Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
Yellow Journalism and
Other Foreign Gossip
pecial Correspondence of The Star.
LONDON. Decemb

Yet when 1t comes to downright yellow
journalism" the English newspapers pos
sess the records
London editor discussing the question
with me the other day confessed that but
for headlines the British press was far
more sensational in reporting a cause
celebre than its American confreres This
he said, was due to the law. Papers here
can and do publish the evidence verbatim
But ii would be contempt of court to
comment on a case or dress up the evil
dence in the more picturesqu style Of the
states. He likened the comparison to I'M
drapsd and draped statues. to the nude
and the clothed figure in pictures.
The latest paper to indulge In a "yel-
low fit is the London Daily Chronicle.
The Chronicle has just added to it's book
Lawrence, aged eight. 1t is true that lit
tie Miss Lawrence is only reviewing chill
dren's books and largely those which are
put forth In such shoals at Christmas.
But eight years old. One might pass
without too much comment a~child critic
of fourteen, but a tot of eight! And the
British press holds up its heavy hands
with holy horror at yellow journalism
in the United States!
Little Miss Lawrence writes column
occasionally. She gives a paragraph to
each book. Her sentences are short, like
wise her words. Here is thrilling sam
pie:
THE Podgy Book of Tales I love- 1
have read 1t twice and shall read it again
if I'm spared. 1t is a book about toys;
the stories are very funny. but that about
the canary is sad, because it dies. The
thing on the cover is the Tweet Tweet
Bird: II was as proud anything. and,
because 1t thought 1t could fly, fell and
broke itself as Humpty did. The fun
niest story. think. is that where Tommy
dreams his Noah's Ark is alive.
The probabilities are that the critic,
considering her age will be Spared to
read this book again. The S. P. c. c.
makes big fuss in America and England
about children working on the stage. VIII
the society now invade the sacred pre-
eincts OF the newspaper world?
Apropos of children much fun is being
poked here at France over the nomencla-
ture case. of which readers have no doubt
read in the cable news, A very conscien-
tious notary public in Paris refused to
allow child to be christened "I.enriette"
because that name was not one of the
official names allowed to children by the
statutes of France. The notary is evil
IDENTIFY new broom who has actually
been reading up the laws of his country.
1t appears that the law was passed in
the year IL of the first republic. One hun
bred names were put on the official list.
Some of them are "corkers." There are
undoubtedly, millions of people who never
knew such names existed. Here are few
culled from the official catalogue:
Auarlux, Aproncule Barsanuple, Bauf-
fenge. Caralampe, Cucufat. Floborde, Col
induche. Hegothroces, Abs, Chrodulde,
Finseque. Guinfroie, Herondine. Houe,
fernando. Lonbete. Lufrolde, Meroplede,
Sabifothon. segondole. Uboldesque. Vii
fetrury, Yphenge. Nauthilde, Porinitive,
Posamienne. Quartillosie. Ripsine, Sup
ponime. Sunivergue, Ulphe, Ultrogothe.
Unique.
AS a result of the unearthing Of this un-
earthly law one member of the French
parliament has brought in a bill to repeal
1t and another bill empowering any one
on reaching the age Of twenty-one to
change their baptismal name or names
without red tape or cost.
II
While on the subject of ancient alb
surdities 1t Is interesting to know that an
old book on fighting has just been I'm.
earthed in London. Extracts were pub
lished after the battle of Tommy Burns
here for the championship of the world.
This bopk tells Of many peculiar fistic af-
fairs of the old days. The most remark
able was between two women. The chai-
1enge reads thus:
Il, Elizabeth Wilkinson of Clerkenwell,
having had some words with Hannah Hy-
field, and require satisfaction, do invite
her to meet me upon the stage and box
me Tor three Suineas. each woman hold
Ing half q crown in each hand. and the
first woman that drops the money to
lose the battle
1Hannah| accepted and in cold print said
<ElizabetH may expect a GOOD humping.
" desire home flows anC no favors."
Y The Idea of holding the half crowns
about the size. of fifty-cent piece) in
tpe hands was to prevent scratching.
-gougins and hair pulling.
AboQ& the most interesting revelation
Adde by writer lately is that the EN-
press Eugene Is the granddaughter of an
American. True. he was a naturalized
American. hut there are few families of
my ktn4 In the United States which can
claim relationship with a real, live en-
press.
The history begins with William Kirk
patrick. He was a small grocer In Bel
fast and as thorough an Irishman as ever
nve4~ The best of his countrymen were
emtgrating' to the United States and SO
( {Tkpatrick sold out and embarked for
IL golden west. He settled in New
rIork. took out citizenship papers. went
into business. made fortune became a
politician and was rewarded with the
United States consulship at Malaga, In
Spain.
1t was there that he met a Belgian
grocer of wealth named Grevigny. The
eiuest daughter of Grevigny became Mrs
kirkpatrick and grandmother of the flu
ture empress. Mrs. kirkpatrick's sister
married De Lesseps. father of the famous
Ferdinand.
= x
An item of interesting literary news
comes to me from Warsaw. They do
strange things in Russia but surely this
Is one of the strangest. The Warsaw DO
lice brought charge against a book not
against the author or publisher. The book
was arrested. placed in the prisoners
dock in court, the police gave evidence,
the book spoke for ITSELF and then sem
tence of death was pronounced. The
book thereupon was burned.
Neither author nor publisher were held
responsible-all the blame was laid on the
book.
AS might be expected. the book was of
revolutionary character. The author
Gustave Baumfeld had just placed it in
the printers hand when the police seized
II. Some OF the book was in type, but
the law was clear on the point. The book
had not been Observation-Disclosures, neither
author nor printer were guilty of any
crime. Yet the book being of a nature
likely to arouse its readers to revolu-
tionary actions" was guilty.
DESPITE occasional statements to the