New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-16
LONDON NOTES.
AMERICAN JOURNALISM IN LONDON-R
BESANT AND THE S. p. c. K.-QUEENS-
TOWN AND SOUTHAMPTON.
London. August 4

1t might tend 10 Simplify tne complicated
lations between Great Britain and the United
States if some one having authority would say
whether the London edition OF The New-York
Herald" is an English paper or an American.
4 sentence in a remarkable editorial Of to-day
implies that it is English; the public opinion
of America or of our own country; where the
antithesis clearly points to British nationality
for the British edition of this American journal
But then the whole article is of character
which indicates an American origin; so that the
difficulty remains what il was IL is highly
remarkable article; with this highly remarkable
heading: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble, and Three
Times Trouble Mr. Blaine Comes up Smiling.
of Course The style of the article is worthy
of the heading. Such phrases occur as We
would have had lots of trouble to-day" We
would have to have decided where the Use OF
would for should" is compliment to Irish
susceptibilites. To what nationality have TO
have decided" belongs | leave others 10 say.
This article seems intended an attack on
Mr. Blaine that Barnum of American politics.
who is presently described as the political
scorpion of our country Whether MI Blaine
be a political scorpion or not may DC mater
Of opinion; but how can he DE political scor-
pon Of Great Britain? Our country, we saw
above, meant Great Britain; but perhaps 10
means different countries in different parts Of
tbe s,me article \ writer for an American
paper published in London may be excused il he
foreets now and then whether he Is English or
American. and which his own country really Is.
1t would not however, be unreasonable TO ask nm
to take one line the other in the same afticle;
or even to explain what is meant By such SEN
tence as this which seems worthy OF "!der
publicity:
From the very beginning Of his political lie
some thirty years ago, when he hist came en-
evidence tine ordinary political observer mignt
have told YOU what he was driving at-VlZ., coute
que coutecounry or not s,c Gouh,rsp s Te, Ok
war-Englsh ironclads in the harbors OF New.
York Boston and Philadelphla-a big tribute 10
England Of billion Of doilars-hai a dozen new
American naval heroes-half a9eh new
English heroes-two or three gTeat EnsI.sn su ,
men-twO or three American Statesmen, ana DIaihe
on the top with negotiations OF peace.
The billion of dollars in this sentence, If 1t be
a sentence has become in the next two billions OK
dollars. and New-York Boston, Philadelphia
Charleston and New-Orleans are left IN the hahds
Of the English till the two billions are PAID NO
wonder that the writer-who changes once moro
into an American-shoud feel that =" II is for US
Americans TO decide If our grandchliureh shaI
have 70 damn our American George Third. and
this is what our dear old fossil Blaine Is surviving
for Or is this remarkable article the joint
writer? Or was it written by the same man at
different periods of the day; part of 1t before
dinner and part after dinner? There is, however,
one remark well worth quoting that it is noa
the place of The Herald to dictate to Americsns
what they should do or what they should not do
With that am sure we shall all agree.
Serious criticism Of journalism Of this pattern
is ont of place. but the difficulties which beset an
American paper published in London are serious,
and this question of English or American nation
atty is one of them. If the journal be American
how is it to discuss English affairs from an
English point of view? Or what Is TO preVehS
John Bull from asking why he should be taught
his business by Yankee? II he thinks Of 1t as
an American paper, he is sure 10 cohsuer us
lectures TO Englishmen on English politics an ln-
nertinence. And If he tries TO regard the London
clifton of "The New-York Herald" as an English
paper. he certainly will not succeed
Mr. BENNETT has persevered with his very cour-
ageous experiment for year or more lie MINI
self would hardly say that it Is success Inc
paper has not made mark nor nlled wah1
Half a dozen different editors, two or three OF
them very able men, have tried their hands ID
succession on this problem. No one Of them has
solved IT, The sensation which attended Its hrst
appcarance-it was never very great-ded out
!
S,ead-who like his friend Cardinal Manning
onght 10 have precedence and Ike named trst-dld
all they could for it: attacked the seven-days
system and helped the struggling sheet into
brief no,oriety The people forgot all ABOUT ~
The American in London took IL in hopes oil good
cable news from home, bur he too was disap-
pointed OF English or European news II gave
little nor seemed 10 care 10 rival even the de-
spscd London journals in the variety or freshness
Of its intelligence 1t explored by-ways ana
launched into descriptive reporting. and ana over
again what its English predecessors had doiie
| before II started with n small four-page sheet,
then doubled itself into eight pages, and now mas
gone back 10 four pages again, save for the sum
dav issue, which has sixteen There are rumors
that Mr. Bennett is tired OF his toy and VIII
rive il up but Mr.. Bennett is a man OF great de-
termination, and if il amuscs him to keep LON
don paper, he can keep that as he keeps yacht
The controversy between Mr.. Besant and tho
Society for the Promotion of Christian knowledge
has now reached the acute stage. II II does noo
relate 10 piracy, ii does to sweating: when l.
form of piracy. The Society-its name is nap
PLY shortened for ordinary use into ). r. I. n
was very sharply taken to task by Mr.. BeSah' !"
The Author for its hard treatment Of the writers
whose books it published The charges RENAME"
for some weeks unanswered, though they "eio
specific enough and damaging enough. linen al-
peared n kind of official memorandum from the
Committee; an answer which was more OF an ad'
mission than an answer. Mr.. Besant replies THIS
morning. The facts alleged by him are hardly
in dispute: il is the construction TO be put on
them about which he and they differ The au-
thors and the public, apprehend, will take Mr.
Besant's view; the publishers perhaps, or some
of the publishers, the other.
Mr. Besant asserted, for instance, that the So
ciety sweated an author down TO $50 for book
costing weeks of skilled labor and research, ana
| that they made five times that amount OF prom
out of il. They admit it, but alege that their
| profit was, after all, very small percentage Oh
| ,ho ,nonev sunl, i'm the book for thirteen years.