The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-24
EvREfes PUBLICATIONS.
Their American Circulation Wsu'nG Or ne
a stsndsttli In Many Instances.

Their American Circulation Wsssss Or NJ
y standsttii In Many Instances.
The importation OF foreign publications does
not keen pace with the growth OF population
| in this city and throughout the country. an
importer said. Most foreign periodicals are
| either waning or ut a standstill in their Amerl-
can circulation. Only art and fashion periods
calls are on the increase. The loss Is especially
soon in the two extremes OF heavy political re-
views and comic weeklios. The great I'M
provement in the newspaper discussion OF
foreign topics Is responsible for the rover
number of foreign political reviews and the
creation OF several successful comic papers
here has lessencd the sale OF imported humor-
GUS publications.
The Indtpeuoance Beige had sale In TINS
country q few years ago because 1t was
| recognized as a fair and outspoken Or
gan OF European opinion. 1t has relatively
lost prestige in Europe because the whole
Continental press has gained in seli'respect
and freedom OF speech 1t hes lost in circuia-
ton here because mail and cable bring to tho
daily papers so much that throws light on
European politics. Funch had a great sale IN
this city and country II few years ago. but u is
almost at standstill and possibly on the &C.
| cline because tho existence oil local comic
| papers has supplied the want.
|
a considerable circulation hero. and the Eng
lish "hcavies" arc sold in large quantities.
but the great German organs OF opinion are
| seldom seer outside Of clubs and libraries.
| Two German illustrated wecklies onco had an
! enormous sale in this country. probably larger
| than that Of any other periodical published
| outside the United States. That was In part
owing to tho fact that they published tho
novels OF popular German authors. German
novels could not be bought sometimes for less
MAN $3.50 or So o volume. but could be OBJ
| talned in tho illustrated weeklies Mt about 81
ench. The chcnpening Of books and the growth
Of German periodicals In this country have
greatly lessencd the circulation OF foreign
publications.
Some French periodicals have n larger circu-
lat!on in this country now than almost any
other io~eiEn publications. Tho cheap and
amusingly rghty little Partisan weeklies
are taken by most clubs. many restaurants.
and some persons. Only ono German comic
weekly is known to the general public. The
viennese comic illustrated weeklies. which
in tone are curious mixtures OF French and
German. having good deal Of German heav-
ness In illustration and text spiced with a
great deal OF Partisan naughtiness. are almost
unknown to the general public and are seldom
seen in tho clubs. One Sees them in few
Pesth and one or two intensely moral illus
tratcd weeklies from Berlin.
Few Italian periodicals come to New York.
The best-known Italian illustrated weekly.
which aims to be mirror OF national life. as
do its com peers In this country. France Eng
land. and Germany. ia embarrassed In its cir
culation throughout the United States by rea-
son of the postal laws against the sending OF
lottery advertisements through the mails 1t
may be seen at q few clubs. AS to Italian
comic weeklies. Of which there are several.
they are seldom seen here. Even the Italian
restaurants OF New York furnish the wicked
little Partisan weekles rather than those OF
Rome. Naples. or Florence.
Spanish periodicals have perhaps. a smaller
circulation here than the Italian. That is
owing partly to the fact that several native
publications issue Spanish editions. Mexican
and South American publications. for the same
reason. are seldom seen here. When in
terest in the Panama Canal was strong Vene-
zuelan and Colombian publications had some
vogue. and when American capital was busy
building railroads in Mexico Mexican news
papers und periodicals came to subscribers in
New York: but they have lost circulation in
recent years.
Scandinavian publications from abroad are
not numerous here. partly because the large
nished with reading matter by Chicago's forty
Scandinavian periodicals. For q like reason
foreign Hebrew periodicals arc imported only
in small quantities. New York supplies the
needs OF the Hebrews. Few Hebrews except
those from Poland and other parts Of Russia,
Germany and Austria. demand current lit
eraturs in the Hebrew tongue. and thcy are
too poor to subscribe for foreign publications
The Russian periodical press is almost I'M
known in New York. save when an occasional
copy Is posted to resident Russians. A stray
Turkish paper comes In now and them and
dealers in periodicals are asked OCCASION
ally to subscribe for such publications. In
the same way q few Japanese newspapers
reach New York. An importer Of periodicals
reports one subscriber Of q publication in
Toxic. The oldest and most absurd products
OF the press. weekly newspapers in English.
edited and published by natives in the East
Indies. never reach the United States except
when they are posted over as curiosities.
What Is true OF foreign periodicals is. in a
measure. true OF books in foreign tongues
although with the important difference that
publishers in this country have not yet begun
to supply the demand for the latter. Leaving
British publications aside. French books have
the greatest sale of any works in foreign
tonguea The sale is more to French-speak-
Ing AneTlCduS ludu W LlHlRTuDIS.
The sale OF Italian books is confined chiefly
to resident Italians. and many OF tho
most popular works are translations from
the French That is true OF Spanish books. so
greatly has modern French literature domi-
mated the literatures OF the other Latin ma
tons Many Spanish books. however. are i'm
ported for the use Of Americans studying
Spanish. They are chiefly grammars and the
Spanish classics. The demand for works in
the various languages Of Central and Eastern
Europe Is growing steadily. and on the east
side ere considerable libraries in the odd
lingo OF many German. Austrian. and
Russian Hebrews. Most OF these books
are published at Buda Pesth. They are
very long in proportion to their width. and
they have wealth Of grotesque gliding. The
demand for German works Is steady and in
creasing. not only on the part OF resident Ger
mans. but on that Of Americans who read the
LANGUAGE. within few few year, an English
little stories and fables from the Japanese
The books are printed on rice paper. With the
original In ma naaa illustratinpa In onIora