New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-12

have travelled far from my text. but
it all bears on the question not perhaps
of twopences and pennies, but on the
position OF "The Times which is the
only thing that makes the penny inn
portant. There have been during its
history Of more than a hundred years
many changes Of price from siXpence
downward. No one of them ever af-
fected the character or aims of the
paper. There is reason to hope that
this will not
1t is discussed in some quarters as il
ii might. Those writer's perhaps forget
what Lord Northclffe said not long
after he reorganized the paper and took
command. He said that, whatever
might happen, his main object would be
10 maintain and cherish the great
traditions under which THE Times"
had grown to be what il was. ] do not
suppose he relinquishes them now.
Why should he? He is incapable of
taking narrow views. He knows as
We'll as anybody better than anybody,
that in all essentials the prestige Of
the paper-to use Mr.. Bells word again
must be preserved. 1t is just as much
part of the capital as the five or six
millions of money now invested in it.
Nor is there any temptation to enter
upon any other policy 1t comes now
into direct competition with the three
chief penny morning papers of London
THE Daily Telegraph" which Lord
Burnham still controls; The Morning
Post and The Standard" All these
have gone through revolutions of one
kind or another. 1t has not occurred
TO the director of any one of them
TO seek circulation or popularity by
base means. Each has its own policy,
but the policy Of honesty is common TO
them all. | use the word honesty as
including honor. When that is said,
not much need be added.
There will be changes, l dare say.
There was one this week, when The
Times" published a photograph of the
Y
suffragette woman on il. There may
be other concessions of that sort to the
popular demand for visible images of
what people desire. That stream flows
too strongly TO be checked. In hun
dred other ways these broad columns
have been altered, arranged and re-
arranged already. These are what
may call physical details. They are
new garments in which the old body is
arrayed. But the body is still there
and the soul is there; and other things
matter less.
Modernism is, however one thing in
religion and another in journalism. In
religion it is a question Of faith, or at
least OF doctrine In journalism it Is
largely a question of taste. 1t is a
spirit Of innovation in which America
led the way. Bell, before his CONVEX
sion, used to criticise American meth
DDS rather sharply. Display heads and
the way in which we handled news gen.
orally, and many other Americanisms,
came in for condemnation. DO you
like to see advertisements inserted in
the belly of a letter or news article?'
| did not, nor do now, nor any count
/ ing house encroachments on the edi-
torial prerogative. But while Mr.. Mo-
berly Bell was still manager OF THE
Times" these eccentricities had found
/ their way into its columns. They are
there to-day, and their tendency is TO
multiply. What the English call the
characterization of the English press
goes on apace: for good and for ILL.,
The era of the penny is announced
with blasts Of the trumpet. The in
strument Of brass which, in Mr. Hoop
er's hands, proclaimed to the world the
merits of the Encyclopedia Britannica,
in it's new Times" edition is again in
requisition. Whether Mr. Hooper now
blows it cannot say, but it is some
body with strong lungs. Lord North
clffe. who controls THE Daily Mail,
has made it for some days sort OF
tender 10 the older ship. AS matter OF
news. there has been a column or two
each morning about the penny issue;
and extremely interesting these ac-
counts have been, and still are. Then,
to-day, the whole front page Of The
Daily Mali is given up 10 an adVer-
tisement Of "The Times" as 1t often has
been before TO patent medicines or
diapers shops. There is nothing to
say against that, but the advertisement
/ itself is in a fiamboyant style which
seems to me Of doubtful advantage,
/ and sometimes lacking in a sense OF
humor. For example:
THE Editorial page of The Times,
/ the most distinguished page OF its kind
/ in the whole world Of daily Journalism,
contains authoritative. Informative, inn
partial, and frequently entertaining ar
I ticles OF eminent writer's
! The italics are mine. II claims 10
be the premier" newspaper OF the
world: two faults Of English in one
sentence. Say It in English and 1t
would be true. need not quote other
examples. After all. IL Is an advertise
nent. and modesty or a chastened style
Ia not expected OF trader who has
wares 10 sell. World wide interest"
crieg '"rhe Daily Mali in its news col
umns: "prodigious orders" and only
.he most insistent Of the public have