your whole book here that suge gests any particula 4 of food.” Then followed some discussion between attorm neys. When Mr. Post was allowed to reply, he said, “I don't know until I read the book over to see.” This book, it turns out, was written by Mr. Post seventeen years ago and prob- ably has not been read carefully by him in the last fifteen years. It would re quire a remarkable memory to instantly say “yes” or “no” as to what @ book of 147 pages did or did not contain, without reading it over—but such conservative and well-balanced answers are construed by sensation seekers to be “dodging.” The attorney sought by every art to impress the Jury with the fact that Mr, Post's belief in the power of Mind in relation to the body branded him as un- reliable and worse. The following is quoted from one of (The lawyer reading from the book.) “The writer of these pages desires to say nothing of himself other than as @ simple instrument through which the Divine Principle chooses to manifest it- self by precept and example. “Skill In mental practice is gained in the same way as skill in any department of science—by observation, study, ex perience and the ability to evolve cor rect conclusions “Read carefully, thoughtfully, no more than twenty pages daily, Afterward seek an easy position where you 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 Son. The thoughts from Divine Universal Mind come as winged angels and endow you with a healing power. If you go into the silence humble and trusting, you will come out enriched and greatly strength- ened in body by contact even for a short time with the Father of all life and all power, You will feel refreshed in every way and food taken will digest readily as the stomach works smoothly when un+ der the influence of a Higher Power.” “IT ask you if you did not write that, and if you did not believe it when you wrote it.” For a moment the Court Room was in absolute silence. Mr. Po&t slowly leaned forward over the rail, pointed his finger at the Att face to emphasize his reply and with eyes that caused those of the Attorney to drop, he said: “Yes, I am proud ta say I did.” After all the smoke of legal battle blows away, the facts will stand out clearly and never be forgotten that Postum, Grape-Nuts and Post Toasties are perfec’ ure, have done good, honest service to humanity for years, the testimonials are real and truthful and the business conducted on the highest plane of commercial integrity. _ Our suits against the “weekly” have not yet been tried. They are for libel and $500,000.00 is asked “There’s a Reason”’ Postum Cereal Co., Ltd., Battle Creek, Mich.