Dr. Ab.,hflIlOIi is i"timately fl/miliar with 6 inside fvorki'llfl of the British 1)rr.:<~, h,wing SpOilt mOllY ywrs of his jourllalistic care r ill Ellylulld.

THE BRITISH PRESS

By K. H. AI3 'HAGE~

HE Brit,ish press, as we see it , -there were in London two daily papers differs in lUany ways from the press with circulations of o"er 2 millions, four T of the countries of others with roughly I! millions ach, and {'ont.inent., t.he principal ditIerence being ono approaching the 1 million mark. that in (:rcat Britain t.he prcss as a whole has lost it character of an organ of "NATIONAL" NEWSPAPI':RS national politics. This does not mean Kotwithstanding its se"e/\ or eight that there are no political newspapers in million inhabitants, London can naturally the Briti h Isles or that the majority of nut absorb these enormOllil {'irculations. the pnpcrs do not represent political This leads us to an interesting phenome­ views of a kind. But the main source non, viz., that the big London dailies cater of the forces moving the British press is for the news demands not only of tbe to be found nowadays not iu the political metropolis but of the whole of the United int.cntions of the owners or controlling Kingdom. The London morning p:tpers interests of most of the newspapers, but are called "national newspapers," a. nAme in t.he openly admitted intention of earn­ which does not by any meallS imply a ing money by means of newspaper pub­ national or nationalist policy on the part lishing. The press in Great Britain has of these papers but only stresses their become primarily a busine s propo ition, nation-wido distribution. This distribu­ it is regarded as an "industry." tion requires a highly developed trans­ Way of making money by newspaper port system by rail, roau, and ship. publishing can in the final analysis be This system has been organized on a. reduced to two factors: circulation and collective basis by the Newspaper Pro­ advertisement.s. It is the latter which pl'ietors' Association, which runs special really bring in the money, as the low newspaper trains and motor trucks, en­ retail price of one penny cannot even gages distribution agents in big and small cover the cost of paper and printing, let localities, etc., the members of the As­ alone editorial and overhead expenses. sociation sharing in tho cost of the But the attraction of a jOlunal to poten­ organization according to the number of tial ad"ertisers depends on the quantity copies of their journals handled by the and quality of its readers, and in the services of the Association. case of mass-production goods it is chiefly In spite of the fact that all the mem­ the number of the readers that counts. bers compete with eat'b other, friction haA Circulation is therefore an essential prem­ occurred very rarely. Among th ex­ ise of gaining advert,isement.. The ever­ ceptions may be mentioned the case of lasting Oattie for circulation dominates the Sunday Referee a few years before the new paper life of Creat Britain. It t.he outbreak of the present war. The has led to the elimination of many once paper was at that time owned by the famous newspapers and to the riso of film magnate Isidore Ostrer, who trien to jourmdtl with Cil'cuIntioDs which would advertise his journal by mea.ns of an ha'~e b 'n regarded as fantastic less than extensive broadc~tillg program, on the a generat.ion a o. In 19:.19- ·i.nce the American model, in Engli h from Radio outbreak of \Vorld \Var l[ no exa t cir­ Lu_xembul'g, rented by him for t.his pur­ culation figw'es have oeen maue available puse. Th~ comoirmtion of radio and 406 THE XXth CENTURY newspaper was regarded by the majority thaJl one edition every da.y. Although of the newspaper proprietors as a threat a morning papcr and an evening paper to the interests of the pres. in general may very often be published by the and, as Ostrer refused to yield, the As­ same firm, both paper will have their sociation excluded the Sunday Referee sepu,rate identities, usuaUy not only in from its transport and distribution serv­ name but also in character and in editorial ices. The circulation of the paper­ staff (although it happens that some of neyer very important-dwindled rapidly, tho collaborators do work for several and in the end Ostrer sold the paper, papers published by the same firm). which was then amalgaml1,ted with the Generally speaking, the morning papers belonging to the Allied carry the weightier stuff. Foreign and Newspapers group. imperial news as well as the morc im­ As another instance of the power portant items of internal politics will, as of th~ Newspaper Proprietors' As­ a rule, be dealt with in their columns. sociation it may be mentioned that, up The evening papers, although they, too, to the time of the Anglo-Soviet alliance contain "hot" political news, if and as in 1941, it consistently refused to admit far as such is available, specialize in re­ the only Communist daily, the Daily ports on sports events, local atfair!', and Worker, to its membership and services, social gossip. Many of them also cater thus making the distribution of the Com­ for the entertainment of various das es munist paper extremely difl'icult and of readers by publishing short stories, expensive. serialized novels, book reviews, etc. The evening papers published in London serve So the newspaper reader in all of the metropolis and its surrounding.' only, Great Britain from Land's End to John thus leaving the field in the province, in O'Groats, and in tbe bigger cities of the evening, to local journals. Compared Northern Ireland, finds his London paper with seven popuJal' morning papers with on his breakfast table; 111'ld the priee is an aggrega.te daily circulation (in 1939) the i'ame everywhere, one penny in the of about 11 millions, we find only three case of the popular daily papers, twopence evening paper::; in the metropoli;; witb a for the voluminous Sunday papers with ci.rcllh~tion of together SOllle It millions. 10 to 32 pages of text.

