PARISIAN JOURNALISM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 174, 28 July 1876, Page 13

PARISIAN JOURNALISM.

The Paris correspondent of the London • Daily Telegraph ' writes to that journal on April 14 : "A new journal — or, rather, an old one revived — the ' Gazette/ has lost no time in anticipating the efforts of the innumerable sheets which are about to court the favor of definitive Republicans. With a gentleman at its head who was for many years the right-hand man of M. de Villemesßant, editor of the ' Figaro,' the ' Gazette ' very naturally inspired some distrust in the men of the Third Republic. But M. Alfred d'Aunay was not to be baulked by such a trifle as his antecedents. He. declared that after having passed the best of his days with Bonapartists, Royalists, and the intimate friends of Henry Cinq, he had come to the conclusion that their morals and customs were not calculated to'regenerato France. Henceforth he was a Republican, and those who dared to suggest thai: he was anything else would hare to answer for their temerity in a mortal combat.' Nobody, however, thought it worth his while to take up the challenge — perhaps because no one had &ny doubts as to the sincerity of a conversion so rapidly performed, and perhaps, also, on account of the very innocuous character of the political leaders publishing in the ' Gazette.' Be this as it may, one thing is certain, and that is the enterprising spirit displayed by the new editor in the conduct of his journal. On finding that light political articles wherein the new regime was supported in the fantastic style proper to the * Figaro,' when it, treats its readers to a political hors d'eeuvre, did not answer, M. d'Aunay ventured upon another tack. He offered to every six months' subscriber two hooks containing the history of the Revolution and the Empire by M. Thiers.. The idea was by no means a new one, and yet some people who had never read the works, and thought it a good opportunity of giving a Republican tone to their library, bought the two huge volumes, and did not object to receive the ' Gazette ' into the bargain. Now, there is no limit to the inventive genius of a journalist who has been trained by M. de Villemessant, and the veteran repreßentativs of the Parisian press was surely proud of his pupil when he s iw on the walls of the city the following notice : '• Read in to-morrow's ' Gazette ' the article on a diamond, by M. Alfred d'Aunay." What was still a mystery to the .public could be none to the experienced eye of the editor of the ' Figaro/ M. d'Aunay was going actually to hand over the counter a diamond ring to every one of his subscribers. Sure enough the next day the entire first page of the journal was taken up by an address to all the ladies of France, in which the writer promised that they should all wear a jewel of price if their husbands, brothers, and lovers would subscribe to the • Gazette ' for the year. In the middle of the sheet were the different models of stones specially cut for those who patronised the paper. The gold ring and diamond could be had for fifty francs on condition of receiving the ' Gazette ' for a whole year. Not only the first sheet of the journal, which is daily filled with, this interesting notice; carefully varied by the record ot scenes between husband and wife on the subject of the gem, but the office of the ' Gazette ' in the Rue Drouot has been turned into a regular jeweller's shop. All signs of the newspaper have disappeared : nothing but diamonds are to be seen. Small crowds collect in front of the windows and gaze intently upon these wondrous stones. M. Gambetta's modern Athenians will now be able to wear rings on their fingers, and if the Republic lasts there is no reason why the ' Gazette ' should not Bupply them with all the other necessities of Athenian life. Qui vivra verra. It may be that M. d'Aunay is destined to becom9 the victim of his passionjfor adorning Republicans, and that the extraordinary circulation of the new diamonds may render him unable to pay the expenses of .his journal.