GERMANY'S PUPPET NEWSPAPERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12082, 10 August 1917, Page 7

GERMANY'S PUPPET NEWSPAPERS.

Some sort of Scheme to reduce 1 heGerman Press at one. blow to mere poppets of The State seems recently to have, mooted. The League, of Newspaper Employees- at. its annual meeting, just held in Hanover, adopted re-solution'. l bitterly protesting against the establishment of " municipal newspapers" which should contain no ticlvertisine. The, resolutions also opposed the introduction of a State monopoly "in advertisements. The brief published accounts of the Hanover meeting do not explain with whom these remarkable proposals originated, but apparently a protect was launched to deprive German newspapers of their advertising revenue and make them mere vassals of the Government. The 1017 German Press Year Book throws interesting sidelights on wartime journalism. There, are o'o'J fewer rjfiWvSpapers to-day than in 1914. that, number having either been forced out of existence or compelled to cease publication "temporarily." Of the 'JD.IS still appearing, many which throe, years; employed four editorial writers, arc now oondiiet-od in both their business and editorial departments by the proprietor himself. The circulation of hundreds of papers has been her-vily "cut." Sixty-three papers are eking out a war-time existence on a oireuiation of "/HO copies per da v. and there is one brave journal with only 100 subscribers. The largest, daily circulation is said to be '270.000. Orilv c 'oo p;ipershare increased their subscription price, but in no case'to exceed 30 ner cent, and these, are isuerl at '2s to L's od per month, including; in most oas , -= both morning and evening as well as Sunday editions. About one-third of nl! German newspapers now publish identical -stereo! vne matter supplied bv agencies in the larger towns. The "potted " literrititro consists to a large extent of the p->--terial issued bv the Government for the mi-leading of public opinion on war issues..