PROVIKClAL AND EVE~L.'W JOURNALS Newspllper publishing of such scope and size requires enormous capital. In Only comparat,ively few provincial ~n article published in the Daily 1'elegraph morning papers of any importance have in May 1939, Lord Camrose, the control­ succeeded in survh7"ing the competition ling shareholder of the paper, estimated of the "national" morning papers centered the value of the land, buildings, and in London. This is understandable, as plant belonging to the Daily Telegraph the enormou circulations allow the latter Company-all of which he describes as to engage the services of first-cia" s edi­ necessary for the actual production of torird stafJs and news services against the paper-at, £1,300,000, adding that which pro\'ineial papers of moderate cir­ the capital assets of the four so-called culation and means cannot hope to "popular" ne\\'spapers (those with cir­ ('Olllpete succcssfuLly. Those morning culations of It to over 2 millions) are papers in the provinces which did sUl"vive proba.bly very much more. The majority 0\0\'0 their further ex istence \\itll few of the big London papers are publisrlCd exceptions to the fact that they were by public companies whose preference takell over by big llewspa.pol.' combines sba.res are widely distributed in the wwcb arc able to supply them with public, while a controlling interest in the articlE:'~ lWei report.s comptuable ill quality ordinary stock is usually in the hands of to t hose of t.he London press. one or a few persons who direct the The British pre'S8 docs not have the editorial policy of t,he paper or pap~rs institution of papers published in more cOLlcerned. THE BRITISH l'HE,'S ·107

NEW,PAPER AXD POLlTIC ti_er~' circle enforcpc! an emhar 0 on all reports about thr ncti\'itic,.. ot" the Britif;h The bu in eham tel' of most, of t hc l'nion of Fa.cists led by :-iiI' 0 'wRld Rritish n w, pap 'rs find p<.Lrticularly of )lo,'leY and secured a cOlllpll'te \'ietor)' th 'popular" t1aili '. makes it cxtr mely O\'cr Lord ,otherrll re whell ill 1934 the difficult if not ill1pu~"iIJIl' for tile mcn at J the helm to follow a con;1le)', line, On the whole, rxp'riencl' :'l'l'm" to 13\' threafenil1C' t·u withdraw 011 the'ir !>how tLat the j>ublisller;:; of Briti:;h ncws­ C'on~rM'ts paper,: ra her than try to inUuen their I\('tverti:::ing frum th Daily J/Il!l and its "st a b.lc COlll panions "th 'unday r ackr" politil'Hlly, k('ep t.hpir ars \-er.... patch 11:\(1 tit,. EI' JYeu", they r10!>C' to t lit' ground in order to ru ss thc 1J; 11111g brc>uO'ht Lord Rot hcrmere to heel within likes fi.nd di.~likes of tlit' gcneral Jlublic 1'0 o a few weeks, thc ]Jaily ,Mail giving up H. not to utTend any illlportant ;,;cction, because that would lH' tantamount to it' slipp"rt of thl' H.Ll-'" as Fuddenly 10"il1g eorre:>p Jl(Ji.ng numher;,; f sub­ it had tllkC'n up thc Fa. cist cnuse. The jmporrancc of this thrc'at Illay Lo gn,u cd scriber" or mther huyer::-, It is t~ p 'euliar frum thL' fact alont' that 1.h fir·t page of Hriti"h fl.'atun: that the majurity uf til' Duil!} J/(/il, which at tim tim 1I.ed n w"paper radel's obtlin th ·ir p pel'S to be takell up C\' ry day Df the wcek from new:-:ag 'nts, who arc iJldependent shopkeepc'rs sc·lling all papers wit,hout. 1)\' one uf the leading elepartlllcnt wtO!'l's, li;'ought the pa.p r LL fee of 1::1,000 It day. preferl'ne for uny particular organ, and ,,'" a rul' n a weekh' account, II fact If we h:\\1: said that newspap r pro­ \I~hi('h clln ributC's to 'thc grea flue ua­ prietor in Britain n.' a rule a"oid 'x­ t iun,'" ill th' circulation of th· "popular" cur"iulls illto high pulitic;;;, t his docs not. Jlltpc·rs frolll one w ·pk to unothl'1'. Il1C[ln th,11 the IH;\rSpapers arc de,oid of all politics: hut. c lI1pured to the pre of H ·.id s watching the reader, the Bri ­ uthcr countries, the part of politi i,..h J1 wspaper proprietor mil,.. ry not dUIll :,tic 11.'" \I"e11 a" foreign-ul the popular to otTend Lho nd\-ertiser, or the' pokntilll ]" per:, ill Grcat Britain is by tradition advertiser-the real S llrce of his in('ollle rather unililportant. The majority of -1)\, excursion into th' poJi ical arena. the bii! London daili in a general way EXI; rien has auf. 1 that weh political SllP~Ort the COl elTuti,e Party and the excursions of th popular pn..:::,; have :\11tionnl Go\"ernment, The Liberal and II '\'l'r becII 'uc;cesf:fu! llJ1d, mOrCOYN. La.bor Parties have only one big morning IISlllllly cndlL/\f'ered either th circulation paper ('IL h, the ~\'" ICS Chrom'cle and or til~ U1C()JI1l' from advertisement<:, In 1Jai/y Ii raId respcc in'ly, But i i;- th I !I:l:!, the' E/' ninlJ tandard, oWlled by I)('st pro(\f of the limiLed political influ nee Lord 13/?fi, \'('1' brook, in connecLioll \\-i t,h a of the popular nc\r.~pap rs that., although f; ri s of LOlldoll anlOn clLses in which a Jnany mure p opla of the labor elll number of J '\\"" w'rt' prominently in­ illl\"e } r \'"('al" b 11 readi1lg n 'w"pap 'r" yah'c·d, publi"hcd information which 1\ with a elL-tinct Conser\"ati~-e bia thall eorr spondent of the paper had received hn\'e I,e n reading Labor paperR, the frolll instlmn cir('Ie~, ptlrporting that pcreentl1.f( of the people \'" ting Labor is th 1 adillg fire' insurnllcc cOlllpanie were "teadily incr asing, char in higher premiums tu .Jew~ h than to G ntile l:U~tulnel" ;\lthouglt l31ULLIA:"T ··ATIORXEY. " tltis information \Ya~ unduubtedly clll'reet The 'Ilormous in 'ome ae fllillg to the Hilt! althouglt it had IJl'(' I 1 printL:d wi thou popular newspapers enables them t.o nn\' cOlimcnt, on till' pressure of th l'nga~e he sen-in'''' of a hi r~ly qualified \I:Jl rs of big dcp.lr lllen and chain Hill! of jOllrnalis sand \\Tlter::! of all f;tores I d by Moses brael :-iil'fT of thl' killd". Lilt, her again we witne 1\ linn of l\lUl:ks & 'pellc('r tho J-:~' nin'.l jliLI't.iculur feature or the Hriti6h prOH 'tulldard r vok d i ' COil ents It f .\\, days \\ hich will IIppear pnrndoxienl to foreign lat r. For y rs the YL'ry sarli" 11th" r- (,b,..el'\" ·r", The lIlajority 0 th men ·10 THE XXth CENTURY

