（anybody who is powerful； that is）； it must not offend anybody；
it must not even please anybody； too much。 A general vague idea
that in spite of all this； our yellow press is sensational；
arises from such external accidents as large type or lurid headlines。
It is quite true that these editors print everything they possibly
can in large capital letters。 But they do this； not because it
is startling； but because it is soothing。 To people wholly weary
or partly drunk in a dimly lighted train； it is a simplification and
a comfort to have things presented in this vast and obvious manner。
The editors use this gigantic alphabet in dealing with their readers；
for exactly the same reason that parents and governesses use
a similar gigantic alphabet in teaching children to spell。
The nursery authorities do not use an A as big as a horseshoe
in order to make the child jump； on the contrary； they use it to put
the child at his ease； to make things smoother and more evident。
Of the same character is the dim and quiet dame school which
Sir Alfred Harmsworth and Mr。 Pearson keep。 All their sentiments
are spelling…book sentimentsthat is to say； they are sentiments
with which the pupil is already respectfully familiar。
All their wildest posters are leaves torn from a copy…book。
Of real sensational journalism； as it exists in France；
in Ireland； and in America； we have no trace in this country。
When a journalist in Ireland wishes to create a thrill；
he creates a thrill worth talking about。 He denounces a leading
Irish member for corruption； or he charges the whole police system
with a wicked and definite conspiracy。 When a French journalist
desires a frisson there is a frisson； he discovers； let us say；
that the President of the Republic has murdered three wives。
Our yellow journalists invent quite as unscrupulously as this；
their moral condition is； as regards careful veracity； about the same。
But it is their mental calibre which happens to be such
that they can only invent calm and even reassuring things。
The fictitious version of the massacre of the envoys of Pekin
was mendacious； but it was not interesting； except to those who
had private reasons for terror or sorrow。 It was not connected
with any bold and suggestive view of the Chinese situation。
It revealed only a vague idea that nothing could be impressive
except a great deal of blood。 Real sensationalism； of which I
happen to be very fond； may be either moral or immoral。
But even when it is most immoral； it requires moral courage。
For it is one of the most dangerous things on earth genuinely
to surprise anybody。 If you make any sentient creature jump；
you render it by no means improbable that it will jump on you。
But the leaders of this movement have no moral courage or immoral courage；
their whole method consists in saying； with large and elaborate emphasis；
the things which everybody else says casually； and without remembering
what they have said。 When they brace themselves up to attack anything；
they never reach the point of attacking anything which is large
and real； and would resound with the shock。 They do not attack
the army as men do in France； or the judges as men do in Ireland；
or the democracy itself as men did in England a hundred years ago。
They attack something like the War Officesomething； that is；
which everybody attacks and nobody bothers to defend；
something which is an old joke in fourth…rate comic papers。
just as a man shows he has a weak voice by straining it
to shout； so they show the hopelessly unsensational nature
of their minds when they really try to be sensational。
With the whole world full of big and dubious institutions；
with the whole wickedness of civilization staring them in the face；
their idea of being bold and bright is to attack the War Office。
They might as well start a campaign against the weather； or form
a secret society in order to make jokes about mothers…in…law。 Nor is it
only from the point of view of particular amateurs of the sensational
such as myself； that it is permissible to say； in the words of
Cowper's Alexander Selkirk； that 〃their tameness is shocking to me。〃
The whole modern world is pining for a genuinely sensational journalism。
This has been discovered by that very able and honest journalist；
Mr。 Blatchford； who started his campaign against Christianity；
warned on all sides； I believe； that it would ruin his paper； but who
continued from an honourable sense of intellectual responsibility。
He discovered； however； that while he had undoubtedly shocked
his readers； he had also greatly advanced his newspaper。
It was boughtfirst； by all the people who agreed with him and wanted
to read it； and secondly； by all the people who disagreed with him；
and wanted to write him letters。 Those letters were voluminous （I helped；
I am glad to say； to swell their volume）； and they were generally
inserted with a generous fulness。 Thus was accidentally discovered
（like the steam…engine） the great journalistic maximthat if an
editor can only make people angry enough； they will write half
his newspaper for him for nothing。
Some hold that such papers as these are scarcely the proper
objects of so serious a consideration； but that can scarcely
be maintained from a political or ethical point of view。
In this problem of the mildness and tameness of the Harmsworth mind
there is mirrored the outlines of a much larger problem which is
akin to it。
The Harmsworthian journalist begins with a worship of success
and violence； and ends in sheer timidity and mediocrity。
But he is not alone in this； nor does he come by this fate merely
because he happens personally to be stupid。 Every man； however brave；
who begins by worshipping violence； must end in mere timidity。
Every man； however wise； who begins by worshipping success； must end
in mere mediocrity。 This strange and paradoxical fate is involved；
not in the individual； but in the philosophy； in the point of view。
It is not the folly of the man which brings about this
necessary fall； it is his wisdom。 The worship of success is
the only one out of all possible worships of which this is true；
that its followers are foredoomed to become slaves and cowards。
A man may be a hero for the sake of Mrs。 Gallup's ciphers or for
the sake of human sacrifice； but not for the sake of success。
For obviously a man may choose to fail because he loves
Mrs。 Gallup or human sacrifice； but he cannot choose to fail
because he loves success。 When the test of triumph is men's test
of everything； they never endure long enough to triumph at all。
As long as matters are really hopeful； hope is a mere flattery
or platitude； it is only when everything is hopeless that hope
begins to be a strength at all。 Like all the Christian virtues；
it is as unreasonable as it is indispensable。
It was through this fatal paradox in the nature of things that all these
modern adventurers come at last to a sort of tedium and acquiescence。
They desired strength； and to them to desire strength was to
admire strength； to admire strength was simply to admire the statu quo。
They thought that he who wished to be strong ought to respect the strong。
They did not realize the obvious verity that he who wishes to be
strong must despise the strong。 They sought to be everything；
to have the whole force of the cosmos behind them； to have an energy
that would drive the stars。 But they did not realize the two
great factsfirst； that in the attempt to be everything the first
and most difficult step is to be something； second； that the moment
a man is something； he is essentially defying everything。
The lower animals； say the men of science； fought their way up
with a blind selfishness。 If this be so； the only real moral of it
is that our unselfishness； if it is to triumph； must be equally blind。
The mammoth did not put his head on one side and wonder whether
mammoths were a little out of date。 Mammoths were at least
as much up to date as that individual mammoth could make them。
The great elk did not say； 〃Cloven hoofs are very much worn now。〃
He polished his own weapons for his own use。 But in the reasoning
animal there has arisen a more horrible danger； that he may fail
through perceiving his own failure。 When modern sociologists talk
of the necessity of accommodating one's self to the trend of the time；
they forget that the trend of the time at its best consists entirely
of people who will not accommodate themselves to anything。
At its worst it consists of many millions of frightened creatures
all accommodating themselves to a trend that is not there。
And that is becoming more and more the situation of modern England。
Every man speaks of public opinion； and means by public opinion；
public opinion minus his opinion。 Every man makes his
contribution negative under the erroneous impression that
the next man's contribution is positive。 Every man surrenders
his fancy to a general tone which is itself a surrender。
And over all the heartless and fatuous unity spreads this new
and wearisome and platitudinous press； incapable of invention；
incapable of audacity； capable only of a servility all the more
contemptible because it is not even a servility to the strong。
But all who begin with force and conquest will end in this。
The chief chara