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THE BRITISH GAZETTE.”
HOW IT REACHED A CIRCULATION OF 2,209,000. UNEXAMPLED ACHIEVEMENT IN JOURNALIMI.
REMARKABLE TRIUMPH,
The act of taking over having been can- firmed by a Cabinet Miante, signed by Mr. Winston Churchill, the conference in the Editor's room, with the technical hands of the paper present to advise, was continued until the o'clock in the morning.
At last the moment has come to tell. Only the extreme gravity of the occa the story of one of the most signal sion could have justified the innovation exploits and adventures in the annusls on the one side and the self-effacement of English journalism-the foundation in on the other. a day and night of a daily newspaper, The British Gazette, and the multiplica tion of its issue within a week to the stupendous total of over 2,000,000.
Nothing like it has been done before, the world over. If the exceptional casion provided the impiration and the opportunity, it also imposed the severest, disabilities. What was done represented a triumph of resource and determination over what might well have seemed in superable difficulties. It is a triumph of which all who had part in it have a right to be proud, and one which has served equally well two great causes."
It has defeated the attempt to keep the country in the dark during a for, midable crisis in its affairs; and it has vindicated the Press against a new con- spiracy to muzzle its freedom.
What was the utmost that could be done with the plant and repurces available i For the answer to that question every* thing depended on the attitude of the men employed' on the mechanical side, especially the compositors.
At four o'clock in the morning on the fateful Tuesday, the General Manager called a meeting of the machine-room overseers, and put the case to them. All but the foundry overser agreed to carry on.
A CRUCIAL TEST.
Now come the crucial teat-what would the staff of the composing-room do? The Printer, Mr. A. Turnet, who was a tower of strength, a man of infinite resource
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MAGASIN GENERAL.
A MENORABLE SCENE. There was some volunteer labour
Let us tell the story, which opens on Monday, May 3rd, under the shadow of a doneral Strike to be declared at mid- night-a strike of which the master-stickej was to be the shutting down of the news and untiring energy all through the un- exampled ordeal-was confident they. рарств.
would stand by the paper. Summoned by telegram and brought in by motor-car at an hour earlier than usual, they were available, all of it inexpert, but it was assembled in the composing-room and thought better on this crifical occasion address by the Editor and the Gen- to depend on members of the Morning cral Manager. They responded heartily lust household; and so the Editorial to the appeal to stand by the paper which Staff, most of which was out of commis mony of them had seral so long; but sion in dealing with so small a paper, they fat it to be their duty to report clothed itself in dungarees, and marched to their Union, the London Society of down to the machine-room, to be initiat Compauitors. Pending instructions, they ed into its job. started setting the first number of The
It was impossible to acquiesco in the prospect of a nation, exposed to the in- terruption of the whole of its social and industrial economy, and at the same de prived of its news, and of the one medium through which public opinion might find and express itself. But what was to be done?
A FAMOUS LETTER. The Government wire alert to the emergency, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer called to the Treasury on Monday the representatives of the News paper Proprietors Association (repre senting the London-Press) and of the Newspaper Society (representing the Provincial Press). But he obtained from the conference little comfort or en-
couragement. Its members were unable to agroc to the suggestion that they should co-operate in the production of a comaton emergency nowe-sheet, and the confer- ence broke up indecisively,
SPEEDSTER'S RECKLESSNESS.
TRAVELLING AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
The licenced driver of a private car was charged-beforo Mr. R. E. Lindell, at the Central Magistracy yesterday----- with reckless driving and failing to obey a police signal, -..
Divisional Inspector P. Grant said he
Wednes was at Queen's Road West on Such a sight was never seen before day night when he observed the defen- reporters, sub-editore, financial experts British Gazette and bad got up five Leader-writers, art and music critics; dant travelling at a speed which he esti columns of matter when, at five o'clock, every able-bodied man, of whatever rank mated at 30 miles an hour. Ho waved their representative came back to say or station, was recruited for the occnto the driver to stop while standing io that they were forbidden to touch the sion, and all responded to the call with the middle of the road with the head
" frolic welcome."
work.
..
When the last man had gone, the iron doors of the composing-room wero, shut with a clang, and-the work went on.
For measures had already been taken meet the emergency which had arisen.