who write fm the Conservative papers, l11ent,~ to split the atom and to Sir Oliver even many of those who write the pro­ Lodge's opinions on ~piritualism or a Conservative editoriaLs and leading arti­ new theory of numerology, everything cles, arc in prinLte life Radic::als or Social­ hal' been written up by one ne,\'spaper ist. ~lost of them will admit this quite or another in a more or less scnsat,ion­ frankly and without any qualms. To alizing way al' a "stunt." Usually some them their journalistic prufession is com­ men of science with great names can be parable to a uarristl.:r·s brief. "Ry "up­ found who, for feel' running easily into porting t.he policy of Mr. BaLdwin in the thousands of pounds, will set the ball leadillg artirle of t,lle Dail!J So-ulid-So, I ro~ling by an article or two. In a nation identi(v Illyself just as little with Bald­ where everybody is constantly wonyi.lg win a, for instance Sir William .J, ,,., about his or her digestion (the troubles [a famous barrister] identifies himself being mainly clue to antiquated cooking per::;onally with the Illurderer he has methods) questions of bcUer and health­ been defending at the Old Bailey last ier nonrishment can be successfully week," said one leading British journalist u<'ed as "stunts." Not·, many years ago, some years ago when asked about this one of the leading London papers was puzzling state of atlau·s. able to sustain its editorial policy for about two months by a campaign in If politics hold second or third rank favor of ..vholemcal bread of a particular among the subjects dealt with by the kind, with t.ho additional benefit of f'e­ popular press of Great Britain, what curing thereby very considcrable advt'r­ then arc the determining factors of its tisu1g cont,racts from the milling and polic~r? eclitorial In the first place, the haking combines producing the whole­ modern British newspapers, following meal and the bread thus boosted. United States models, offer their readers quid~ a very and ", nappy" new;; service, Politics, as we have said above, occupy ,'ociety gossip, too, pla,ys an important a back seat among the subjeets detpr­ part, becauso the Engli,"lllnan of all mining the edit'orial policy of t.he popular ('Ia.ses takes an interest, difficult for preRs in Grcnt Britain. The fact that, outsiders to understand, in the activitie_", cluru1g the ye,Ll':; leading 1;p to the pres­ an.1lI:'ement~ the ways of life, and of his ent war, foreign politics were featund , social bet.t-crs." Thinlly, scandal­ more and more in British newspapers particularly scandal with a "s/'xy" under­ f'ccms to give t,he lie to this stat,ement. tone-and crime take up a very hu'ge But we can safely say that such is not space U1 ' the popular newspapers. The t,he Case. Whoever takes the troubl~ proceedings of the criminal and divorce to look up the old files of such papers as comts are reported extensively. the Daily M w:l and the Daily E~'pre88 of 1935 1939, STUNTS tho years t.o will tind there very few attempts at a serious discussion Finally, in order to captivate the of t.he problems of foreign policy. The readers iUHI t.hereby secure the circulation anti-Fascist iLnd later the anti-Hitler for sOll1e longer period than j llst t.lle campaigns wore run as stunts, one mllY cmrent week, the editor of a popular say us "'Hlper-stunts," initia.ted by the paper must again and again wrack his papers aft.cr politicn1 parties and organi­ brain to find some Hew "stunt" which :tations all over t,he country had created his jom'nal can run for some time- until the conditions under which these st.unts t,he subject is completely exhaust,ed and could be run 6uccesl'fully for much longer ~L new "stunt" must he thought up. periods than any st.unt. in the past, the P 'eudoscientiflc subjects which can be more so bec;.mse t.he hoctic developments presented so as to capture the imagination and ch:lIlges of the political picturo in of simple mUlcls are favorite '·stunts." ELU'ope and the worlel at large crrated a From Einstein's theory of'relativitv to new background almost every day on the latest tlevclopmen"ts in the eX"l)(:'ri- which the olel story could pasil}' be THE UHITISH PHES. 409

