The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-07-30
KINGS AND NEWSPAPERS.
Some Sovereigns Have Editors and
Publications Of Their Own.

their preferences in the wayof news
papers justlikc anyother individuals.
But as the monarchs of modern civ
ilized countries are amongthe busiest
people on earth, says London Tit
Bits, it is but seldom that any Of
them "a ever afford the time to sit
down and comfortably peruse the,col-
umns Of any journal.
1t is the present emperor Of Aus
tria who may be said to be response
BILE for the method by which most
European monarchs absorb the news
!, Of the day. Rather more than 80
years ago he gave orders hat a pri-
vate newspaper should be supplied
to him every morning.
This journal is made up of extracts
from all 1.-THE leading
of Austria. Each important article
is carefully condensed by competent
writer, and the result written out on
small square sheets, which are slipped
into a binding cover and laid upon
his maiesty's breakfast-table.
The emperor has givent the strictest
} directions that nothing which ON
Germs him personally, whether disa-
greeable or otherwise, shall be omit
ted, and it is said that he occasional
ly orders in a bundle Of fresh news
papers in order to be sure that his
orders are not disobeyed.
In a more or less modified form
this is. the way in which nearly all
reigningg royalties read the news. The
German kaiser, one of the busiest
men alive, has a court officer with a
staff under him whose sole duty is to
cut outSal items Of news which may
interest the imperial eye, and submit
thelmllnlllssaattlT pasted upina scrap-book
each morning. These books are kept
and filed away, and should eventually
prove a valuable record Of the history
of a stirring reign.
In June last the czar created some
thing like CONSERVATION in official
circles by calling together to a con-
ference 200 ofthe most educatedmen
in Russia. This act was the outcome
of his majesty's thirst for news. Up
to quite recently Russian rulers had
been content to receive their news
secondhand through official chan
nels. Naturally, criticisms and other
possibly unpleasant articles haye
been conspicuous by their absence.
But such a mode Of procedure failed
TO satisfy the present car.
A year or two ago he privately or
dered to be sent to him copies Of Rus
sian papers representing every shade
Of opinion. He even included anar-
chist journals, such as the kolokol
Tor the Belly, which is published in
Geneva by a man named Grekoff.
Everything which bore upon Russian
social questions Of the day the car
eagerly absorbed. and extracts were
entered in his private diary.
One result Of this proceeding has
already been mentioned. Other
things may happen before long, but
it must be remembered that the off
cial ring in Russia is SO omn:potent
that even the nominsllv all-powerful
car cannot sirgle-handed carry out
the reforms he is known to favor.
The most literary monarch in Eu-
rope is without doubt The young Vic
tor Emmanuel of Italy. He knows
English, French and German equally
as well as his native language, and
has even a reading acquaintance with
that very difficult language, Russian.
He spends at least three hours every
day in his study busy with current
literature of every. kind. He is said
to prefer the monthly reviews to daily
journals; but, however this may be,
it is quite certain that no monarch
alive keeps himself more thoroughly
posted in all questions Of the day.
lie has more than cnce astonished
English visitors by his intimate ac-
quaintance with the intricacies of our
party politics and social questions,
in which he is better read than MANY
Of our own members Of parliament.
King Oscar of Sweden is another
king who may be classed, among the
best read Of royalties. He ALWAYS
finds time to read the papers of his
own kingdom without tesorting to
the help of others, by for those Of
other countries he relies mainly on
clippings, Not only does he read the
papers, but,there are three Stockholm
journals which number the king
among their contributors. He writes,
OF course, under a nom de plume, but
his articles. are extremely able and
well worthy Of SO talented a man.