AUTHOR AND PRESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1938, Page 11

AUTHOR AND PRESS

LOST WITHOUT IT

(By Air Mall, from "The Post's" London

Representative.) LONDON, September 12,

Sir Hugh Walpole opened an exhibition of old newspapers and photographs at Keswick yesterday in connection with the annual conference of the Institute of Journalists.

Sir Hugh said they would be surprised, when they looked at the old newspapers, at the extraordinary and wonderful power, size, and penetration of the present Press. It was strange that 100 years ago the world had so little of the Press to guide its thoughts, sympathies, and antagonisms. The power of the Press being what it was, they were proud that in England it exercised almost always— and had done so particularly during the past month —such discretion, caution, and general wisdom.

Last month he was in the depths of Ireland, where there were actually no papers. His host and hostess never read a paper and took no interest in them, and if he wanted one he had to go two miles for a sheet Which contained a lot of Irish news and practically no other. Having supposed that he would be delighted to be without newspapers, he found himself miserable and restless, and wondering what was going on, and that he hated being isolated and without newspapers. They were told of the disadvantages of having so wide and powerful a Press, but he thought the advantages far outweighed them.

Betty Prussing. a schoolgirl, of 119 Pirie Street, dislocated her left knee cap when she fell at the Mount Victoria Reserve at 5.10 p.m. yesterday. The Free Ambulance took her to hospital.