writ.n up aain 'lIlt1 ag:un IJl a IIIW sensational way. the \ralt'r f:llllily. whic'h had ('\\"W'e! the jlaper flli' s('\'(~1'H1 ,t!l'nCml ions, wn. forced TUE co::-< C1E:-;CE OF TJl8 NATIO:\" uy [inandal (' nsiderations to sell out to Lurd ~orthcline. After the llltter's All tfla.t has uoen said ,,0 far refers to death, pO\\'('rflll eircles succeeded ill prc­ wllat we hn,\'e called th(· "popular press" ventin" ~orthdiffe's broth 'I' Lord Hother­ of Great Britaill. In a. coumrv lik 111 're frum acqllu'ill" his late broth'r's Grat Britain, t.bere Illll>;t ouviou'sly be huldill'" in Th' Tillle Pliblishillg Com­ eriou political organ:, too, in ,;'hieh pany. ,'inee theil, the illdependenl polic\' Ih di. CII ",ioll of political problcm" i of the euilor-ill-chiC'f has bcen gUlll'Hnteed c/l.l'l'ied OIl. They do cxist, but. they are by the furlUa tioll of It budy of tru. Ices in few ill numu r, at lea. t a' far u~ the which, among others, tlte L'nivcrsitie' of cl<.ily pr "S i' concerned. Among the Oxfurd and l'allluridge, the Church of dailie of polit,icul importallcc. two ILrc Ell"Ian I, and the (;o\"crnment ar rep­ ollt"tandiJ1a: Til Tim.es and the .llan­ rescnted. It is also thi~' uody of trustee ell e<'iler GlIardirtn. The fOrlller i bvolld not the 8harcholders or th: directors of doubt the most influential jourllal i~ t,he th 'ompany, \\"ho de ide Oil th . uc­ English-speaking: world. 1 is not the CCl':-;or to It resiglling editor of I'll l'i/ll.es. ofli ·ial orglln of t.he GOVCl'Jlll1CII I. or the Fo~eigll OfticP, as fureigner' oft-cn wrongly LlilERAL yoreE beheve. On the contrary, Tile 1'im hy •\:colld only to Til Times in influence, a tradition cllrcely ever l'eriollsly di =_ e!'pecially in foreign alTa if!', is Lite J1an­ put d, regards it. 'elf (k; a kind of guardian dL"fer Guardia1/, Ihe only pro\'ulcial und C'on!'eicllce of the British nation. pap I' ill Britain which i. really uule to Alt hough ill close touch wit.h Lh' govern­ exert til inBuen" OIl th policie of the mellts of the day, it, reser,es full libertv c(luntry ill general. (Th recently much­ to propoUllJ and advocate polici s of it quoted J"orkshirc Po t can in no way be own, which very often run counter to COil) parcd to the ~lJanche f r Guardian 'ov rnmental iutcnti us. Althoua/) it either in Cj'ralit.y of contents or ill real circulation is small compared to those of influence. Thi. Leeds paper OWl' its the popul(~r papers, it weighs he<.L\'iJy, tempomry imparlance to the fact that it becuu:5e everybody of any impMtance in i' o\~ncd. by the family of Anthony politics, the government, or administra­ Ed 'n s w.lfc and is sometimes uscd by tion read The Times, Tn addition to it tho Forel'n Sccretary us his political ometimes ponderous but ulways weU­ mouthpiece.) The ,jlanchester Gu-urdian documonted and uallll\(;(~d lel1djll17 orti- . 0 is .t!le o.rgan. of the Hlldjeal wing of ,Ie:,' It abo offer~ high-clns special BrItIsh LiberalIsm. Although th Liberal art! 'le aud reports written by experts. Pa.rty in Parliament has dwindled, Liberal L t but· not Ipast, it has an cxcellent idea~ continue to be vcry I11U h alive, completc foreign-new servi e of i" particularly Ul the industrial Xorth and own, based on the reports of llo great in t.he uouthwcst of England, and among number of excellent correspondents ill t he middle clase in general and tbe 01.1 par f Ih world and presented i.ntell ctuaL, a' far R" th latt-cr hu\'c not WIthOllt, seru ::ltionllli~U1, although not a.1­ moved furt her toward t be Left and joined \\'<1. I' WIthout a certain bil~ ill favor of the Labor or Communi, t ranks. Alt hough the politics ad'·ol:at·d u\· the paper. the Mancllp.ler Guardia1/ with a circula. Though Tit 1'ime,q is not ~trictlv uound tion of probably less than 100,000, can­ ~ any J liti :al party, its general tendency not ulTard as fur-flung a net of its own I' ('011.8cn·atIVe. foreign cOl'n'i'p0nc!C'nts a Tile Times, its new' report as well as it. ditorial are Th traditional poUt i('al ultlepel1dence u ually very well written, but often of t.h eclitorial stuIT of Tile Time,' of out. impaired in their effeet by a ton of elf­ side influences \"\'11 . eriousJy impaired righteous superioril.y and profes,oriali m. when, <1 few yeal befol'e the Great \rar, The Jlanch t"'r Guardian is regularly read 410 THE XXth CENTURY by v ry enou tudent of politics in admissible in th ea e of a few \T kly England. publications, since th ir opinions are fre­ foreig~ Briti h daily new.paper. are issued on qu ntly quot-ed in 1he pre ·s. wockdn.y only. For his unday reading, Although The Ecollomis!, as its name th Briti her ha.. to fall hack on pecial how, deals primarily with econon'ic unday paper~ which, gel\ rally peaking, matters, its weekly political comm nb difT r frOlll the daily pl'. more in ize d el'Ve t-o be I, k n rioUEly. a th y than ther",ise, with 16 to 32 paO'e~ of very often reA ct th view. (Jf leading t xt (in peu0e tim; during the present m n of the city. The editerie.l policy f war all pa per with v ry few exceptions this journal i secul' d against interference w r ut down to 4 t f3 page, including by pubkhing inter <: or any th I' adverti!y cri tical of Ch ur hill's foreign a w II as th' Co-Opcrative I ociet,y, n. 1>rallch of t,he dome tic polieic . Labor lI1ovell1ell'-is b .. idc' the DQ1'ly During the lu·t DW yem befor th> Herald, the only popular paper 0lwnly prp_ en war, th I' a ppeared in Lond II IL I\'ocating Labor',; l'oli y. a number of wcckly journal mod I· I The .... iew~ of tilo 'j y no only on after _-\meriClln n w magazines like Tim . filHlllCi 1 but often on political i sue a' The ones which urvived weI' N W8 w 11 ar' u ually xprcs d by two financial Reriew and Cavalcade, the latter, how­ daili 5, the Financial Tim and Financial evor, only after it had been conv rted New. TLe former i owned by Lord into a rather cheap news and scandal Camr so, while the latter docs not belong all et. Both never equaled their tran ,­ allY of the Lig II wspapel' combin " atlantic modcl. Through the pen f the pI' tific Jewi h hartly before t.h pre ent war n w t::COlllllllic writer Paul Eillzi, the Fina7lcial ill:J trated weekly caIJed Picture Po I wa Seu:' hu' fur muny y UI' been partie­ tart~d by a gr up which ob,iouRI," had ularlv acti"e as an ndvoe-ute of in r­ '-ery ample linan'i I means at it di­ Ilutiop.ul Jewish finan allu protaCT ill t po ·al. \rhil \I p tiU that time there had in the fight again t thl' A.i::. b en a gap betw en the heap illu~tl'l\ted IICW"pl.1 PF.RlODICAL per of the Da ily Sk leh and Daily JJirror t\'p Slid the exp n~ive I would lead 11 too far if we under­ illuRtra.t d w ckh' ma azincs such u The took t x end th . i- f tl:ti' al'ti Ie Taller, 'Phe lliu lrat d London X u:s, and bey nd the world of, w pap I