IT was March 1923 -- exactly 50 years ago. Boxer Gene Tunney had just won the light-heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden, while in California, Prohibitionists were battling to close the Mexican border to thirsty tourists. In Europe preparations were under way for Italy's first skyscraper. It was with these and other stories that TIME The Weekly Newsmagazine first appeared.

Now, a half century later, Tunney would scarcely recognize the world around him. Keeping people informed today, of course, requires vastly more resources, manpower and expertise. We like to think that we have kept pace with the history we reported, and that TIME has had the ability to change while remaining itself.

This week we take the first step in our second half-century by announcing a new edition, TIME Europe. While most of our readers will see no difference in their weekly copies, those in Europe, the Mideast and Africa will now have additional pages each week, to run at the beginning of their edition and devoted to news of special interest to the European community. The European pages will be produced by a separate staff, based in Paris and headed by our new European editor, Jesse L. Birnbaum. Birnbaum brings 22 years' experience to his new post, including stints as senior editor in New York and European cultural correspondent based in London. Working with him as associate editor and senior writer will be Curtis Prendergast, a veteran chief of TIME'S Paris, Tokyo, Johannesburg and London News bureaus. David B. Tinnin joins the new staff from his post as a correspondent in our Europe bureau, and Priscilla B. Badger becomes head reporter-researcher. In New York, R. Edward Jackson, a former World writer, Rome bureau chief and deputy chief of correspondents, will serve as international editor, coordinating the new section with the rest of the magazine and planning further expansion overseas.

We thus continue to pursue an international tradition that began 32 years ago. From the sale of our first overseas edition in 1941, our circulation has grown to 490,000 in Canada, 180,000 in Asia, 125,000 in Australia, 115,000 in Latin America, and 40,000 in New Zealand. In the area that will receive TIME Europe, our circulation is now 430,000--2 1/2 times that of any other international newsmagazine. For those readers, the new edition begins this week.

For readers everywhere, we also present in this issue a special section on the changing Europe. Our editors and correspondents assess the state of Europe's economy, culture and politics, and look toward its future.

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