Evening star., 1898-05-28
THE CHINESE PRESS.
Much Like That of other Countries,
but Considerably Older.
Prom the London Globe.

Prom the London Globe.
The Chinese press can pride itself on the
fact that it is a great deal more ancient
than that of Europe. We not con-
cerned here with the publications founded
in China by Europeans for the satisfaction
of merchants and others who dwell in the
free ports. The newspaper created in China
was an official organ, which is called by
foreigners the Peking Gazette; it's correct
name, however, is the News of the Capital
in Chinese it is called Tsing-pao. The exact
date of it's creation is unknown, but it is
certain that it was already published in A.
D. 713. At the first it was engraved on
leaves of wood, but for many years now it
has been printed by movable types; a spe-
cial cheap edition is rather badly printed on
sheets of wax. This Gazette, it is
commonly called, appears in the form of
copy book of ten to twelve double leaves,
eight inches long and five wide. Each page
is divided into seven columns by lines OF
violet ink: it is roughly mounted in yell
low cover. In this venerable ancestor of
the modern press one can find some very
interesting reading. There is first a resume
of the imperial audiences and presenta-
tions, the movements of the emperor and
empress; then information connectd with
the divers ministerial departments, and the
instructions as to which corps of tne garri-
son of Peking is on duty at the palace.
This is followed by the imperial DEGREES,
and the reports of the ministers of the cap
ital or by the viceroys in the provinces.
The reports of the police department also,
and prosecutions, find prominent place.
The columns of the Gazette are also open
to the reports of any negligence or corrup
ton of officials and in this it would be we'll
| if it were initiated by some western ma
tions.
1t is to be regretted that the Chinese Ian
guage presents such great difficulties to
the European learner. Were it otherwise
we outer barbarianS could gather a very
good idea of the daily life of the inhabit-
-Saft tn1
columns of the Tsing-pao. The subscrip-
ton is very modest, at least, to the Chinese
themselves, who only pay one shilling per
month. Foreigners are, however, COM
PEELED to pay more, for the benefit of the
post office servants, whose duty it is to
publish the Gazette. 1t appears every
morning, and is distributed to subscribers
by an army of messengers, who run through
the streets, each bearing large bundle of
copies.
The first non-official Chinese journals did
not make their appearance until twenty five
or thirty years ago; they We're founded in
those districts where foreigners are settled
and published under the nominal direction
of a foreigner, although they have always
been edited by literary Chinese and printed
by native compositors. The only daily
journals now published are the Chen-pao,
or Shanghai News, which was created
about 1877 and which is certainly the mos.
interesting of all. and the Hon-pao, its
rival, published in the same town, and near
ly under the same title. for Hon is the
literary name OF Shanghai. Among the
weeklies the Shanghai Mercury has great
influence in the business world. At Tient-
sin the Che-pao appeared for several years,
but it has now ceased to exist. AT Canton
We find the Tchoung -je-pao the Daily
News of China and the East. We will
close this rather meager list of dailies with
the g-Nam-je-pao DAILY News of Ling
Nam), which is the only native journal
which has SO far initiated the method of
certain European newspapers by seeking to
increase its sale by filling it's columns with
scandals and defamation. We must not for
get an illustrated newspaper called the Ho-
na-pao illustrated News, and published as
kind of supplement to the Chen-pao The
Jesuit missionaries of Shanghai publish a
journal called Ouenlon. for the benefit of
the Catholic population, but it cannot be
properly designated Chinese paper
what are the contents of a real Chinese
journal. Let him peruse with US number
of the Chen-pao, which he can buy for less
than half-penny. The composition of this
journal is not SO extraordinary as one
would be inclined to imagine. After the
title, instructions to correspondents of the
journal and the price of the subscription
we find a leading article, dealing with vari-
Gus subjects, written with great ability and
treating with much good sense, sometimes
even with great depth of view, the ques-
tions of the day; even foreign politics is
dealt with with considerable knowledge.
Then follow the imperial DEGREES. which
the editor often receives by telegraph; in
teresting reports of the various governors
correspondence from the provinces, anc
news which has been transmitted by .Eu-
ropean agencies. Divers facts are not for
gotten, and these appear very strange to