The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-10
CHINESE NEwSPAPERs.
More Than Anything Else Chinese They Yield to Barbarian Mod
 erating Influences.

ly shown itself in very many respects to the influences of western civilization, in one direction at least intercourse with the outer world has made itself felt. Periodical publications in the shape of newspapers have been known in China since the ninth century, but 1t is only during the last quarter of a century that the press of China has assumed its pres snt form, and it may thus bs regarded as a product of foreign influence. In the majority of cases in which Chinese enterprise is devoted to journalistic un- dertakings foreign capital is represented. The editors of these newspapers are ex- clusively Chinese, and they are not diff icult to find in q country in which every man who wishes to make 6 name must be literate. The compositors and print CTS are also Chinese. It Is not surpris- ing to learn that the Chinese press is especially strong in those seaport towns in which there are European settlements. It is not altogether an unmixed blessing that the press of China is under no re- straints from the side of the law, for the mandarins enjoy the privilege of dealing with the newspapers just as they may happen to deem fit. When liberal jour nal has gone to a certain length in out spokenness, the authorities step in, close the printing office and imprison the edi- tor. However, the Chinese have risen to the occasion, and, with a view to avoid ing this sudden termination of their edi- torial activity, many Chinese newspapers are published by European firm, and foreigner is announced as editor. By this subterfuge the newspaper escapes inter- ference on the part of the arbitrary rep resentatives of the Chinese government.
 The oldest Chinese newspaper is the Pekin Journal, founded, according to tra- dition, during the Sung dynasty, which lasted from 970 to 1866. It is not an official organ in the present meaning of the word; 1t Is simply & newspaper which ap- pears with the permission of the govern ment, and 1t communicates to the people the imperial decrees and the orders is- sued by the various governmental de- partments. It is not permitted to make any editorial comments or remarks; these are scarcely necessary seeing that in the bestowal of awards and in the infiiction of punishments the reasons which have led to the decision in either case are fully given The Pekin Journal appears daily, and is read by the educated Chinese in all parts of the empire. It is printed by means of movable wooden type, and 1t consists generally of from ten to twelve thin, cinnamon-colored little sheets Of paper, which are bound together; each side is divided into ten columns by req lines, and every column contains fourteen characters of type. Nearly every num- Der of this semi-official organ casts lurid light upon the conduct or the man darins. For example, the issue or Jan uary f. 1897, quotes ten instances Of gross violation of duty on the part or the hish- CT officials.
 The most important newspaper in Shanghai is the She-wu-she-pao; in other words. the Current News. This Is long and slender paper, because the Chinese place the words one under the other. ana these are read downwards. ENery number has eight sides. The Chinaman reads his paper from right to left; thus, in the riEht-hand upper corner of the last side appears the title, on either slde or which there are the day and the month according to European and Chlnese reckoning. After the pattern or English newspapers the first side contains numer- ous advertisements. On the second side are printed items of news of political importance, imperial decrees and official appointments. Then follow telegrams from the outer world As the Chinese press possesses no news agencies. tele- grams are lifted" copiously from Eng fish and Japanese newspapers, put ai"ayS with a most conscientious acknowleds- ment of the source whence they are taken. For its home news Chinese newspaper relies upon its correspondents in the provinces. Lastly comes the lead- ing article, in which weighty questions relating either to the internal life or to the foreign policy of the country are dis cussed. This Shanghai newspaper is de- cidedly literary in its aims; however, 1t has its staff of reporters. and 1t devotes A good deal of space to items of news.
 But the mass of the people prefer to read the insipid organ, Shang- -wen-tao, that is, the News, and various ofter jour nals which pander to their views. Then there are illustrated journals, of which the most popular is the Huo-po; that is an atemept at humor, and the cnlef object of the Huo-po is to perpetrate jibes and sneers at the expense of the foreign devils" It appears weekly in a green cover; every number contains from ten to twenty pages of illustrations, with some pages of text.
 The main element of success in jour nalism in China is a thorough acquaint- ance with the Chinese classical writers. Originality is of far less importance for Chinese journalists than in the faculty of being able to intersperse their work deftly with suitable quotations from the writings of the' old classical writers of China. This fact accounts for the ab- sence of style and of any attempts at originality. However the fact remains that newspapers have wide circle of readers in China, for 1t is a very rare occurrence to find any one unable to read or write among the Chinese. Upon every newspaper the following notice is to he read: Treasure up all paper upon which anything is printed: the advantage of so doing is boundless. This piece of advice Is generally dutifully obeyed. In the shops and in the large public estab- lishments the newspapers are carefully collected and read over and over again until they become so much tattered and torn that they can scarcely be handled. Then the well-thumbed newspapers are collected by the employees of company, whose task is to see that every little piece of printed paper shall meet with a worthy end. The newspapers thus gathered in are taken to Wenmiao and there consumed by fire in crematorium specially built for the purpose.