WELCOME HELP,
car,
On Wednesday morning the British the superintendent, as a man who over Gazette was a newspaper in being:
year ago, had obtained two desk fans Every succeeding night the organisation from the showrooms by false pretences. improved, the resources, except on the mechanical aide, developed, and processes of production became more methodical and easily-working.
The machines were late in starting.lights full on, but be swerved aside and There was nothing more to be said, and There was an accident in the foundry. got away. Later on, as expected, the it seemed doubtful whether there was A mould was broken; it took nearly two car returned, and the driver again at anything more to be done; for the pro-hours to clear away the splashed metal tempted to escape by swerving, but was duction of a newspaper without anyone to that the autoplate would work again forced to come to a standstill near the to act the type is impossible.
It was nearly midnight when the Inst plate had been locked on the cylinder and pavement.
Fines of 850 ot lour weeks' hard labour It wan
a situation charged not only the signal to start was given. It was a
were imposed on each of the two charges, with latefulness, but with piognaat night of "toil and ineffable weariness." At this juncture, the Editor of the feeling. These old servants of the for all engaged night full of anxieties and the Magistrate also recommended the
and some disappointments, as might be Morning Post wrote to Mr. J. C. C. 3orning Post were found by long asso expected with what was siter all but a suspension of defendant's licence. Davidson, M.P, the. Deputy Civil Com-
ciation and many memories to the paper, brilliant improvisation.
But the end was achieved. By six missioner for London, saying that, with and were deeply attached to its fortunes
FALSE PRETENCES. the co-operation of the Government, heIt was a hard and Litter choice that they o'clock in the morning 230,000 copies of the first number of the British Gazette would undertake to produce a four-page had to make between the two allegiances; had been produced, and largely dle SEQUEL TO A-YEAR-OLD THEFT, bulletin paper, to the number of 100,000 and not a few of them broke down ander tributed.
When a Chincan entered the Hong- daily, and suggesting that if there were the strain.
The first supplies were sent to the any culty, the Government should.
aeroplane stations to be conveyed to the kong Electric Company's showrooms, in provinces, and the remainder of the Queen's Road Central, on Wednesday, commandeer same big newspaper office
edition was despatched by motor-van or he was recognized by Mr. W. E. Orchard ; (that of the Morning Past or another) and order sa inany papers to be pro- duced. Meanwhile, the work of producto ing what promised to be the last june of the Morning Post for an indefinite time proceeded. An emergency edition was The Chancellor of the Exchequer had sent out at 8 o'clock, and, na the me
rung up Lord Beaverbrook to ask what chanical staff did not strike until they help hn could give; and Lord Beaverbrook
On the first night it had been necessary from the showroom on behalf of tho had completed the regular shift, it was responded, by lending for the service al possible to produce at midnight a 20-page the British Gazette the one man without to leave the two inaido pages of the four South China Electric Company. On edition of the Morning Peet, though its
Wednesday, all four were filled with showroom and asked for six desk fang, distribution was limited by the cessation whom it is not too much to say the situs page sheet a blank. On the next night, March 31st last year, ha came to the tion could not have been saved. This was news, and the amount of the issue was two of which he took away with him in Indeed the total.riesha. In accordance with defendant's dr. Sydney W. H. Long, the night more than doubled. Superintendent of the Daily Express a print increased rapidly in geometrical request, the other four fans were sent man of great experience and rare skill progression, until, at the end of a week, to the South China Electric Company en the technical side of the printing.no fewer than two million copies of the but they were returned on the ground At a hastily-snatched dinner on the
payment had not been made for the two Manday evening, the Editor, the General After working for years as a linotype British Gazette were being printed and that they had not ordered them. So for To produce this result a complete re fans removed by defendant, nor were they agreed that the Morning Post must some then night Superintendent of Lord organisation of the office had to be un-returned. Manager and the Managing Editor operator, he became master printer and distributed all over the country.
