The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-17
NEWSPAPER MEN IN ENGLAND.
Difficulties of interviewing officials
of All Kinds.
From the London News.

tTOIn NtAG 1OHuOIl NEWS.
Among the first things that an Ameri-
can newspaper man discovers in this coun-
try is that he is not so we'll considered
here as he is at home. Here everybody
takes you for penny.a-liner 1t is a lit
Tie puzzhng to understand how a we'll
dressed man can be set down this way,
often by people who do not make half
what he does in the course of the year,
but that is the general impression.
went into a Bond street jewelers. when
I first came to England, to ask an expla-
nation of a curious thing / had noticed
in the window with the intention of writ
ing it up if / found 1t newsy. The deal
err, who took me for a probable purchaser,
explained what 1 wanted to know kindly
enough. Then l gave him my card. An
American would Rave redoubled his eff
forts to please and tried to get me TO
make an article on the subject. This man
said, after a little: "Now, that will make
a lot of copy for you. won't it?' l had
intended writing q half-column on what
was really an interesting subject; but that
patronizng remark settled it, l put it
in the paper in about six lines.
But it is in trying to obtain important
information in the Houses of Parliament
and about the foreign and colonial offices
that an American reporter learns how sur
prisingly observed the English are con-
tent to be, as regards news. No aldermen
in New York. no legislator at Albany no
congressman at Washington, hardly the
President of the United States himself,
would dare to be SO scant of courtesy and
disobliging to even an unimportant Amer
lean newspaper man as are some private
secretaries, and even liveried attendants,
in English official life TO representatives,
not of the news agencies alone, but of the
biggest London dailies. 1t is almost i'm
possible to get an interview with a man
like Chamberlain people are content to
gather his views in the report of one of
his speeches at some country hustings,
and wait for an explanation Of an inn
portant diplomatic move on the floor of
the House. The nearest the most expert
enterprising, and capable reporter can get
to an account of a cabinet meeting, or
hint of the Premer's policy, is a nod or
smile from one of the private secretaries
to the effect that some wild guess the re-
porter has haZarded is not altogether
wrong, or a fiat denial of some canard
the reporter has brought in. An Ameri-
can newspaper man in his own country
who could not get, at first hand, fresh
news from the biggest politician would
soon make life not worth living for that
politician.
Only few days ago ] saw in a copy of
the most widely read social paper in Amer
lea q paragraph, which ran like this: Mrs.
Blank, the intimate friend of Mr.. and Mrs.
Mckinley is not meeting with anything
like the social success in Washington
WHICH her wealth, beauty and position
gave her the right to expect 1t is an open
secret that Mrs. Blanks social failure is
due to her cool treatment of the newspa-
per representatives who were at Canton in
the closing days Of the campaign. The
lady's name was printed.
Another surprise awaits the American re-
porter in England when he goes out inter-
viewing. Objectionable as some features
Of American journalism are. the general
respect for a reporter over there Is such
that never once, even when l have had
such a disagreeable assignment as going to
a house where father or husband, son or
brother lay dead, in order to get up facts
for an obituary, have ] ever been received
with anything except the greatest courtesy
and given the information | wanted. The
average for courtesy, certainly for polish,
is higher here than IL Is there, but an
Englisnman can never get it out of his
head than an interviewer is an intruder.
He has not been educated up to the fact
that his business is also other peoples
business. 1t takes more tact and diplom-
acy to find out from an Englishman the
nlerest detail Of everyday life than it would
10 make good friends Of France and Ger
many.
To interview man on anything except
something he wants TO get INTO the paper