New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-05
LONDON NOTES.
Editors and Leader Wrters-Rs.
northumberland of old Plam
London Novsmhsr q

/ ousiy guarded until the newspaper is sold Wbs-
there is change OF proprietorship letters are A.
/ changed the mysteries OF the sauctun are f-Aas
/ advertised. and editors and writer's who bay,
I never been known outside OF Fleet street revsI
in sunburst OF publicity. When the ratronlv
old lady Of Shoe Lane refused % dance with n.
Protectiouist satyrs and went on knitting d.
mureIy her Free Trade stockings. outsiders won
dered how long the spasra Of virtue would las;
The Standard made an excellent fight for
principle, and received the hearty support O,
fnanciers in the city. but il almost tn
/ only Conservative journal in the United King
dom which was against Mr. Chamberlain,
policy, and the owners discovered that thsy
were not carrying the majority Of their readers
with them. They had the satisfaction OF know
ing that their forecast had been fulfilled and
that the party was losing one bye-eection after
another. and doomed to deieat in a general sec.
ton. They could anticipate the day after the
decisive appeal to the general electorate and
the vigor with which their leader writer's could
condemn Mr.. Chamberlain as a party wrecker.
but they could not close their eyes TO the co1se-
quenccs Of continued resistance to policies
with which an overwhelming majority os their
party was in accord If Mr. Balfour had mads
a determined stand against Mr. Chamberlain
the situation would have been saved for "Ths
Standard" but when it became apparent tha,
the two statesmen understood each other and
were acting together the owners were warned
OF the insecurity OF their own position and Of
the sacrifices which they were making for Cob
densm. When Mr. Arthur Pearson offered them
a handsome price for their property they wisely
accepted it. The editor. Mr. George Byron
Curtis, who had been responsible for the veteran
Conservative journals opposition to tariff re-
form. suddenly found himself without other oc-
cupation than that OF exchanging letters With
Pearson Meanwhile. the remainder Of the star
including Mr.. Jeyes and Mr.. Sidney Low. had
been retained by Mr.. Pearson under a new
/ series Of contracts
Whether Mr.. Pearson asked Mr. Curtis 70 re-
main editor and met with immediate refusal.
whether he Intended from the outset 20 have
a new chief of staff are minor points which only
interest themselves. Since Mr. Pearson is Mr..
Cham oerlains most energetic hustler il is
fairly safe inference that ne had no intention Of
paying a large price for The Standard" for the
sake of providing the free food section Of the
Conservative party with an organ for attacking
the government and advocating Free Trade A
change of policy intended. and it viii Re
gradually brought about, and not emphasized
too strongly. For this purpose the same writer's
will be employed under the direction Of new
editor and it is unnecessary to follow Mr. Win
| ston Churchill when he says that the staff is 70
/ be perverted. Fleet Street has its own way OF
adjusting the responsibility for opinions. The
leader writers do not express their own but their
editors. views on controversial questions. This
is the universal practice. and it involves lack
Of sincerity or consistency II IS not unlikely
that some Of the strongest Free Trade articles
which have appeared in The Standard" during
/ the last two years were written by a convinced
/ protectionist. and that when he comments upon
/ Mr.. Chamberlain's speech at Limehouse in the
} f no will he in
! with his private Judgment than he has been
when called upon TO give expression 70 Mr.
/ Curtis's uncompromsing loyalty TO Cohdsnism-
The London leader writer acts hOnorably when
+ he does his work faithfully and leaves his editor
/ responsible for the opinions Of his own journal
4 In this instance the staff Of The STANDARD" Is
now in accord with a majority Of their party.
and is no longer advocating minority cause
/ MI Asquith continues 70 speak with unri-
! vailed authority as the next Chancellor OF the
| Exchequer under any OF the four Free Trade
| candidates for Prime Minister. He announces
| that the first work OF the government will
/ be the reduction OF national expenditures. which
! are now a heavy weight upon every productlvs
/ industry. Retrenchment is the natural election
/ cry when the income tax stands at shilling.
and may be raised in the next budget How
/ the Liberal promise of economy can be redeemed
/ when the national debt has been heavily IN
| creased by the war in South Africa MI Asluith
/ does not explain. Even If IL be possible TO cut
! down the supply for the army and navy. 'ne
( expense of national education is rising year oy
/ year and cannot be reduced Since the passage
OF the new Education acts all the voluntary
schools have been made a public charge. ana
the treasury grants have been largely increased
The army, after several processes OF reorgaHlza-
ton. is more costly than ever, and the AdH'
il 1rli
every class. Even il the shipouilding programmes
were cut down in recognition of the fact that 'hs
two nation standard had been lowered BY RUS
sian losses in the war with Japan the naval mar
tinets would insist upon reconstructinS many
vessels now afioat and rearIning as many more
, Retrenchment viii excite strenuous resistance
from the fghting services and viii be "et'iisa
/ inpracticabIe when there is largely Increased
service for the schools, the natloHai deo0 anu
+ Irish land purchase. The local rates are rising
,bro,qbo1t England and Scotland in conse-
1ran,e of the increase Of municipal Indebtedness
b,,+ there are valuable assets in the tramw2ys'
..tar and gas services and other forms Of lo- a
Investments in public works National tox=s
have gone up without promise OF future relief.
Psychology" is a word in current use re-
epecting modern novels and plays The nov
elist as Mr. Anthony HOPE Hawkins s-,id nos
long ago is 10 longer expected 10 tell what IFS
happened bat why it has happened The play
wright deals with life by processes Of vivlsecton-
In fiction and at the theatre the author taxes
the attitude of Professor Nicolas TULIP IN Rem
brandts famous picture at The Hague. and gives
a lesson in anatomy cOldly and d.spassionatsiS-
This il considered a scientinc literary method
and those who practise it known as iAlsf
lectuaI craftsmel. but the art Is less modern
than is ordinarily supposed The Mermaid So