Defondant was sentenced to three dertaken. how play its part in the crisis that was Beaverbrook's paper. He was also a
The Government had placed editorial months" hard-labopr. approaching, and they drafted a formal atout trade unionht and had played a memorandum for presentation to the leading part in getting for the Com direction in the hands of Sir Malcolm Government, outlining a definite schemo positor's Union their present charter. It Friser; the control, on behalf of H.M. for co-operation with Government. It was in his handa tione that the setting Stationary Office, in those of Mr. W. the Chief Reader and two of his eol effered, if adequate protection were of the British Gaette depended. But Codling; and the work af distribution given, to print at first 100,000 copies of five columns of the 14 in the first number was undertaken by Mr. Kimpton, of leagues had stood by, or in the com a news theet at night and to raise the out were sot. The rest Mr. Long did with Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son, Admiral posing-room, pulling proofs or driving put to 400,000 corics by the end of the his own hands, except for the little Sir Keginald Hall was called in to take cars, or even acting as messengera.
To understand the strain under which woek. It placed the staff of the Morning brought in from the outside by the charge of personnel. Paper supplies the British Gazette was produced in its i
Stafionery Office.
were committed to Mr. E. Bowater, and early days, it is only necessary to realise the ink supplies to Mr. G. W. Dane
of the train services.
The read that had been sown by the Editor's letter was germinating, and was to spring up presently with the swift Dess of Jonah's gourd..
MANY INVENTIONS.
Before Major C. Willson, at the Cen- tral Magistracy yesterday, who the man was charged, Mr. Orchard said that the defendant had previously bought goods
Poil at the service of the Government, to
three remained work under its direction and authority of the Readers,
ataunch-Mr. R. Harris, the head reader, A new telephone system was installed that many of the keymen worked, sleep- ing in snatches, for 72 hours on end; and THE GOVERNMENT ARRIVES.
ng in the twinkling of an eye, and ar that a camber of these nover left the Mr. P. J. Greene and Mr. F. Moody. Late that night important visitors to With Mr. Long, came Mr. Evans, head rangements were made. for feeding the building at all. Without such devotion the Editor were announced; and into the machine-room overter, and Mr. Trotter, multitudinous staff which rapidly grew to their task the British Cattle would Editorial room marched the Chancellor chiel mechanical engineer of the Daily up, for transporting many workers to never have bem possible of the Exchequer, Sir Samuel Hoare, apress. By courtesy of the Directors, and from their homes, and for sleeping Now that the end of the strike has..
come, and the need for a Government. Mr. J. C. C. Davidson, and a train of Me Alfred Hawkina, chief stereotyper others on the premises. departmental officials. They had come to of the Daily Mail, was provided for the
The protection of the building also news-sheet is over now that the organisa act on the suggestion of the Editor's | foundry a little later.
became a primary necessity. Its aption so hurriedly improvised, ie working letter to Commandeer on behalf of His In the machine-mom, where the greatproaches were guarded by Metropolitan at its highest efficiency that elaborate Majesty's Government the Morning Posts Operate, there was left of the police and special constables, and ad machine, so painfully and laboriously and to convert it offhand into a Govern Moming Post stall only Mr. Holmes, fained on official pass. The building contracted, and adjusted, has to be
mission to the..building could only ho ment news-sheet-The British Gazette. works manager, and Mr. Boyd, machine was like a beleagured fortress. Sir Malcolm Fraser was put in charge room overseer of the Morning Post, but as the direct representative of the Govthey were reinforced by Mr. Thompson, chief engineer of the Morning Post, Mr. The stars about to be taken was a mo- Norris, chief ectrician, and Hr. mentous one for the Morning Post, and Palmer, linotype mechanic. hardly less so for the Government, who never before had taken responsibility for But three or four men, however expert, the production of a daily newspaper. In cansat run gitary presses Crews more than 160 years the Morning Post for each machine are required, to handle had but once intermitted its daily issue, the paper reel to oil and tend the and now not only were all its resources sachinery, to clothe the sylinders with the vereo-plates, and to take away print to be handed over to others, but its very cd papers as they pour from the flies, name was to disappear.
ornment.
The work on the production of the paper began at 10 o'clock in the morning only an hour or two after the printing Owing to the fact that there was only one man operating the linotype, a very early start was essential Those of the editorial staff who were not employed on editing or sub-editing took turns as copy-holders in the reading-room, where (Continued on next column.)
of it had been suspended,
-
That is the irony of the situation,
saved. The most formidable and in- But the heroic task attempted has been sidious attempt that has yet been made to cripple the freedom of the Press and to withhold essential news from the public, has been frustrated.
The British Gazette may, have had a short life; but it has fulfilled the purpose of living
It becomes a memory, but it remains
A monument.