properly th n w weekly pap 1', r akin into th wid I' "phel' of p ricd­ . Iling at the low I rice of tw In, ie L. Howe,'er, an xceptiol1 ruay be offered exccU lit photographs and phot - THE 13RlTJ H PRE 411 graphi erie combined with well-writtRn On the other hand. the powers of en­ politiCl\I comment and ntortaining arti- ~or hip wielded by the British Gov rn· I and torie. The character of the ment even after 1m -t ti\· year of war pap I' wili h wit.bin 1\ few w eks rcached are still relatively limited, It i true a circulati n of more than I ~ million., that, from th very outset of th war, rapiJly oe ame mol' and n-lO' anti­ the el1.80r h.ip of n~w , in particular any F ('j"t nnu a,nti-Hitler. It was on of kind of new referring ither directly or the for mOt>t propagunda orgalls against indirectly to the onduct of th war and the id~'a of "app a' ment" bet\ycen the war efJort of Creat Britain and h I' Britnin nlHl Cermany. Furthermore, tho allies, was extremelv trict,.o trict, papt'r had from the outs t a. ,ery definite inde d, that during 'the early ·ta,g f LC'ft-wing bias ill internal p litics. the war it eri usly imp dod the British war propaganda, all the more '0 in fa 1 I REET!II (;ZZLI);'O of the much more c1a"tic handling of It mny help to giv a true appreciation n w: censorship on tile> erman ide. of Briti!:'h pre s comments if an explana­ Thero was, however, durillg th first tion i~ ,iven of how the influence of t.he eighteen month of the war scarcely any .ov rnlllent is bring exerted-anu how direct attempt at governmental ill 1'­ fllI it rlln be exerted-<>n the pI' f'S of fl'fenCe with t,he xpre 'ioll of views on Creat, Britain in peace anu war time. th policy of the Government and t,bo Ther is no new:'(.mpcr in (;reat Britl\in conduct of th war. (An x ption to which could be called the official or semi­ this rule W88 the ruthle uppre ion of o1liciul mouthpiece of either t.lIo British aU British Fascists' organs and the illl­ 'ul>inet, the Foreign Offi 'e, or any other priBonm nt of the leaders of the Fasei t ~lini. try. Heutcr'~, too, can be regnrucd mOVtlwent ill Britain.) a an ull1eilll news arreney only in a limited /:len' , as will be rxpillincd in FR~;I::DO:U F THE PRE mur det il below, By me n' of pre s Fre expr" 'ion of \'iew' and Opll1lOllS conferences in the ForciJ"n Office. in the th.rou,h the pre..:', even in war time, is ~ Prir.u' Minister' office at o. 10, Downing one of the few things which I nd I\, treet and, since th pre nt w 1', in the erublnn of u mo -rnc\' to the British Enistn' of Information, the 'overnment oligarchy, and the pow~r that be have has am'plC' means of bringing its point of he'itated for lL long time before atternpt­ view before the public without pr­ ing to muzzle the pre. s in t hi re 'peet maturely taking !lny formal re ponsibility al o. While thus keeping up th ap­ for till \'i 'ws thus pxpres ed. pearance of a cOJllvletcly unhu rn pered ex­ It should also be realiz d that the pres. iun of\-iews by the pre,.,-, the Go\"ern­ report~· of tIl(' Diplomatio Corre 'pondent mont has in fa·t, becn a ble to ex rt of The 'j'1'mes und 01 her big London flLirly effect.ive eontrol, ill a quiet way, pap r:4, su often quoted in the foreign over the subjects di."cussed by the n ws­ pres,;;, do not expre:;s ewtorial views of papers. This control ha be n exerted the pHper in question, but are oncoctions hy means of and in collaboration with uf lleW::l and views received by the cor­ the ~cw8pap I' Proprietor," .:Lso iation. re pondent," in their uaily contact with Whenc\-er the Covernm nt feel tha auy the );l'\\'S Dppartment. of th Foreign subject might _(·riou Iy intcrt' re with itil flioe, Summing up, one might 'ay that war-time policy, it a'ks the A 0 iution th British (;O\'ernm nt h~ no got any to induce its member' cith I' not to on particular officiul Ofcran among the touch on this theme ut all, or to pa ~ ov r new. puper:" b ·ca.lI~e it, ha.· urn pie oppor­ it as lightly as pos ible. This pra ti c tunity )1' U::lin o either t he whole of th already xiskd in x ptional co, e durin pI' or whate\'er se '!iOIl' of the pre at pea e time, e.., during the weeks prec d­ uny gi\' n moment uppe H' to he partic­ ing the abdication of Edward \ Ill, when ularly uitable for the propagation of its Briti h n w pap rs k pt a complete view und intentions. f::lilence about II ubje t wbich w supply- 412 THE XXth CENTURY ing headlines to the press of almost the columns of a newspaper, is to t,he average whole world. Britisher synonymous with democracy, Since the bl'ginning of the present war, but he who expresses him 'elf most vio­ what had hitherto bccn an cxception be­ lently in speech or writing against the came the rule: a special joint committ.ee Government will usually be the most was formed in which representatives of obedient in his actions and would not the Government and the Newspaper dream of putting his rebellious words into Proprietors' Association settle day by practice. day the question of "forbidden topics." In conclusion, a few words about However, this committee has no power British news agencies. We have said to enforce the "advice" it gives to the before that Reuter's cannot be regarded newspapers. And it very soon became as an official agency in the full sense of evident that some newspapers, in partic­ the word as it is understood in other ular thc Daily Nirror, had not the countries, although there is no doubt that slightest intention of abiding by the it is heavily subsidized by the Govern­ decisions of the committee. It was then ment. Co-operation with the Govern­ that early in 1!)42 Prime Minister ChUTCbill ment, as in the case of the newspapers, moved his "Press Bills" which, however, goes on in a personal and elastic form. got into the Statute Book only in a rather emasculated form. It still remains Of the remaining British news agC'ncies a fact that British papers-as far as the only Exchange Telegraph and C-entral expression of views and criticism is con­ News deserve mention. The former is cerned-have a considemble measure of the more dynamic of the two. It has liberty, and that their opinions are often developed from a pure Stock Exchange not at all in accord with the policy and news service to the rank of Britain's intentions of the Government. second most important general news It would, however, be wrong to over­ agency. In a number of countries where rate the practical importance of the it succeeded in overshadowing or even criticisms thus leveled against the Govern­ ousting Reuter's altogether (c.g., in Por­ ment in the British press. Such free ex­ tugal), it enjoys considerable govern­ pression of heterodox views, whether from mental subsidies. Its capital is largely a soapbox in Hyde Park or through the in Jewish b••nds.

