The Washington herald., 1908-04-14
NEWSPAPERS IN JAPAN
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Correspondence Of The Washington Herald
Tokyo, February 29-Noone feature OF
western civilization has obtained a
| stronger hold upon the people Of Japan
than the newspaper. The Japanese press
4 exercises "A powerful influence. not only
/ upon politics but upon the social life
of the people. It has been the medium
through which the comparatively few
men, educated IN western ideas. have im-
parted their neW-found knowledge to the
masses. As in the United States there
are all sorts and conditions Of newsp8 peIs
here but they may generally be divided
into two classes, the sober journals and
J the Fellows One class is marked by
its dignihed attitude. whether in praise
or criticism; the other by its incorporate
! editorial tone, its bold headlines IN red
ink, and its appeal to the masses as
against the classes.
I Japanese topsy-turvydom cannot be
found in the manner in which uewspa apers
| are conducted; it is manifest only in their
/ mechanical aspect. The japanese read
/ from right 10 left. and their written OF
/ printed lines run from the top 10 the
! bottom. Consequently the columns Of a
newspaper run across the page horizon
/ tally intead of vertically. The linotype
| is impossible in Japan. because the print
er must have types for over 5000 differ
ent characters, and no type-settng ma
/ lhine could supply such a demand So
that the making of a newspaper is alto
gether different in the beginning. 1ne
type is selected by one set of men. ar
ranged by another, and turned over to
the makeup man who arranges the pages
IN the manner OF his western brother.
except that he works upside down and
crosswise. Then comes the stereotyper
and the Web perfecting press and the
differences between the Occident and the
Orient are submerged and obHterated by
the triumph OF modern mechanical sci
ence.
The newspaper itself. If translated into
English. would be quite familiar 10 the
American reader. There is cable news
from abroad, telegraph news from all
over the empire, local news, society hap
penings. politics, theatrical news, sports.
features. cartoons, a continued story. and
advertisements. The want ads are led
by the matrimonial classification. but
their style Is about the same as the
American. There is the daily weather
forecast. the railroad time table. and
the daily adventures Of the aIrnond-eved
cousins of b lster Brown and Happy
Hoohgan
The Tokyo Asahi is conducting a tour
around the world for fifty young men.
the party now being in the United States
The Jill Shimp0 has been carving on a
beauty contest. printing every dav-a half
page Of half-tOne cuts OF fafr. Nfpponese
bellies who are entered in the lists in re-
sponse 20 the Jijrs acceptance of the chal-
lenge of a Chicago newspaper to beat its
selection of a Chicago girl as the most
beautiful woman In the world. This
beauty contest created great excitement
IN Japan, and proved to be a circulation
getter Tor the Jill. The comic weeklies
took II up, and Tokyo Puck published a
cartoon Of the winner OF the first prize
dreaming Of the American millionaire
who would see her picture in Chicago
and cross the Pacific to claim his al
mond-eyed bride
The attention paid to Amerian affairs
is illustrated by the enterprise disulaved
by Tokyo paper when Congress met
last December. Not being able to secure
an advance copy Of President Roosevelt's
message to Congress, 1t succeeded in bav-
ing an intelligent synopsis made in the
United States that could be placed upon
the wire as soon as the reading Of the
message was begun In Congress. This
synopsis was over 1000 words in length
and cost the paper over 500 for trans
mission.
The national sport Of japan is wrestling
and the great matches are held in TOKYO
twice a year, in January and May. The
wrestlers are paid an annual salary. and
whether their stipend is augmented or
diminished Is determined by the exhibi-
ton Of prowess at these two festivals
The wrestlers are in training for weeks.
as many gallons Of beer each
day as possible to make them fat. The
Tokyo newspapers send special CORE
spOndents to the training quarters col
umns Of gossip are printed each dav.
and snapshots OF the heroes in charac-
teristic attitudes appear from time to
time. When a baseball team from Hawaii |
came TO play a series with Tokyo col |
lege nine, the newspapers treated 1t /
with columns Of space. just as American
dailies play up the post-series champion /
ship games between the leaders Of the |
rival major leagues.
Mr.. Taft landed in Yokohama at 9 |
o eloek IN the morning. at O'Clock in /
the afternoon the Tokyo Hochi was on /
The street with half-tone pictures of the !
distinguished American on his way down /
the sans-piank. In the present political /