AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SUMMARY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1509, 31 January 1901, Page 64

AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SUMMARY.

THE NEW CENTURY. THE NEWSPAPER OF THE FUTURE. AMERICAN POLICY OF ADMINISTRATION. THE HAY-PAUNCEFOTE TREATY. DIPLOMACY IN THE BALKANS. (Per R.M.S. Alameda at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, January 3. Thd year was ushered in with unusual noise and ceremony in America, owing to its importance in ushering in the new century. The press gave extended accounts of the formalities at Sydney n the inauguration of a new era for Australia, and the details were read with marked interest because of a belief that the development of the Commonwealth concerns America in general, and the United States in particular. In New York Alfred Harmsworth, the famous and remarkable journalist now visiting this country, took charge of the “New York World'’ for the day. An enormous edition, arranged according to the Englishman’s idea of what a modern newspaper ought to he, was soon exhausted. The publishers of the “World” will not, however, continue to print the paper according to Harmsworth’s idea of what a newspaper of the twentieth oentury is to become. The edition appeared in thirty-twcr-page form, reduced to one-half its size and lacking some of the usual illustrations. News was given in a condensed form, arranged with only four columns to the page. The paper was found to be convenient to handle, and this is one advantage urged by Harmsworth. Newspaper men generally were unable to endorse this innovation, declaring that the appearance of the paper was too magazine-like. In he issue Mr Harmsworth said, editorially : “Briefly, some of my claims for.the success of the future newspaper of this kind are based pn the following points : —A saving of the reader’s time; advantage to advertisers; convenient shape for oar and chair reading; neatness for carrying in the pocket. Nor would I confine the scheme to the news -alone, although I hold that news is of the first importance to a newspaper, and the chief items of news should be given with considerable fullness/’ In an interview on the subject, Mr Harmsworth said: “With the newspapers of the whole world betfore me each week, I lock in vain for any great and impressive stroke of originality and daring. We still cling to the clumsy and awkward shape in which our papers are issued, and the man who has

attempted to manipulate one of them on a windy day wili best appreciate the force of my remarks. Without new machinery it would be impossible to issue the newspaper of the future in what is obviously its proper small, portable and neatly-indexed publication. Among newspapers that arel now, according to my opinion, making progress, setting aside their entire lack of commercial morality, are some of the French journals. They have always been noted for high literary excellence. The anonymous editorial has never been a strong feature of French papers, but pure literature in the shape of fiction or criticism has always been a feature.” The power of the press is net what it used to be, in Mr Harmsworth’s opinion. This he declares is especially true of England, where the leader was formerly read and quoted by all men of intelligence. It is now scarcely glanced at. The great cry is for news, but even in this dissemination of news the press has lost its reputation. Mr Harmsworth pays a high tribute to the press of the United States, as being in some respects in advance of the country.

While New York, San Francisco and other cities greeted the new year with the tooting of horns, the ringing of chimes and bells, the singing of monster choruses and watch meetings of the Red Cross and ether organisations, Chicago experienced her first “dry night.” An ordinance had oeen passed ordering the midnight closing of all saloons and all places where liquors are sold, and despite the holiday the police had the strictest orders to enforce the ordinance. The Mayor has been criticised for the firm stand he took in the matter, but has net permitted himself to be shaken in his determination. There shall be no discrimination in favour of any class in this matter. Patrons of grand opera are not to be permitted their glass of wine after the performance while the working man is refused his drink. Cables from Rome declare that the century was ushered in with religious ceremonies of unusual solemnity. Most of the churches were open until midnight, when their heills and those of the capital pealed forth a greeting to Urn nehv century. A most imposing ceremonial was held in the ancient catacombs of Demitilla. The function was splendid in the extreme, and the subterranean basilica was beautifully decorated in honour of the dead. Midnight mass at St. Peter’s was largely attended in spite of the rain. The Pope celebrated mass privately in his own chapel. A salute of 101 guns was fired from the! castle of San Angelo. Telegrams from the European capitals tell of illuminations and fetes of all sorts in honour of the new year. At Berlin the celebration was comparatively quiet, owing to the bitter cold, though some streets were filled with the usual riot-

ing, hat-smashing crowds. The Emperor and Empress had a family and children’s party at Potsdam, with a magnificent tree filled with gifts. The Germans having officially regarded the century as beginning on January 1, 1900, the celebration this year was not especially brilliant.

