THE WORLD'S NEWSPAPERS

Evening Star, Issue 16088, 13 April 1916, Page 8

THE WORLD'S NEWSPAPERS

At a recent meeting of tho Column Club, ilanchc-ster, Mr Hubert Peat, editor of 'ikJi's World's Press,' spoke on the above fopke.

Discussing- the effect <u the war upon the Press l , Mr Peet said that war news had sent up 6ome daily papers-' circadation by 50 and 100 per cent. As .for tho rcngaiin.es, there was a big slump at the beginning, but some of the best and longest foiuided had not only returned to the normal, but the normal was steadily rising. In regard to circulation, he corrected a popular misapprehension in that beyond a certain point the more copies sold the more tho lot,s. on the circulation. In actual casualties during tho war period tho newspapers had had few. In. the fires two months of tho war there was only a record of 30 weeklies having absolutely gone out. Several changed front weeklies to monthlies, and there has since been a good many deaths, but tho deaths sinoa the beginning hud been to a great extent balanced by new papers coming into existence. Making up a list in Mardi, 1915, he found that in 15 months, including nino months of war, 196 papers had dropped out. A French journalist had told Mr Peet that there was every indication that after the war, when things had returned to tho normal, French papers were likely to take on tho guise of American papers, both presenting news and advertising. It was iov every business man to see that advertisements were made quite as interesting as tho news. In the. United States that was done and appreciated. Much of the address was devoted to the discussion of American newspapers. Mr Peet declared that the Americans read their newspapers more than Englishmen, but "wo believo in them more." As far as his experience went, the advertising was the most honest thing about tho American Press.

German brides once had. a custom of removing a shoe after the ceremony and tin-ow-ing it among the bystanders. Tho one. who secured it was supposed,'to bo certain of an early marriage. •