The Leading Newspapers and Newspaper Combines in Great Britain

(All circulat.ion figurcB refer t.o 1939)

The Time,,: owned by The Times Holding Com. lind editorial control of Lord Ca.m.rose. The pany Limited. 90 per cent of t.he capital is Daily Telegraph, the lending Conservative pnper. held by Major the Han. John J. Astor (0. brother steers a middle course between the "politicnl" of ViS(:ount Astor, q.v. below). the remaining and the "popular" papen;. In order t.o increase 10 per cant by a member of the Walter family, its circulation. which in Muy 1939 had reached which owned and managed The T·'me.. for three 763.000. certain concessions to t.he taste of tho gcnerations in the post. Today. full financial masses had to be made. However, up to the control is wit h Major Ast.or. while the freedom outbreak of the Creater Eust Asia \Vur the of the editorial stlLff in slluping the policy of poLitical column» of tho Daily l'cleyrapl. managed the papor is secured by a special arrangement to maintain a fairly high level. described above. Ceneral t~ndency: Independ­ The Observer: a SWldny paper owned b~' Viscount ent Conservati\'0; circullLtion 20·1,491. Astor, who for many yon,." left full freedom oC 1rlal1che.9Ier G1w'rdian: mfil1aged and edit.ed for expression to the cditor. J. L. Carvin. \Vhen more than fifty years by one of England's ablf'Bt Garvin resigned his post, the puper lost much lUld most respected jounHtlist.s. Charles Prcst.wich of its Carmer political importance. No circula. Scott. Since his delLt h in 1932, the pnper IlO.s t.ion duta are avnilal>le; probably not. over been run by II board of trustees. its policy being 200,000. unchanged ItS an organ of Radical Liberalism. lts circulation before tho Wal' Wl.l.S, according to The Associated Newspapers Group expert estilllntes. somewhut unJer 100.000. Daily Ma'il: t.he oldest of the "popular" morning Daily Telegraph: owned by The Dnily Telegraph pupers, founded by Lord Korthcliffe in 189ll. LtJ., u privute company illlder full financial From its founder it iuherited a certain political TH E IlRITlSH I'HE.·S 413

