The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-26
FUTURE OF THE NEWSPAPER.
EDITOR OF THE LONDON MAIL DIS
cUssEs THE PRESS.
Sees Many Features of JournaIfsm
Susceptible to Improvement, and
Predicts the Ultimate Issuance of
the simultaneous Newspaper.

NEW YORK, Dec. 25.-Alfred Harms
worth, editor and proprietor Of the London
Daily Mall who is passenger on the
Teutonic, due In New York tomorrow, mas
contributed to the North American Re-
view an article on what he calls THE
Simultaneous Newspapers OF the IWenti-
cts Century"
Mr. Harmsworth expresses the opinion
that in spite OF all the progress that has
been made In the development OF news
papers in the past we are merely at the
fringe Of Journalistic development. OF
newspaper Illustration he says.
IAN occasional newspaper illustration,
II It can be properly produced Is no DOUBT
a good thing, and Is appreciated as help
full By the reader; but many OF the present
day Illustrations are quite unnecessary.
and are merely given as matter OF
habit, or because rival journals use them,
or even for the less urgent reasons
that there is a certain amount Of space
TO be decorated, and artists or photo
graphers TO be kept occupied. NO daily
Journal which relies principally upon its
Illustrations has been in any real sense
an overwhelming success"
Mr.. Harmsworth takes exception to the
hopeIessly clumsy shape of the ordinary
whole civilized world before me-" he said.
leach week | look in vain for any great
and impressive stroke of originality or
daring. We still cling to the clumsy and
awkward shape in which our newspapers
are issued. and the man who has attempt
ed to manipulate one of them ON a windy
day will best appreciate the force OF my
remarks. BY the use of improved machin-
cry Il would be possible to Issue the news
paper of the future In what Is obviously
It's proper shape--a small, portable and
newspapers that are, tn my opinion. now
making progress. setting aside the entire
lack OF commercial morality. are some of
been noted Tor their high literary rsr a excsl
lence. The anonymous editorial has never
been particularly strong feature of the
French newspaper. On. the other hand.
pure literature, In the shape of fiction or
criticism, Is one of its chief characteris-
Power Of the Press.
''The power Of the press 10 not what It
he says. is especially true ae' Of England.
where the editorial or leader, which was
formerly read and quoted by all men of
Intelligence Is now scarcely glanced at.
Tine great cry Is for news. But even In
connection with this dissemination of
news, the press, In Mr.. Harmsworth's
Judgment. has lost reputation. He says:
ternecine warfare between the various
organs OF the press, by which they very
largely inJure their own positions, and
published in one paper Il INN mmed ID egy
uiscreddted In another, and the public
naturally enough comes to the opinion
that newspapers are usually inaccurate,
rect statement AS mere newspaper talk"
Mr.. Hurmsworth pays a high tribute to
the press Of the United States, being In
country 'Thc question:" he says. what
to put before the public, and in what man
ner to place. X before them. Is one that
calls ss for the keenest and best Judgment on
the press of the United States Is In adj
vance OF that. Of Great Britain. Such
newspaper leaders as Pulitzer. Dana.
Russell Cummings. TAYLOR, Halsteau.
Pntterson. psYoung. Singerly, Godkin.
MckeIway, Watterson and storey have
mad but Few counterparts with lis. The
instinct that tells what Is news and how
the public win best take II. IL not given
70 every writer. There is a great art in
ns p What q the ine oarnss q tho
twentieth century will be. he says:
Future of the Newspaper.
~ feel certain that the newspapers Of
tne twentieth century will be drawn into
the vortex Of combination and centralixa-
ton. In fact, given the man. the capital
the organization and the occasion. there
seems to be no reason why one or two
newspapers may not presently dominate
almost the whole OF Great BrItain--in
other words whore there are multitude
Of papers good, bad and Indifferent. there
MI, MI then be one or two little Journals;
be established would be precisely those
employed In the formation OF any ordi-
nary trust Possessing Its own cables,
wires anu dispatch boats. and special
trains, the simultaneous newspaper con-
Germ Will soon have its own paper mills
and printing Ink factories, machine shops
and the like,
THE simultaneous newspaper womb
represent q standard of excellence which
has never before been attained and with
It's vast resources II would he able TO
carry out On an unprecedented scale en-
ternrises outside OF the strict newspaper
field
Mr., Puiitxars wonderful stroke OF
JOURNALISTIC genius In connection with the
bond issue. MIR. uearst's successful an
peal To the people on the war issue be-
tween the United States and Spain aud
the work % British newspapers In connec-
ton with the South African campaign RIO
To show what ban be done In the direction
OF influencing public opinion. even nnsinr