The London Press

The Daily News & Westminster Gazette

(the Daily News absorbed the Westminster Gazette in Feb. 1928) is the oldest Liberal newspaper published in London. It was founded in 1846 under the editorship of Charles Dickens who retired after a few weeks, being succeeded for a year or so by John Forster, later his biographer. The original staff included Mark Lemon, afterwards editor of Punch, and Douglas Jerrold. The Daily News has a con sistent record as the champion of Liberalism; it led British public opinion in sympathizing with the North in the American Civil War, in supporting the war of freedom in Italy, and the emanci pation of Bulgaria and the Armenians. The price of the paper was reduced to id. in 1868. Under the control of Sir John Robin son it attained a high reputation for its foreign correspondence, beginning with the celebrated Archibald Forbes in the Franco German war 1870.

On a change in ownership after the retirement of Sir John Robinson, Sir E. T. Cook, who had been editor of the West minster Gazette, became editor of the Daily News from 1896.

He resigned in 1901 in consequence of another change in owner ship. Cook was a Liberal Imperialist and the paper had passed under the control of D. Lloyd George and his friends ; and after wards passed under that of the Cadbury family. After an inter regnum A. G. Gardiner was the next editor. In 1904 the price of the paper was reduced to a halfpenny. Gardiner resigned the editorship after the World War and was succeeded by Stuart Hodgson as editor; Tom Clarke joined the paper in 1926 as managing editor. The Daily News absorbed the Morning Leader and acquired the Star in 1909, and has maintained that journal as a lively and independent exponent of Liberalism. In 193o the Daily News and the Daily Chronicle were amalgamated, and the paper has since then been published as the News-Chronicle.

The Daily Chronicle,

unlike the Daily News which was started under distinguished auspices, was the outgrowth of a London local daily, the Clerkenwell News, and was established in 1877. It consisted almost entirely of small advertisements and Edward Lloyd, the founder of Lloyd's Weekly News turned it into a general morning London newspaper. During the Home Rule controversies of the '8os it was Liberal Unionist, but under the editorship of A. E. Fletcher (1895) it became Gladstonian Liberal. Fletcher was an idealist who sympathized with Labour and had a passion for literature. During his editorship literature was developed in the newspaper as a regular feature. Fletcher

was succeeded by H. W. Massingham who, while maintaining the literary features, made the paper a more robust political organ. Massingham was a Radical; and had formerly been editor of the Star. He lost his position on the Chronicle because of his oppo sition to the Boer War. He was succeeded by W. J. Fisher and the paper pursued a humdrum career and was a declining prop erty when in 1904 Robert Donald was appointed editor, with the object of revitalising the paper. The price was reduced_ to halfpenny and at once the paper entered upon a new era of prosperity and prestige which reached its height during the World War. During the long Liberal regime from 1906 to the year of 1915, the Chronicle was regarded as the chief supporter of the Left Wing of the Government. The Chronicle was a pioneer in the introduction of illustrations by leading artists, those contributing to the Chronicle including Burne Jones, Joseph Pennell, who was art editor, and Linley Sambourne. It made a high reputation for its foreign correspondence, and took a leading part in exposing public abuses.

The paper was sold to D. Lloyd George and his friends in the autumn of 1918, when Sir Robert Donald retired from his position as editor and as managing director of the company. It has since been edited by Ernest A. Perris, who joined it as news editor in 1904. In 1927 it was sold to two Indian merchants, Sir David Yule and Sir Thomas Catto, Lloyd George retaining a minority interest. Lord Reading was appointed chairman. The chairman has changed six times in ten years. Sir David Yule died in July 1928, and William Harrison, who (1929) is chairman, on behalf of the Inveresk Paper Company, Limited, acquired a controlling interest. In 1930 the Daily Chronicle amalgamated with the Daily News to form the News-Chronicle.

The Daily Mail

started by Alfred and Harold Harmsworth in 1896 as a halfpenny daily newspaper is one of the miracles of journalism. It was a phenomenal success from the first number. At the dawn of the present century it had already reached the million mark, and it has never looked back. In 1904 Sir Alfred Harmsworth (by that time a baronet) started the Continental Daily Mail in Paris, now the property of Lord Rothermere. The Daily Mail publishes an edition in Manchester and an Atlantic edition on the chief transatlantic steamships.