trnclition which it 81ill (ri"s '0 k"ep "I. Its The Cadbury (Liberal) GrouJl rt'llding 1'1Ihlip is of IL "Ii!,hll~' hi~IIPr sopilll I('\'e! j.\'eIl'8 Chro"irlc: t}l(' (Inly Lihf'rnl 1l1orning paper thlln thflt of the olh"r "porulnr" pllpers. r"II"hing \\",,11 into the urfWr nlldell" {·I",....·s. Th,' Daily publishNI in I. ndon. II " more ou11l1' k n, JIll,! is I' rulnr ill • rrny and ~II\·.\· ir('I.·~ und "uliti('"l1y, lhan the other """I'ulnr" duili"s. For ycurt4 b(lror~ t h ~ wur. tilt· pilp"r wns vcry I~ omf>tirnf"S USt·t.! bv the \\"ltr L> ffi1'(' nnd Ililti-Fu.t·wi!"l nnd llllti-Kazi nnd "d\-ot'UI(·d .'-\nglo. Aelllllmlty fur the proj,ngnlld" olf thoir political :"ioviC'L rfl pproc!lcmeuJ. Cireulnl it>n uruund l.~ plnns. POlilicul t<'lId{'pc~': CM.8Cn·nl in' and 1I1I11ions. IIllp<'ri lisl'{'; circulllllun around It milliuns. 'l'he , 'tar: I h" second largest en·ning ptlp,·r. f"l1o"·· ;:,·tllill!T Xt",.~: lll{' Ill"sl widely cireulaled c\'clling ing the Mme polir'y "s Sere.• Chr""ir/.·, llllt moro I'''rer (lIbuut ij50.11l)0). colorl08>1. CirculllllOn about [,OO,OUII. SlIm/ll.'1 Tli.•W,'clr: (('lIelcn"y and circula( ion vimilor The two pnl'prs nrc owned hy lh,' ,"dbury to th Ihllly .H<1II. Tru t. found(·d b\' Ihe Illle GNlrgn Cadb\l C\ • ,·hocu· Illto mal!nllte, promillc<1t Qunk('r alld' Llheral. Th{' aho\',' three pap{'rs ar the property of Tile Cadbllry famIly still forms th IIIILjority of A"s""illl·d :"uwspapers Ltd.• 11 Jlulolic; comp'\IIY tho t.rllst{'OR. but tho activo munngllllll'nt and Dllil~' \\ IIwh in lum i" controlled by till' Mail & ultimate dit,orial cuntrol r·RIR with Sir \\,..Iwr (;,'n,'r,,1 TrUlll, the latter firm owning 4U per cont Lu)'ton, the well.known economist. rof tIll' orn,"arr sharos of Associul",l ~CW. pnrcrs. l'p lill 1(J:li tllo lutu Lord ROlh... rll1ore WUll chnir· Tbe Odhams Group '"l1n of loot h (·ompnniCil. Sill('o hiA r...signutioll his 8"". t he linn. E5molld Hnrll\5\'.'orlll. now th{' Daily Hemld: tho ollly daily p"I'('r in Gre"l Britain ""('und Lord Hotherm(·r... (who ill ,dsn Prpsid.. n( of orenI.\' 'Hh'~,('uting the vic\\:i {If tho Lnhor Party. I 110 ~ewnp"per Propri"tors' A.<.Ii nls, pllblish ('I.\'. h('low), it is inlcre~tin~ to note Ihnt tho The I'fOple, a mOdCral{\ L;unRCr\'atl\'e :-iulldIL~' I)ad~' lI!.rrur ?\owspnpt'rs Ltd. nnd ,t·s subsidiary, I'''p"r. Tho arrnlll':l'ment ",hi,·h lcnv,'" only ,\0 t hc' .' undll~' PictOrial _. ('\\"~rll r('rR I.hl.. bnd h~' per c{'nr. of tlte simms of thu D"ily Herald. in 1!':I~1 a('(l'"r,d IIbout J:! per c",,~ L,f the Cllplllll of the hnnds of Tradl' l:nion 1I01ll1l1eei! w forced 1lady 1It\l1 " l;enertd Trust. uron llll' Labor movement uy tl", fnct that, w,thout tlte endurs<"ll1cnt of enpi ahst illt resUl. The Beavcrbrook Group rloo SU"i,di~1 pnper Itnd been unablu to win the fa\'or of tlte big advcrt.isers, and Itad for 18 D il!1 E.rpr('..~: ba.s t Ito bi~1! 51 circu1nl ion of all yt"ars It~ ft prC'C"li rious ex itit.encC'. Bnti II duilics. witlt w(·!1 o\' r 2! millions. Of lito 9 directors of the Duily Hernld Company. IInday F:rpru6: circulut ion bot ween \ nnd Il Ii are 1I0minnted hy Odhnms. the remnll1l11g 4 by millions. tho Trudo Unions. among the llltter bOll1g the present )Iinister of Labor, Ern..st lle\'in, nnd tho E"rning St",,,lard: the fll\·orit.c e\'ening paper of Secretary.Geneml of tbo Trado Unioll Council. Ihe upp<'r strata of Lonnon's population. ,peeial Si.r Walter Citrino. The Chairman of OdhamA f"l\lure,,, the cartoon bv the most famous of Ltd. ill Lord Southwood (n6 Elias). In 1939 it contemporllry cartooniRts, Du\'id Low. alld tho became known that b\' thon Sir John Ellerman "London r's Diary," a very woll·written llnd had bou~ht up about ono tenth of tho cupital of usually well·inforll11'<1 politiclIl glossary. The Odhllms, latter feuluro makes the Epwing Standnm tho o\'t'nin~ The Pwplt: a "populllr" Sundf\Y papor without only paper uf some pulitical importanre. political Ilnportancc. Circulation over:! ,lIillion8. Tho "Dinr)' , was 001 it"d in tlto 1'1I8t Ly 11 orold :Sicolson, M.P, llnd Parliamentarv ~e'l'rotllrv to The Allied Newspapers Group tho 2\llJ1istry of Information. Rnd llrllCO L~k. hllrt. BOW Director General of Political \\·adare. Sunday Timu: important Consen'ativo Sund~ Circulation over 400,ooU. paper. Circulation: no data available. Tho t hroo pllpers of tbi8 i\'roup very ~trongly : a daily morning rieturo pnpor of r<'ll.·cl t he forceful personality of Lord 1300.\'er. t he "tabloid" typu. CircullLt ion Letwoon 1 and loruuk, who holds aD AbRolutel)· controlling position I! milllonli. 111101 influ,'nccs Ihe editorial policy day lo~' day. S"ndny Gmphic: for all practical purposes tho III theIr ed,toriul methods tho pa!'{Ors aro tho most 'unduy {'dition of tho DUlly ~kclch. AII1Pr,canl1.•'d nQlOngsl, all /lrit i"h journals. On Sunday Chronicle d· J(pJeree: It Sunday pnror which 1he' rol her II"nd, at llwlr ma.ster's hehest. the\' have is poplllar in Korthen1 En ·lnnJ. l'rl/lwd in conF,slen Iy "d\'ocul"d cloS(' pollllcal Il8 ~'ell ll.S )Ianchc ter llnd r cnlly also in London. ('I'{JI\l>mW ('o."peruti"n of the Emrlre (und"r the This ~roup is financinlly und ecllwri,dly con· Rlo~lIn "EII1I',re' Fr '(' Trado") and 0 kind 01 isola. trollod bv Lord Kelflsle\', a brothcr of Lord Cam· lIL'ni~"1 l,,,,,,rd tlw ('\,enls on tho Ellropenn Con· sh~rehold{\f Ilne'n!. Dunn!:: th" prescnl wor. He'llvorhrook, rose. A';oth"r IJii( is Lord IlitTu. Apart frolll lhe .""Plday 'l'imr-t. the papers hu\'o IlltIIL'ul;:h "' the l',.1 II II" , hu." r"''''nledly lnl'd to no pohllcul 8"pirullOfiS. lI,tluence' I ho polzcy of l:Js coll""lIl11'" In,m outside b~' allucks of his l1l'wsl'ufl r>l un certa,n measureR The Daily Mirror Group uf the L;ov rument ur pl'rsun~ III llle Cub.nl't. Ono of Ihese ut tucks w"s ",lid to I,,"'e been Ih.. main D"il" .H irror nnd Sf/l1rf"y Pictori"l: ori£ina11\' re ou iur his tcmp...'rury c(·llpM.· .\:0 a :\11111 .... ~r. "tahloll'" part'rs without politi",d llilrl:! and 414 Tl:£E XXth CE ITURY

