Typed Letters Signed from Frank E. Wright, President, and W. T. Adair, Vice President and General Manager, Syndicate Publishing Company, New York, to Sydney Walton (later Lloyd George's spin doctor), on his employment in the firm's London office.

The letters provide a fascinating insight into the development of the transatlantic publishing industry. They are closely typed with single spacing, and both centre around Walton's employment situation and his complaints about the sending over from America of 'Mr. Russell', about whose 'absolute worthlessness to the business' he complains. Adair's letter: 2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The firm has 'not the slightest doubt' that what Walton has said in his 'confidential communication' is 'entirely sincere': 'We feel it is just such a letter as a really big man, having the interest of his employers at heart, would right. [sic]' They have complete confidence in Russell's 'integrity, honesty, etc.', but acknowledge that it is important 'that he expenses of the London Office be kept down to the last notch'. Russell is 'familiar with so many things that have been done in this country, and the manner in whcih either successes or failures have been made out of them', and is 'rather expert in figuring out the cheapest way to do things [...] A great many firms go to pieces not because they have not made money, but for the reason that they failed to save any of that made'. Wright's letter: 3pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight damage (not affecting the legibility of the text) to the third of its three leaves. He has delayed replying to Walton's letter as he 'wanted to take sufficient time to think over our London situation more carefully and to definitely make up my own mind as to what would be for the best interests of the business'. He is not surprised that 'Mr. Starmer' has made Walton 'a liberal offer': 'there are plenty of other newspaper men in England who would not be slow to recognise your ability and to make you a satisfactory proposition'. Walton is highly qualified 'to handle the large and successful papers'. Wright lays out the plans he has for Walton: 'I have away down deep in my heart a great degree of interest in yourself and I have taken up the matter of your future with my associates with the idea in mind that at the proper time you will be given a connection with the company in a way that will be highly satisfactory to you; in fact, I would not be at all surprised if an opportunity of absolute control of the English company would be given you'. In the meantime Walton's salary of £750 will be continued, and he will be assisted by a 'traveling man'. '[Y]ou have been with our company going on two years. You have seen evidenced in Sheffield and one or two other towns what our plan of operation is worth and at such time as the war is over and things settle down to calm conditions you will in my opinion be able to produce results over there that will be highly gratifying to everybody interested.' He considers that England is not 'in nearly as serious a condition' as America: 'in fact I believe that business has been affected as much if not more in certain lines in the United States than it has in England'. On the question of Russell's 'absolute worthlessness to the business, it would seem that backed up with a college education, coupled with what he has learned in knocking about this country for fifteen or twenty years, that he ought to be able in time and under the proper tuition of one more capable to at least earn a respectable part of his salary.'