WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS AND REVIEWS The weekly reviews, beginning with the Examiner, which was founded in 1808 and ceased in 1881, have changed little in char acter but occupy a much less important position in journalism owing to the prodigious advance in the daily and Sunday news papers. The weeklies were formerly looked to for guidance in political opinion and for literary criticism. They have been dis placed in both spheres. The world moves too quickly and unless a weekly review has a particular standpoint and makes a special appeal to a class it carries little weight in contemporary journal ism. The weekly which shows the greatest vitality is the historic Spectator which celebrated its centenary in November 1928. It was founded by Robert Stephen Rintoul and exercised great in fluence as an exponent of moderate Liberalism, thoughtful criti cism, particularly in the discussion of religious problems. In 1861 it passed under the control of R. H. Hutton and Meredith Town send. In 1897 it was acquired by J. St. Loe Strachey who main tained its high character and literary reputation. It was outspoken in its political opinions, and while Conservative Unionist in most subjects, it was a strong exponent of Free Trade. It was acquired in 1926 by Evelyn Wrench under whom new features were intro duced and more modern methods adopted. It is by far the most widely circulated of the weekly reviews. The proprietor made arrangements in 1928 to safeguard the policy of the Spectator in the future by adopting the same system that has been embodied in the constitution of the Times. The historic Saturday Review has passed through many hands and still survives. The great liter ary weekly, the Athenaeum, which was started in Jan. 1828, was absorbed in the Nation, the literary weekly review which grew out of the Speaker, founded by Sir Wemyss Reid in 1898. The
name was changed when H. W. Massingham became editor in 1907. Another distinctive weekly is the New Statesman which is a moderate exponent of Socialist politics. The other weeklies are of minor importance. With the exception of the Spectator the weeklies, while their literary characteristics are maintained, are reduced in size. Weekly reviews of literature, art, drama and topical problems of the day including politics, are being largely displaced by the Sunday newspapers, particularly the Observer and the Sunday Times, each of which at one-third of the price, give two-thirds more reading matter exclusive of news. They corn mand writers of the highest reputation while they sell many more thousand copies than the weekly reviews sell hundreds. One unique weekly remains and keeps up its reputation. That is Truth which was founded by Henry Labouchere. It is a many sided journal and is chiefly renowned for its fearless eriticism and its extremely independent attitude towards men's affairs.
Besides Truth, specialist weekly journals form a distinctive feature of British journalism. Religious weeklies which show vitality include the Church Times, the British Weekly, the Chris tian World, the Tablet, and the Methodist Recorder. The Field, as the country gentleman's paper, edited by Brian Vesey-Fitz Gerald, holds its position unchallenged. Punch, edited by E. V. Knox, is Britain's supreme humorous journal which is more national than ever it was. In the world of economics and finance two weekly papers stand out—the Economist and the Statist. In the medical world the Lancet and the British Medical World are without competitors. Country Life is one of the most attractive of the weekly journals.