The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-14
ny FREDERIC j. HAsKlN.

ton has obtained n stronger hold upon
the people of Japan than tho newspa-
per. The Japanese press exercises a
tics, but upon the social life of the
people. It has been the medium
through which the comparatively few
men educated in Western ideas have
impaired their newfound knowledge
to the masses. AS in the United States.
there are all sorts and conditions OF
newspapers here, but they may gener-
tally be divided into two classes. the
sober journals and the 'ycllows." One
class Is marked by it's dignified atti-
tude whether in praise or criticism:
the other by It's Incorporate editorial
tone. it's bold headlines In red Ink.
and its appeal to the masses as against
the classes.
Japanese topsy- turvydom cannot be
found In the manner in which newspa-
pers are conducted ii is manifest only
in their mechanical aspect. The Japa-
written or printed lines run from the
top to the bottom. Consequently, the
columns OF newspaper run across
the page horizontally instead of ver-
tically. The linotype is impossible in
japan, because the printer must have
types for over 5000 different charac-
tiers. and no typesetting machine could
supply such Il demand. So that the
making of newspaper Is altogether
different In the beginning. The type
Is selected by one set OF men, arranged
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 ana
icrosswise. Then comes the stereotyper
and the web perfectng press and tho
differences between the Occident and
Orient are submerged and obliterated
b~ the triumph of modern mechanical
science.
The newspaper itself. IL translated
into English, would be quite familiar
to the American reader. There is cable
news from abroad. telegraph news
from all over the empire. local news,
society happenings. politics. theatre
continued story and advertisements.
The want ads. are led by the matri-
monial classification. but their style Is
about tho same as the American There
road time table and the daily adven-
lures OF the Acknowledged cousins OF
Buster Brown and Happy Hooligan.
The Tokyo Asah is conducting a
tour around the world for fifty young
men. the party now being in the United
every day half page of half-tone
cuts OF fair Sipponese bellies who are
entered in the lists in response to the
Chicago newspaper to beat It's sclec-
ton OF a Chicago girl as the most
beautiful woman in the world. rms
beauty contest created great excite
circulation-ge ttcr for the Jill. The
comic wecklies took 1t up. and Tokyo
Puck published cartoon of the WIN
ner of the first prize dreaming OF the
her picture in Chicago and cross the
Pacific to claim his Acknowledged
bride.
The attention paid to American af-
fairs Is illustrated by the enterprise
displayed by a Tokyo paper when Con-
gress met last December. Not being
able to secure an advance copy or
President Roosevelts message to Con-
gress. 1t succeeded in having an In
states that could be placed upon the
wire as soon as the reading OF the
message was. begun IN Congress. This
synopsis was over thousand words In
length and cost the paper over $boO Tor
transmission.
The national sport of Japan is wrest-
Hing, and the great matches are held
in Tokyo twice year. in January and
May. The wrestlers are paid an an.
is augmented or diminished is de-
Itermined by the exhibition of prowcss
at these two festivals. The wrestlcrs
are in training for weeks. drinking as
sible to make them fat. The Tokyo
newspapers send special correspondents
to the training quarters. columns OF
gossip are printed each day and SNAP.
attitudes appear from time to time
When a baseball team from Hawaii
came to play a series with Tokyo col
llege nine, the newspapers treated u
with columns Of space, Just as Amerl-
can dailies play up the post-seres
IT, r,c1f In, M nc
crs OF the rival major leagues.
Mr.. Taft landed in Yokohama at
O'clock in the morning. At o'clock
| in the afternoon. the Tokyo Hochl !, was Y
of the distinguished American on ms ms
way down the gang planlt. In the
present political campaign the leading
newspapers will send special CORE
spondents to close districts to follow
the candidates on the hlistings. Dur
ling the late war with Russia nearly
every newspaper in Japan had man
at tho front, and the, war news was ;ai'
one or n New York in iS9s.
The business end OF the newspaper y , 7 . J
also follows closely the pattern OF inc ne
circulated for from 10 to 20 cents a
month, less than 1t costs to produce
them. lii Japan, as In America. cir I,
culation Is losing game and protll
must come from auNeFtlsluS' Inv .otSs
flor advertising here are eXceedlnsty
high in proportion to the general
standard Of living, One Of the leading
newspapers OF Tokyo charges 80 cents
a limo, six lines to the inch, Taper
i and labor costs nothing like as much
The typesetters receive from Is to 81
cents a day, the foreman not more
| than dollar. In the press, room bg
,rhe editorial helpers are better paid,
reversing the rule obtaining In the
United States, where the average re-
porter receives a smaller. salary than
! tho compositor who puts his copy lntt
The iii shlmpo,s or Times Newspaper
has its main office III Tokyo, but j
publishes simultaneous edition IN
done by telephone, thaSsrokyo edition
being transmitted verbatim oyer tour
wires leased from the Imperial post