The Washington herald., 1908-04-14

campaign the leading newspapers viii
send special correspondents to close dis
trlcts 10 follow the candidates on the
hustings. During the late war with Rus
sla nearly every newspaper in japan had
man at the front. and the war news
was given 10 the people in extras which
appeared with a frequency reminding
one of New York in 1885
The business end Of the newspaper also
follows closely the pattern OF the West
ern journalism. The papers are circulate
ed for from 10 20 . cents month. less
than it costs TO produce them. In Japan
as in America. circulation is "A losing
game and profit must come from adver-
tising The rates for advertising here are
exceedingly high In proportion 10 the gen
eral standard Of living One OF the lead
ing newspapers Of Tokyo charges 80
cents a line, six lines 10 the inch. Paper
is cheaper than in the United States, and
labor costs nothing like as much The
typesetters receive from Is to 50 cents
day, the foreman not more than 81. In
the pressroom 80 cents a day Is consid-
cred high wages The editorial helpers
are better paid. reversing the rule obtain
Ing IN the United States where the aver
age reporter receives smaller salary
than tne comp0sit0r who puts his copy
into type.
The Jiji ShimpO. or Times Newspaper.
has its main Office IN Tokyo. but il pub
fishes simultaneous edition in Osaka,
$50 miles away. The work is done by
telephone, the Tokyo edition being trans
mitted verbatim over four wires leased
from the imperial post-ofIice. Il is re-
ceived by shorthand writer's. who tran
scribe the copy By details aad rush II to
The printer in Osaka within a few min
utes after the proof sheets have reached
the Tokyo editorial rooms. The Jiji has
Il circulation of 10000 copies. II is one OF
the representatives Of the higher class Of
conservative newspapers. its rank being
shared by the Tokyo Asahi and several
others. The HOChi is the leading radical
paper being positive in its political vews
although not yellow. The yellow Jour-
nals' are numerous all over the empire
and many Of them have an enormous cir.
Culation
The bitterness OF attacks upon political
opponents in the sensational press goes
far beyond the worst exhibitions of jour
ndlistic venom known in America to-day.
Sixty years ago the purely political sheets
III the United States may have been as
furious as their japanese successors Of
to-day, but the filth employed by the low
er class Japanese editor has been utterly
impossible among English-speaking peo-
pie since long before the newspaper was
born into the world. of course. the free
dom of the press does not extend so far
that an attack could be made upon the
f1f4esonrr~ -
thing more than human, as the tangible
center Of the national spirit against
which no patriot may sin in word.
thought, or deed. The worst thing
japanese critic can say of an opponent
in politics is: He is false TO the EN-
perOr
In front of the publication Office Of
any Tokyo paper, or at branch Offices.
crowds are continually gathered about
tha bulletin boards. The very lowest and
poorest Of people buy newspapers. and
through them gain an idea of what is
going on in the world. japanese peas
ants have been heard discussing in their
own language the probabilities of Mr..
Roosevelt's taking another term of Office
and then making himself emperor. This
incident shows that the japanese point
Of view is such that he cannot always
interpret foreign news correctly. but IL
must be remembered that thirty years
ago the japanese peasant did not know
America existed, and was firm in the be-
lief that Japan and China made I'D the
whole world, to say nothing of his theory
that the sun and moon were made in
Japan and afterward hung in the heavens
In the cities, the people who two years !
ago formed nobs to throw stones at the |
terrible foreign devil invention called
4 trolley car are now demanding l-cent |
iares and municipal ownership of rapid
transit facilities The newspapers did |
his. When Chicago was in the throas
II campaign on the rapid transit and !
municipal ownership question, the Jap |
inese newspapers told their people about /
Z, They took the municipal ownership |
iide, and hence Tokyo is TO own its own |
street car lines. These examples OF the |
influence Of the newspapers in bringing /
western ideas to the masses of the peo-
PIE Illustrate what force the Oriental /
1ress may become. The 59.000.000 of jan |
tnese are being reached by newspapers
he 48O0@.000 OF Chinese may yet receive |
he light OF the twentieth century |
through the same medium.
copyright 1903. by Frederic ]. Haskin.)
To-morrOw-Japan's National Ex-
position.
4 Romance in Brief.