Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-31
An Analysis Of Newspapers


The fact that parties are represented by
papers Is not danger at home, where
everybody knows what he is buying. But
abroad there Is danger. If we know q
paper to be out-and-out pacifist, then its
approval of scheme may be deadly; If we
do not know. we may take it to be an
expression Of English opinion. Similarly
IL paper Is aristocratist anti-democratic
its censure of our democracy may really
be high praise. But we ought to know
The following newspapers are those which
are most quoted in America, and Americans
should therefore be informed as to their
tendencies. Here is a brief ANALYSIS:
The Daily News and the Evening Star
| are Liberal in politics. moderate in most
ways, were anti-war before the war and
| are heartily for fighting until a good peace
can be won now. The editor of the Daily
News Is the brilliant A. G. Gardiner. the
mortal enemy of Northciffe and Lloyd
George The Star is the Liberal ha'penny
paper.
The Daily Mail and the Evening News
| (the latter one halfpenny) are both pub
| lished at Carmelite House. one of Lord
| Northcliffes seats. They were lingo" be-
| fore the war, supported Lord Roberts's
| pleas for preparedness, and are lingo now.
| They have tremendous clrculations and a
| certain amount of influence, because al
| though everybody knows they represent a
| certain interest, these papers carry the
| habit of showing editorial prejudice into
| the news to the greatest extent. The Eve
ming News wants to hang Asquith-at least
| 1t says so.
The Morning Post Is anti-democratic.
says so frankly. is brilliant and perverse.
The Chronicle is Liberal paper without
the violence Of the Daily News prejudices
| the Express is Conservative, is supposed IA
| speak for Bonar Law and is the nearest
thing to an American newspaper in formal
| and energy.
The Westminster Gazette, edited bv T
A. Spender. biographer and personal friend
CT Mr.. Asquith. is Liberal in politics, but
| Is not bitter against the present Government
| 1t Is published on green paper and has
often been called the ''sea-green incor.
ruptible," in Carlyle's famous phrase. II
is decidedly the best written of the evening
papers and has less Jockeying of news than
| most papers
The Pail Mall Gazette. recently acquired
by Sir Henry Dalziel, and the Evening
Standard are both capable papers, neither
particularly noteworthy They are a
penny ehch and respectable both very
much in the -the-war" spirit
both supporting the Prime Minister.
And then there is the Times, concernins
which 1t is almost lese majestic for a news
writer to speak, 1t Is a splendid paper
for foreign news, which It gets In wonderful
ways. Tremendous In influence, superb
In appearance and In manner. impersonal
and almighty, Indispensable In every walk
of life. the Times Is a policy paper through
and through. 1t prints what It thinks II
| ought to print. It cannot be read nv a
foreigner who does not know all the facts
and all tho conditions of British politics.
Therein II differs from the Manchester
Guardian, which may be considered a party.
organ Of the Liberals but is fair and hon.
est and prints the news. Its editorial
opinion IL as well written as that Of anv
paper at home. and II is full Of ideas, full
Of honesty and sense. confess to a sus-
picion Of Liberal politics in England. but
II any one thing could win me over n
would be this great newspapsr which san.
arates news from opiniea an1 1oes boih