The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-05-01
THE PRESS OF
HEW JAPAN
fAdve-tiser Correspondence. Copyright


fAdve-tiser Correspondence. Copyright
BY Frederic J. Haskin).
TOXIC. April 3.-No one feature of
western civilization has obtained a
stronger hold upon the people Of Japan
than the newspaper. The Japanese
press exercises a powerful influence,
not Only upon politics. but upon the
social Hfe OF the people. 1t has been
the medium through which the COM
r.zrzrively few men educated in west
en- ideas have impaired their new
found knowledge TO the masses. AS in
the United States, there are all sorts
aid conditions Of newspapers here, but
they may generally be divided into
1uVo classes. the sober journals and the
Fellows One class is marked by its
6Irnifie5 attitude whether in praise or
criticism the other by its Incorporate
editorial tone, its bold headlines n red
ink and its appeal 10 the masses as
against the classes.
Tauanese topsy-turvydom cannot be
found IN the manner in which news
-z-.ers are conducted: IL is manifest
. ONLY in their mechanical aspect. The
Japanese read from right to left, and
rhelr written OF printed lines run from
1he top 20 the bottom Consequently
The columns OF a newspaper run across
-he page horizontally instead of YER
rfcauy- The linotype is impossible in
.Iar.aa because the printer must have
-gpes f1- over FIVE thousand different
Characters. and no type-setting ma
chine could supply such a demand. So
-har the making Of a newspaper is al
rocethe- different in the beginning.
The -ype is selected by one set Of men,
zrraugsd By another. and turned over
l. the makeup man who arranges the
Pages IN the manner of his western
brother. except that he works upside
Gown and crosswise. Then comes the
ss-eraotr-er and the web perfecting
Tress and the differences between the
occidart and Orient are submerged and
ob-ftera-ed by the triumph Of modern
mechanical science
The newspaper itself, If translated
Erro English. would be quite familiar
% the American reader. There is cable
news from abroad. telegraph news
from an over the Empire, local news.
society happenings. politics, theatrical
news. sports. features. cartoons, a con-
--uue5 story and advertisements. The
want ads are led by the matrimonial
Che same as the American. There is
TIE GaEy weather forecast, the railroad
timetable and the daily adventures of
The a-mond-eyed cousins Of Buster
Brown and Happy Hoohgan.
The Toxic Asahi is conducting tour
around the world for fifty young men,
the party now being in the United
States The Jill Shimpo has been car
ryznE on a beauty contest, printing
every day a half page Of half-tone cuts
or fair Nipponese bellies who are en-
tered i- the lists in response to the
Ji5-s acceptance OF the challenge of a
Chicago newspaper 10 beat its sclec-
tion ~ a Chicago girl as the most
beautiful woman in the world. This
beauty contest created great excite
rneut in Japan. and proved to be a cir
cu-z-I1u-ret-er for the Jill. The comic
v-aakIas took II up, and Toxic Puck
published a cartoon Of the winner of
zre first prize dreaming of the Amer
scan millionaire who would see her pic
ture ln Chicago and cross the Pacific
T. cain his Acknowledged bride.
The attention paid TO American af-
fairs is Illustrated by the enterprise
displayed By Toxic paper when Con-
cress met last December Not being
able o. secure an advance copy of
President Roosevelt's message to Con-
c--ss IL succeeded in having an in
4 gent synopsis made in the United
States that could be placed upon the
g.-e as soon as the reading Of the mes
sare vas begun in Congress. This
Synopsis was over a thousand words
z- length and cost the paper over $500