WHO PRINTED THE FIRST NEWSPAPER.

Star (Christchurch), 6 February 1903, Page 2

WHO PRINTED THE FIRST NEWSPAPER.

— — — * — SOME INTERESTING FACTS. There has been considerable controversy 01 late years as to which country should be conceded the honour of printing the first regular newspaper. Claims have "be' en successively put forward for Italy, Trance, Germany, England and Holland, and all with some degree of plausibility ; but it appears from recent researches that neither one of these is entitled to the distinction, and that precedence should be given to Belgium. It has been established by the antiquaries that a certain Abraham Verhoeven, of Antwerp, obtained, in 1605» from the Archduke and Duchess Albert and Isabella, the privilege of printing a news sheet. As the first German paper appeared in 1615, at Frankfort ; the first Dutch paper in 1617 ; the first English paper; the " Weekly Gazette*", in 1622; and the first French paper in 1631, it would seem that Antwerp's claims have some foundation, and that the Belgian city initiated what has become one of the most influential factors in modern life and progress. On the strength of this, it is proposed to hold a great tercentenary celebration in Antwerp som-s time during the year 1905. It would be interesting to compare thfe primitive efforts of the journalist of 1606 with the immense sheets of news which tlie world call* fdr td-day. Three hundred years agd news travelled but slowly, and each community was, in a sense, isolated. But to-day, if some .potentate of Central Africa, condescends to sneeze, the world wants to know just what caused the titillation in the regal nostrils, and wants minute particulars at that.