England appears to be in the midst of her winter. Reports from that most interesting quarter of the globe are of dense fogs of pea-soup variety and the worst for several years. In the country districts floods were most distressing. At Bath the was fourteen feet deep, with the tops of the cottages just appearing above the waste of waters. Boats were kept busy rescuing the inundated, and four deaths were reported. Thousands have been rendered idle through the flooding of the works, and in several instances trains were held all night out of reach of assistance. Bad news from the field of war added to the general depression. Additional details of the reverse at Helvetia are coming in. It is declared that the fact that the Boers invariably release prisoner* doe 3 not make such incidents less humiliating to British pride. It is asserted that Secretary of the Navy Long purchased the island of San Luis Dapri, in the harbour of Guam, from the natives for nine hundred dollars. The island will be used as a coaling station, and is said to be admirably adapted to the purpose. The Americans are just now much interested in the approaching struggle in the Supreme Court for the decision as to whether the United States may lawfully hold and govern dependencies, provinces, or colonies under the American flag. It is understood the future policy not only of President McKinley’s Administration but of the Republican party, will 'be established by the Supreme Court decision, which is soon to be argued. It is admitted that if it is decided that Congress and President have no power to impose duties on merchandise coming into the United States from Porto Rico or the Philippine Islands, the protective tariff system will receive a death-blow. The Government will contend that the reserved sovereignty of the nation lies net in the whole people hint in the people of the States ; it will assert the right of Government to assume unrestricted sovereign powers out. side the boundaries of the United States; it will insist that our new territories are owned hy and not incorporated within the United States. This position will be taken against that pleaded by Carlisle and other great legal

lights of the country to the effect that Porto Rico is a port of the United States in the sense employed by Chief Justice Marshall when he described the United States as “ consisting of States and territories,” and that Congress is limited in its powers, regardless of the status of the country in which its “acts are to be applied. It will take the Supreme Court several months in th£ ordinary course of events to reach its decision. There is no chance that the decision will be reached before Congress adjourns on March 4, but if the decision should be handed down early in "the summer, and the Government should find itself suddenly stripped of its power, it is not impossible the President may feel compelled to call an extra session of Congress. Many million dollars yrirnld have to be refunded out of the public Treasury. It is even said that the .President is uneasy on the subject, though he and other officials have declared their confidence that the policy of administration is correct, and will be upheld,. t;

Conditions in Porto Rico are very A small band of these people has. been taken to Hawaii by private parties to work on plantations and a second party of four hundred emigrants is now; on, the way. '

The Papal Bull announcing the extension of Holy Year caused consiclerab.e surprise at Rome, where it had been understood that the past yjear ; had more than fulfilled expectations. as to the number of Pilgrims received.,, at Rome, and the amount in Peter’s pence which had poured into the coffers of the Vatican. It appears that. the Pope, in view of his approaching demise, which he is said to bear always in l mind despite his jocular declaration that he intends to live to he a hundred, is anxious to have the Papal finances in a, prosperous condition. During December alone, according to. a report from Rome to the associated press-J the enormous sum of two million four hundred thousand lire was paid in in JPeter's pence alone. Nothing like this has ever been received in a single month since the Pope ceased to be a temporal sovereign. The figures have not been offideclared, but it is semi-officially stated that the total of Peter’s pence for the year ending December 24th was seventeen million six hundred thousand lire. Sis hundred thousand Pilgrim* and five hundred thousand visitors, not properly so classified, visited Rome ..uriug the year.