New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-28
THE WORK OF THE PRESS
Its Responsibilities and the W;a.
Recognition of Its Usefulness

"hiteiaW Held. the American AmbaSSaso .
Great Britain. presided at the annual dinn.- ~ .
Newspaper Press Fund in London on Nav "a Ias
proposing toast TO the prosperity Of TIA . aaa
spoke follows. 'r
rise now TO propose the special +o,,,
evening. You need not fear the inAicfio,A sals
long speech. and you W.T. am SURE 81 : Ot
fessional fitness in this Most OF ia nav. 70 Ht
some relations 70 profession which 1. .s.d
itself. not on making, but on recording les
II practises a rigid eclecticisrn aF,or+ esaSneA
records only some Of them. and even "a N ssa ~
mas a standing rule which / have ra-af,, -
enforced without prOfit-"cut IL down "*a
cannot address this audience, hoTava- --...
out recalling the fact that brings me he,o.1aa-
quarter OF a century ago I was rscsi,.9 y
this city with courteous and helpful bos5isaLusa
by an accomplished gentleman. who tI1r1aS ~
70 De not only gentleman OF the press lux o1s
very capable and practical nevspsps- cCrs ols .
When looked into the OrganiZarior y, .sf
Newspaper Fund I found in the charfs- - - IA
by her gracious majesty the late Cyraar - -'.eo
hfty-fourth year Of her memorable reg, = "a as
this same gentleman. Sir AlgeFnOn Po-4S,.s..--a s
mentioned as the first president OF the socs~.r
us very beginning. IN 1864. and IA nanas az -
among its incorpOratOrs. After a ans - ,'s
quarter OF a century a peer OF the reaIr9 ~, - q
ing different aspect as we'll as a difFa-s,. ar
7but individually the same man. asked rna - 80. .a;s
this chair. and il was not IN the power !, "a. .s
Brltisn climate. almost all-powerful as it "a q
make me fail IN the effort 10 meet his yv,sb
The first purpose. as I suppose. OF this sr.u-
IS TO impress upon very open-nnin8zS -. -1
wall
handed, class Of men thar good works hAgs-~ !.
home II is pleasant 70 see that neVspans. =
are finding this out. They stfU IL - IN
ascending sun rise on world which thav ~
not exhorted TO good work for sornebo.iy 49, 80
but there begins at last TO be a recogrit,o.s,.
the fact that in the midst OF their vnf1-.-ss1 u
terest in the welfare OF others they shogIJ -.
serve a little for the duty OF looking sf.s~ 80.
own IL Is no charity IN which thew ar s-,. II
and you are asked for no Charitable co1s-sssA
tions tonight 1t is literally and plainly fan,-
lly duty OF looking after your own. and II hose
not belonging 70 the craft, but only inda6tsd -
it. are permitted 70 join IN the task fss+ !,
merely some small payment on an obi-es,a.
which VIII always be overdue. and can never \.
extinguished-
A PLEA FOR PURE ENGLISH
AS one mentions thus TO an English ans,.,,.
It's debt to the English press IL is Impossible -
miss the opportunity 70 tell how IL Strikes !,
oversee observer II you knew more OF rha 49,.
you do not have. you would feel mora aOprsci..
ton and gratitude for the press you DO have
Tor It's ability, its Solidity and above al m.
character One recognizes IN II eveFywherA "a
spectability responsibility. desire 10 ascerrai,
and TO tell the truth and that with a dacaut "a
gard for personal rights and especially Cor The
ordinary human rights OF privacy. One feels IN
reading an English newspaper that hoWrgva-
much he may differ from the areTlrnenrs az
however inaccurate he may think the story u
current events, he is getting in most cases The
beliefs and reading the expressions % a gentle-
man, and generally OF a gentleman who has tina
ability and has taken the pains 70 master his
subject The same thing is not necessarilv tr1s
of all newspapers IN some other lands-ard lest
this may be greeted with knowing and sug-
gestive smile, let me hasten 70 add that 90 not
think IL necessary 70 cross the Atlantic for ex-
ampleS.
