THE ENGLISH PRESS.

Evening Star, Volume 12869, Issue 12869, 19 July 1906, Page 8

THE ENGLISH PRESS.

Mr Whitelaw Reid, the American Ambas- | sador, took the chair on May 19. at the annual dinner of the Newspaper Press Fund, which since its foundation in 1864 ha» distribute nearly £52,0J0 in grants to needy journalists and their families. In proposing "Prosperity fco the News- I paper Press Fund," he remarked that be would not dread the smoking lava fields of discussion about the comparative merits ol saffron and bluo journalism. He thought, however, the British people should be more moderate in their admiration for things American—especially American slang—although, of course, they did not fail to. appreciate the complimeiif on the other side of the Atlantic. He admired the English Press for its solidity, its ability, and, above all, for its character. One was constantly impresod, in reading the Entrlish Press, bv its responsibility, respectability, and capacity for finding out, tlie truth. At the same time, perhaps, he might- say, without undue American boastfulness, that it seemed as if in those days some idea?- aiout newspapers were travelling across the Atlantic. He wished to deprecate the constant, the increasing, the deplorable corruption of the English language which was prevalent in our schools, colleges, and street", and which some newspapers were pouring out every morning over the whole helpless land. Why might they not form an international alliance for the preservation of the English language? (Cheers.) He offered ji friendly word of advice to the Press, which, ho said, was not 'thor oughly omnipotent. He took as an instance the recent General Election. It was perhaps, a perilous generalisation to wn that the larger part of the Press of thr greatest city in the world went one way. while tlie voters of the country went exacth the other ' way. Perhaps startling phenomena like those in New York and London might some day bring a general change in traditional newspaper policy. The power of the Press, if continuously logical, was 'n the long run well-nigh irresistible. But on occasions it jometimes failed, and , tho slightet susp : cion of devious logic or of expressing somebody else's opinions instead of its own might at any moment herald a failure. Tho ;rreat Press might thus come to devote less of its work to opinions merely held by its party leaders and more to its own. When it knew a fatal crisis was bepursued, it might even'utter at once its protest, and make it so clear and independent ag to avert disaster, instead of being left with nothing to do but helplessly bemoan it-.* Let him conclude, he said, with a fragment from CarMe, merely to show that a newspaper edil'O even in a. minor field, had it in his power to "make some nook of .God's creation a little hope f ul!er: to make some human hearts a little wiser, manfuller, and happier. It is a work for God."— (Cheers.)