"Inexpedient and tactless"

Oh my, what a wonderful story about the marvellous violinist Fritz Kreisler. See pages 356-357 of our book Commitment to Freedom. 

When Monitor music critic Winthrop P. Tryon uncovered the fact that Kreisler was not only the performer but also the composer of quite a few items in his repertoire, Kreisler requested that this information remain a secret. In fact, his reason for not identifying them as his own compositions on his programs was that he "found it inexpedient and tactless to repeat my name endlessly on the program". 

It was nineteen years later when Kreisler finally gave permission for the story to be made public. And The Christian Science Monitor faithfully responded.

Julie Swannell

An undiluted pleasure

There's a lovely little note on page 343 in the chapter "The Monitor Today". It reads as follows:

"To work for the Christian Science Monitor was an undiluted pleasure. . .  With a courage almost unknown in the modern newspaper world, the Monitor never seemed to mind if the news was a day or two late, provided that when it did arrive it was comprehensive, fair and accurate."

The writer was a Mr. David E. Walker.

Comprehensive, fair and accurate. Wouldn't readers be glad if all their news was reported in such a fashion today.

Julie Swannell

A great man

What an extraordinary tribute for Monitor writer Charles Gratke - see page 321. It was written by a fellow newspaperman, the so-called "hard-boiled editor of the Lubbock, Texas, Evening Journal: Charles A. Guy".

Among some of the notable phrases, "he had banished fear from his life; he had even defeated man's greatest mental enemy: worry...". "One hundred fifty minutes a day, Chuck Gratke gave to study of his religion..."

"He made no effort, aside from setting an example, to influence anyone."

Great men are always an inspiration, and the world sorely needs to hear more about them.

Julie Swannell