The Portland daily press., 1898-08-06
CHINESE NEWSPAPERS.
Their Dawning Independence and How
They Escape Censorship-Price Ten for a
Penny.
4 (From the London Times. }

r7@ (From the London Hines.
Until recently the native press anu It's
doings have not attracted much attention
from the Central government, ana, as
general rule, it may be said that the
| Hoials both metropolitan and provln-
cial, are remarkably tolerant OF sucn eX-
pressions of opinion as are contained IN
the widely spread journals of Shanghai
and other treaty ports. These opinions
are, it is true, of a dogmatio rather than
| of practical character, and though the
oretioally subversive of the existing or
der of things, they are generally repro
duction of the views expressed in the
forsign papers, and theref ore to native
readers somewhat lacking in the quality
of conviction.
Recently, however, two cases have oc-
CURED tending to show that both at Pc
kin and in the provinces the higher au-
thorities are becoming alive to the fact
that free and untram meled native press
at their doors may not be, from the gov
ernment's point of view, an unmixed
blessing The first of these occurred in
Tien-tsin, where the utterances of the
Kuo Wen Pao, an extremely well in
formed newspaper under native manage
ment, attracted the unfavorable notice OF
certain censors at the capital. This
journal, unlike most of its Shanghai con-
temporaries, has since its establishment
terprise with which it has obtained news
regarding the political situation. Not
only have its comments on the situation
been critical and candid. but there have
from time to time appeared In its col
umns valuable items of information re-
diplomacy and the Tsung-li. Yamen. Its
remarks on the recent policy and success
of Russia, rejecting somewhat upon the
value of the services rendered to their
country by the principal adviser of the
Throne, resulted in steps being taken to
restrain its energies for the future; but
Eefore these could come into effect its
proprietors, forewarned availed thsm-
selves of the protection afforded ny the
extra territorial rights enjoyed by for
eigners in China, and transferred the
management of the paper to Japanese
subject, in whose hands it now remains.
The action thus taken by the Kuo Wen
Pao's owners can hardly be said to con-
stitute any new departure, for all the
| native papers at Shanghai are registered
as the property Of foreigners, although
their editing and general management
may be said to be almost purely Chinese
The protection thus afforded to native
journalism, like that extended by for
eigners to many other forms OF local en-
terprise, may be said TO work both for
good and for evil; for good, in that it as
he c1oxU dopa1nnOpy,t of nIIh11n 0nin-
ion and the fair criticism of public mat
tiers; for evil, in that a nominal foreign
manaa ement frequently exercises little or
no control over the native staff and over
their natural prediction to many abuses
of the power of the press. 1t is within the
experience of the writer that inquiries
were recently made in Shanghai by GER
tain of the native gentry of Hang.chau to
obtain (for $50 a monthly the use OF the
name of a European whose position
should be sufficient to protect the proprie-
tors of Chinese paper in that city. 1t
was expressly stipulated that the paper in
question should be declared to be the
bona tide property OF the foreigner, but
that he should he in no way concerned
with the matter or the manner of it's pub
LEGATION
The second instance of recent interfer-
ence by officials in the sphere of native
journalism is of different nature, the
| newspaper concerned, the Shin WI Pao
Tor Times) OF Shanghai, being serious
and literary publication which was
| founded about two years ago under the
| direct patronage of the Vioeroy Chang
Chih-tung. The primary object Of this
paper was to engage the sympathies of
| the literary class in the work OF progress
and reform, to interest its readers in
questions of International and general
| Importance, and to supply them with &C
curate and useful information. Its staff
was from the outset composed OF men ap-
pointed with the Viceroy's approval, in
whom scholarly attainments were COM
| bined with broad views.
| Of these the two principals are a met :
! ropolitan graduate named Wang, and
Tseng Kwang -chueh, a grandson of the
late Teng Kwo-fan. Under their man.
agement the Shin WI Pao rapidly gained
| a wide reputation among the upper
classes, and its influence was rendered
| the more weighty by the fact that Chang
Chih-tung made it's support compulsory
upon all the Yamens and ibraries
throughout the Hu provinces. Toward
the end of last year, however, there ap-
peared in its columns an article on the
advantages Of republican form of gov
eminent for China, which, whatever the
Viceroy's private opinions may be, could
scarcely be countenanoed in a publication
enjoying his semi-official protection. AS
result, therefore, OF this premature
flight into the realms of advanced theory,
his Excellency's favor was withdrawn,
and its circulation has, it Is said, been
reduced by more than 80 per cent
Owing to the very poor quality of the
paper used for Chinese newspapers, and
to the cheapness of labor, both literary
and Irechanical, the cost at which the
native papers can be produced is extreme
" low. The price of the ordinary Shang-