However, great as was the part which circulation and advertisement revenue played in the life of a. newspaper, the ultimate criterion of its worth to the world at large was in its influence for good. In that connexion the thought would occur to Mr. Noyes that had occurred to many others, namely, the great possibilities that existed for good or evil in the growing power of the Chinese Press, Thinking foreigners would hope that in its development towards a fuller expression of itself the Chinese Press would at least be able to avoid that transition stage which a section of the Press of the West had gone or was going through, the stage which was called for lack of a better name "Yellow Journalism." All thoughtful pressmen knew the menace of Yellow Journalism and were instinctively opposed to it. In a country like China, however, the dangers would be much greater than, say, in America or England or France, where a higher standard of education obtained. Therefore, all well-wishers of the Chinese Press would hope that somehow or other in its future development it would have no "Yellow" period to go through.
As regards the press in England and America, Mr, Turner believed that it was approaching a stage when it would be found that in tha long run it paid not to exaggera gate, not to pander merely to the excitable or unwholesome in the human appetite as regards news, and to be absolutely fair in stating an opponent's case. He concluded by proposing the health of Mr. Noyes (and also Mrs. Noyes) which was enthusiastically. drunk,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.