THE WORLD'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 130, 23 May 1908, Page 3

THE WORLD'S OLDEST NEWSPAPER.

The announi'cniciit of the recent celebration at Pekin of the one-thousandth anniversary of the King-Pan, "the world's oldest newspaper,'' i s not to be taken too seriously. That the small sheet so named i ri of great antiipiily is beyond dispute, although whether its first publication dates back lo -March, !lUti. as has jusl l>ecu alleged, is, to say the least, extremely doubtful.

i'rofessor U'gge, who published the famous " Chinese Classics," eould iind 11" . traces of any newspapers whatever in the Celestial Kingdom prior to 1200, when the seat of Government wa s first transferred to l'ekin. And, anyhow, it is certain thai, if the King-Pan existed then, its publi cation has several times since been suspended, fruijiieiitlv for many years 011 end. On the other hand., it is known to have teen in existence in 1575, when Jesuit missionaries froiu Home first arrived in the country, and this fact alone would entitle it to justify its claim to be the oldest newspaper now alive, seeing that the (lazette de France, which ranks next in point of seniority, did not make its first appearance until April, 1031.

I'ntil lately, the English Mercuric, ol which some copies dated 13SS are in existence, was assumed to be the oldest English newspaper. Hut recent researches have conclusively proved these isolated sheets to be clever forgeries, executed about 171)0.

The first real newspaper published in England was the 'Public Intelligencer, which commenced issuing ill 1003, and continued to be published regularly for nearly throe years. The London Weekly Couiant. however, appeared spasliiodicallv for a short period so early as IIU2.

The world's earliest newspaper was in all probability the Koman Acta Diurna, which is now known to have been in existence at least, as long ago as 001 JVC,