Year: 1870

american N0W8puUOF
Press.


The present war in Europe has shown in q
remarkable manner the enterprise of the
newspaper press both of England and
America, and shows by comparison which is
the most enterprising. The superior enter
prise Of the American press is acknowledged
even in Europe; but the English newspapers,
and especially the leading London papers,
are pretty well up to the wants of the public
for full and late news. The thrilling and
rapidly succeeding incidents and movements
in all great wars at the present day keep the
public mind on the stretch, which looks with
avidity to the daily press for the latest and
fullest information. Proprietors and editors
understand this and rival one another In their
efforts to get news. This Is the secret Of the
wonderful development and magnitude OF the
enterprise of modern journalism. OF course
the race is to the swiftest and the battle to the
strongest in this as in other things. In other
words, the newspaper that shows the greatest
foresight and energy and is in position to
spend the most money for getting news must
be first and most popular in public estimation.


We remarked that the superior enterprise
Of the American newspaper press was
acknowledged even in Europe. Indeed, the
press of the Old World is astonished at the
lavish expenditure of money and activity Of
the press on this side the Atlantic in collecting
news. The HERALD has paid out over one
hundred and ten thousand dollars for European
correspondence and cable dispatches since the
commencement of the present war. Our
contemporaries of this city must have ex-
pended large sum also, though only those
with means and business enough to admit of
large expenditures can bear such continued
strain upon their resources. The telegraph is
the most important agent of the newspapers,
but it is an expensive one. Sometimes we
have special cable dispatches from. Europe
covering whole page of the HERALD or more,
and this was SO with one single despatch the
other day-that reporting the interview of our
correspondent with Napoleon. These cost in
single day many thousands of dollars. And
while we can, without boasting, speak of our
own unparalleled outlay in collecting news, we





and of the American press generally for their
enterprise.


The war in the Crimea first began to de-
velop this extraordinary agency of the press
in such eventful times, and the chief English
newspaper took the lead on that occasion.
But during our war we went beyond the Eng
lish in giving the earliest news and most
copious details Of army operations and the
general situation. In the Abyssinian war we
beat the English on their own ground, and
both the British government and press
acknowledged their Indebtedness to the
HERALD for the most important news of the
war. In the war in Italy and the Austro-
Prussian war which ended at Sadowa the
American press maintained its supremacy.
The existing war in Europe has shown a still
further development Of such enterprise.
Though the European press has caught the
spirit from us, and is following to some extent
our example, we still keep in advance. The
managers of even the leading London journals
would be rather appalled, if called upon to pay
the large sums for news which we expend.
But our reward is found in the appreciation
Of discerning public. The great and most
pendent press, particularly in this free, mighty
and progressive republic. In this, as in many
other things, America is the pioneer of pro-
gress among the nations of the world.