Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-30
THE
BRITISH
CRISIS

LONDON, July 19--If there is one ma
tional American crime more heinous than
another in the eyes of the average En-
giishman it is yellow journalism" The
mention OF American politics sug-
gests to the Englishman an orgy
of corruption in Tammany Hall, and
he is Mortified. But 1t is the American
newspaper that completely paralyzes his
sense of propriety. 1t is true that the
average Englishman has seen very few
American newspapers, and the most OF
what he knows about the yellow journal
ism Of Yankeeland he has read in his own
British journals reprinted from American
newspapers or magazines.
1t is not the British custom to condemn
severely anything British, even If 1t be
an admitted evil. The British habit is to
go to work to correct the evil as quietly
as possible and without any rancorous
agitation. The American habit is to pre-
cipitate the rancerous agitation. regard
less of whether or not there Is any pros
pect of effecting q remedy OF the evil.
The harsh things that American journal
lists say about other American journalists,
and about any American institution, are
tolerably sure to be reprinted in the Brit
ish journals, and 1t Is from these Amer
lean indictments of American shortcom
about their cousins across the sea.
OF late years yellow journalism has
been making great progress in England,
and to a considerable
English Yellow extent this is blamed
Journals. is either a nrodnct of
the American invasion or a result of the
importation of American men and meth
DDS 1t is one of those curious contra
dictions so often met with in Britain that
the particular section of the British yell
low press showing American influence
should be the stanch supporter of the
conservative party and, therefore. the
avowed enemy of change.
AS a matter of fact, England has it's
own yellow journalism. indigenous to the
soil, quite apart from the exotic American
variety recently imported. 1t differs from
the American brand not in kind, but In
degree 1t is designed to meet the de-
mand of a certain section of the public,
and il is successful. The difference be-
tween it and American journalism is that
the demand is different.
That insistence upon class distinction to
be found in every phase OF British Ire
makes itself felt in the
Tnsistence newspaper business as we'll
~ as in politics. religion or
Oh Oihss. the stratified barroom. In
the United States a newspaper publisher
attempts in his one journal to appeal TO
all classes of readers in his territory. He
prints politics for the politician, wo-
mans page for the women, sports for the
sportsman, financial news for the busl-
ness man, serial stories for the senti-
mentally inclined, ethical articles for the
religious element-in fact, a little bit of
everything that perchance may interest
anybody.
In England each newspaper addresses
itself to a particular clientele TO be
found among d particular class of peo-
pie. The Times. the greatest newspaper
in the world, does not attempt to make
an appeal to the general public. 1t is a
serious journal, endeavoring each day to
give a digest of the political, economic
and financial news of the entire world. 1t
also prints sporting news and other gen.
eral information, but it is more particu-
larly a political newspaper. It's circula-
ton Is largely among those VINO seek ac-
curate information upon serious subjects
for. actual use. An Engltshman who
satisfy his curiosity will not buy the
Times.
At the other extreme. London supports
a sporting newspaper. which deVotes
practically all of its space to sporting
events, and which is SO coarse in its tone
and language that it probably would be
denied the privilege of the mails if it
were published in America. The people
who read the Times do not read this
sporting rag" The people who read the
rag" do not read the Times. Those who
read the Times deplore the decadence OF
journalism in America, because they
learn about the decadence in their own
beloved Thunderer. But they do not read
the coarse rag published in their own
country The Times does not comment
upon it, there Is no general cutlery
against it's evils and therefore upper class
England knows less about its own lowest
forms Of journalism than il does about
Americas.
In New York a man seeking for for
eign news will buy a morning paper.
which will contain also an abundance Of
pictures. some funny stories and per-
haps a yellow sensation or two. In Lon
don IL he wants to read about foreign
affairs he will buy the Times il he wants
to look at pictures he will buy any one
of three or four daily morning papers
which contain nothing, but pictures; II
he is seeking thrills he will buy any one
of several papers, which publish nothing
whatever except sensations.
AS a result the Londoner finds in his
newspaper exactly what he wishes, and
nothing else. The American gets what he
is looking for. but he may get it along
with twelve to twenty pages Of some
thing he doesn't care for. The usual eff
feet Is, however. to train the American
reader to the versatile and omnivorous
in his tastes.
1t is interesting to watch the people in a
public conveyance in London, and to see
what newspapers they read. There are |
afternoon journals devoted 10 |
news bulletins and book reviews, which |
are not to be found outside of the fash |
ionable West End. There are miserable |
rags to be seen only In the slum districts. |
The Times is read at home. or in the Of |
flee, and is rarely to be seen at all in |