PURPOSE: To provide a coating composition containing starch and a specified compound respectively in a specified amount, capable of improving the physical properties of base paper for a news paper and of imparting an excellent printability thereto.

CONSTITUTION: The coating composition contains (A) 100 pts.wt. starch and (B) 1 to 15 pts.wt. (preferably 2 to 5 pts.wt.) compound of, e.g. formulae I to V {R1, R3, R4 and R5 are a 10 to 24C alkyl and R2 is H or methyl; m and n are each 1 to 10; p and q are each 0 to 15 and p+q=2 to 20; r is 1 to 15; s and t are each 1 or 2 and s+t=3; A is (CH2CH2O)u (u is 5 to 60); B is [CH (CH3)CH2O]v (v is 10 to 100); X is bonding group between A and B} as the essential components.