New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-13
THE BRITISH PRESS
MIR. cHAMBERLAlNs VIEWS ON TIM
INTERESTING SUBJECT; AND soNn
OTHER VIEWS.
London. May 20.

ftrs-
opinions about Journalism; or even journau.,1
The annual dinner of the Newspaper prass rs,
gives them an opportunity; and there Are o,s.s
opportunities II the public man chose IN 49,,
himself of Them as he sometimes does %.
where is the public man who will be entirs,.
frank on such an occasion and on such tomb,
Is he Mr.. Chamberlain. who presided and sno,.
at the dinner on Saturday? l do not mean !.
suggest a doubt that the Liberal Unionist Lead.
said what he thought The doubt is whether \.
said all he thought; whether, before setting 49,.
for the Whitehall Rooms, he Administered a
himself an oath TO tell not only the truth a..
nothing but the truth, but the whole ,r,,,l
/ imagine not What he said Is interests.
What he might have said must be left n CO..
lecture. Undoubtedly, it would have been muc,
more interesting.
Mr.. Chamberlain seems to have put 10 him
self the question what he should suffer fror,
most. or what he should miss most. II he WA.
sent for long term 10 Jail. And he answers.
Speaking for myself personally I should su,.
fer most from the loss Of the intellectual stmu.
liant and the daily mental nutriment proyiSsS
by the organ Of my prediction In the Press
Not you perceive from being deprived Of an
newspapers but Of one newspaper He wouM
not say which. Mr. Chamberlain has nevs,
shown himself over-cautious about making ens.
mics, but even Mr. Chamberlain might not car.
to have every newspaper in the kingdom saw.
one on his back at the same time Whicheye,
II be- life without It would seem 10 him hon.-
less And then he goes on 10 explain why II Il
that he regards some one particular paper as,
necessity Of life. This is hardly the original par,
OF his discourse. His reasons are a little com.
monplace. | suppose they had to be- Most peo.
pie know what a daily paper Is like and NJ
what II is composed; how ii supplies an agree.
able mixture Of news and views and the rest
and may be had. at least in this country for
penny As Mr. Chamberlain expressly names
that sum. the paper Of his prediction can
hardly be The Times" which costs threepence
Nor would the leading journal be altogether
favorlte with the gentlemen Of the Newspaper
Press Fund. with which Mr.. Walter and HE
partners will have nothing to do. They ignoN
It's existence. They do not even report Mr. Cham.
berlain. when he speaks as chairman at this
! dinner.
But II is when he enters upon a contrast Of poi.
tics and journalism that the Master Of the Md
lands becomes If not entirely original, unusual
He has discovered that the obligations Of the
two are reciprocal-that is not new-and also
that "at the present moment newspaper pro.
! prietors. newspaper editors newspaper CORE
spondents. and newspaper reporters sit in the
House II CommOns-some Of them even in the
! Cabinet and they take prominent and dis
! tingulshed part in our debates" There are. 80
! far as I know. no reporters or correspondents
or editors in the Cabinet Proprietors there may
| be- but the fat that a man owns shares In
| newspaper hardly makes him journalist; any
more than owning shares in a bank makes him
a banker. The alluson is. imagine, to Mr. Ar.
mold Morley who sits In the Cabinet as Post
master-General and is part proprietor Of Tie
Daily News" In the House OF Commons there
ar. no doubt. editors. and correspondents and
reporters: beginning with the Irish Nationahsts
| Of whom the greater part. perhaps almost all
hav. some sort Of connection with some Hsa
! paper
Mr.. Chamberlain says. little patronilsneE'
! perhaps. that he Is very glad q meet )ourhahs's
! I'm IN. House 4 Commons lie thinks 'he eN'
n.ri.nc.. will be good for them. They VII! sec
vha, ar. th. practical difficulties in our way
they will recognize that even politician w.
Is not always a happy one; and ieno"-Iee"ns
| will make them wondrous kind. he'ne''
the exchange We're in the other direcuon' 'H'
results would De- equally satisfactory he j. NV
cue, II. WONDERS whether Sir William Har'
oaur, a. f, had been his destiny 70 conduct
! daily paper would have found il more send'
task than leading the House Of commons DIV
no IL inclined 70 think that the fTIihe 'i'"'''~
might in his heart prefer editing comic paw
| "rotber than waste his delicate Wit ana seI"'
sarcasm upon a Birmingham This reads a.
~ AFR Chamberlain commonly known IN DIT
mingham and The parts thereunto adjacent .,
"Our Toe" had not been pleased WIN NO's
Rosebery's invasion Of his domain. II Nv
often that this very active politician even '.
non-party occasion. can keep politics out "
his speech: nor often that he feeIS oa"e' 'f
10 refrain from personalities
II has been the fashion Of recent years
that the Press IS losing influence '"'' .,,
reads leading articles or editorials 'ha' p'f -.
newspapers only for the news ana 50 Oh
"a not Mr. Chamberlain opinion o'ne' 49,,
of the Realm are losing. The autho'"' 4,
Crown IS waning: the authority oil '"' ~,
less than IL was: the authority eve" ,,,n
House of Commons shows symptoms u a.r.
The authority and power OF the Press a'' 49,,
tinuallv increasing. Such Is Mr. Cha'n''' ..,,.
Wow He quotes some unnamed person do -,
ing that this country is no longer so'.'" "a
Queen. or Peers. or Commons. pu' '"a' ora.
governed exclusively by the LONDON 'S,.,o,
ent. never before heard that p'VpV ~
advanced. nor do l think the Lo"u0" ,h.
spondent the most powerful persoh"se Mr
Press. Indeed, am SO douo'iu' "a.
Chamberlains real meaning that p'ei'. ...a-ea.
sumo that this dark saying Is JoNs' can
no doubt. with the grave face WHO" ~
assume when il suits his purpose ,,.,s
All this leads up to the remark that '"e ar,
Of this country is incorruptible that II y s~,v
that IL has a high conception Oh pun" no a
and that IT has always been animate ossarve.
lofty patriotism. The eulogy' you WIZ .,,r,ry.
Is carefully limited 10 the Press OF '''' pnad.
The limitation may seerl TO SAVIOR u .,.,.g 70
saism but as Mr.. Chamberlain was Spe@", a,ola.
English journalists 1t was perhaps Eng.
able II Is true OF a large portion oi w." ", tina
lish Press. II is not true Of all Ana '"OI ,bers
mower Of the Press may be increas'"S ,on,,ry
was probably never time since '"'s 70 the
hogan when the proportion or eAceP"