Would It be worth while now that 7 seem
entered upon vein OF suggestion 70 ask you TO
be occasionally little more deliberate and tl-
dictal IN your admiration OF things Americana
You are sometimes most hattering in your good
opinions, and We certainly appreciate them
But then you admire SO many things, and
among them are some that We are trying 10 gSt
rid OF! am not going 10 enter upon dangeroS
ground will not tread the smoking lava feds
or discussion about the comparative merits Z
saffron and blue journalism. Neither will de-
bate the nature OF news. or the manufactgre q
news or the legitimate scope FOR the fine art o,
window dressing IN the display OF news Per-
hapS, without being accused OF American boast
fitness I may say some American ideas q
newspapers seem travelling across the Atlantic.
In view Of that all I going 70 do is TO deprs-
cate English support for the constant. almost
Incredible. corruption OF the English language
which IS going on IN our colleges as in our
streets. and which some newspapers are rakins
the country for. 70 pour out every morning over
the whole helpless land. This degradation OF
our common language would be less threatening
would tend less 10 limit the vocabulary OF our
young people TO only a few hundred words. and
many OF them not words at all-if only you in
England had a little less cordial admiration for
American slang. We are all the while talking or
cooperation in generous efforts by men OF good
VIII on either side to promote purposes which all
English speaking people should have at heart
Why might we not form international ALI
ance for the preservation OF the English Ian
guage?
There used 10 be a great deal OF perturhed dis
cussion and perhaps some hearJbUrning over
the exact place Of editors in modern times in tas
political and pOliJicO-sOCial hierarchy But IL
seems odd now 70 read in so recent work as
Lord Fitzmaurice's admirable Life OF the Las
Lord Granville the Minister'S apology for hsT-
ing sometimes been caught with newspaper ner
IN, lie If h77v 10r haa
American slang. might say caught very maca
as the American police now and then repOEI Ias.
malefactOr has been caught, with the soe-s
on In this apologize Lord GrdnViIIe anAA-o
the different courses that had occurred % IN
with reference TO newspaper men, and ended n
pleading guilty 10 having frankly sought soeiA
relations with them He jotted down and ~
biOgrapher wisely preserves this curious e1l
nation: Mr.. Delane and Mr. Reeve have r.
quently dined with me and have come % Lsas
Granville'S parties. I have sometimes IoaAe =
entailed personal Inconvenience from the IN
preston IL creates. but am sure on puo-S
grounds nothing can be 50 miSchievous as % -
clude from all community OF interest VIA - ~.
higher classes and all intercourse Win p1DHs
men those who by their pen can exercise S--
enormous influence for good or for bad
CHANGE SINCE GRANTEES TINE
Well. gentlemen. It seems 70 ne that Ihss
words give a quite recent LANDMARKS -
which we can reckon very great changes - ~
Inc Canpbell-BannerTnan saying Just thdl ~ -
Of any corresponding editorial magnare IN -
party now In power, or. 20 borrow Hoose
Commons fiction as the Speaker sees no 81 =.
gers present" perhaps I may be forgiven nc -
discretion and the great liberty or seiecti4s -.
editors names TO make clear the droilefJ - =
situation. Imagine then. Lord Granviie TTo-s
ent successor as President OF the CouneH 80
Crewe, carefully apOlOgiZins FOR haVlns a. W
Mr.. Delane'S present successors. MT E-,.
Mr. MOberly Bell. 70 his table; or perhaps S-v-
more immediate representatives or his -
views, like. say. Mr.. Speuder CT Mr.. InoLia -.
Or imagine either OF these members OF Inc 80
eminent. Prime Minister or President ~ -
Council for one moment fancying that VIZ
ever they did. il would now be in taelr gV~s 49,
or In anybOdy's power TO exclude sucR , -
from all community OF interest with me H.s,si
classes and all intercourse with public me- ss