AN UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2375, 3 February 1915, Page 6

AN UNFORTUNATE MISTAKE

ENGLISH PUBLIC AND THE FAMOUS FRENCH "\KLLOW BOOK."

Paris, December 6. The "Journal des Debats," under the heading "Une Gaucherie." in Saturday's issue states:— "Everyone has thoroughly understood the need of publishing the Yellow Book abroad, and the idea of isshing an English translation was excellent. But through a gaucherie, or inadvertence, which can only be described as disconcerting, the making known of the bellow Book in English has been seriously checked. The French Government has ceded to our great contemporary the 'Times? the rights of translation and reproduction in English, as a. note in the French edition informs the reader. It is true that the 'Times' was very well qualified to publish an excellent translation of our Yellow Book and has done it perfectly. But, according to the strict interpretation of English law, it is a consequence of tho rights granted ft that all other English and' American papers wishing to reproduce extracts can only do so with the authorisation of their powerful rival. In striot law they have not_ even the right to publish our translation from the French original. The result is that the English and American Press has abstained from reproducing these documents, so convincing and so necessary to be made known. The work of French diplomacy is therefore almost lost. Further, the English translation is sold at two shillings, while the French text only costs fivepence, and the English White Book is sold at one penny." On the fly leaf of the Yellow Book there is the following: "Les droits de traduction en anglais et de reproduction de la traduction anglaise du pre-, sent Livre Jauno pour tous pays ap* partiennent au journal anglais le 'Times.'"''