color Ion in 10 til ~ortilcliffe group; laken •• over after ~or!heliff 's d ath by Lor Rothor. The .\'~lIJ8 of the World: d<' rves to b montioned m r. ince 19:11 Roth nn ro 0\"18 no m re only b . u e it ill the 'unda:.' paper with the ..lIa ill ith r o( Ihl' pllpers. The IWO papel"il high t circulation in reut Britain (31 to -l bolong to separate companies; however. Ihe millions). It catc", (or tho week· nd entortain· direct rs a.lld big hureho!dll'S arc proct i ally ment of the lower ol 's and has no politicsI identiclII, tho ·huirmtln of the board being in importance. both c 8 John 0\\'10)'. Reynolds '~1I'8: a Sunday pap r with Labor leall. inll1l own d by tLe Co.Oporative J eiution. In cent yea",. ~ ir John Ell rmlln, the let mo· Edltoriully mediocre, but oml.'tim s poltti 'ally ly rich shipping 1l1llRnal '. uequirt'd a eontrollin~ inter ting, because in an ou pok n way It interost in the Vaily Mirror. In pil-e o( his walth. veutilates tlto eomplaintg o( the di'lSll isfl d ir John EU rman. who I' o( J willh d en. has Le(t wing i the Labor movement. Circulation extr"rno Lo(I·win' syrnpathi On hi initiativ. uround 500.000. tho Dally .Virror atta ked tho hllmberhlin ov· Daily Irod..cr: publi hed by tho ComrnunilJt Party emmen!. long 1\8 it WI\5 in oxi tene • and of Gr a llriwin. neral Mana r: the \V 11· oril.lc;7.lld tho g nornls. Ih admirnls, tho indus· known ollimWlist Harry Pollit. EdiLoril\1 poli<'y trial;"t . til b nk "'. and tb i\'il' ""'ice. carniolt dictated bv !llo ow. inca outbreak o( \mr (or; If tlto Ili<'knarne o( tb "Daily'1'error." It r pentedl~" banned. but enjoying mar liberty olso atwekorl 'hurchillllncl bis cabinet. and its robid sine ovict R is's war entry. Circulation altitude W"s lorg Iy r'spon ible (or Iho Pr 1<8 Bins around 75.000 in 1930. It has probably r' u introuucoo ulltl pus d In 194::!. Ciroulution of considcrl\bly since tho conclusion of tho Anglo. both popers: consiutJrubl)' over I million. uviat aUiancc.

CARTOO OF THE MONTH

By SAJAPOU

The Super-Advertiser