The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-03-06
American News In Ensland.

/ The Character OF the so-called "news'
furnished 10 London newspapers by their
/ American correspondence has long been
a cause Of merriment in this country. As a
rule II is so solemn. so didactc, so wholly
made up Of personal eoneeit and oracular
| Iromulgation thet in the judgment OF YAM
kee readers it seems but owlish nonsense.
Until quite recently, for instance, the Lon
don Times had its American bureau in
/ Philadelphia-an ideal location In IN, no
doubt but about as suitable. nowadays,
as Buffalo or Boston. Since then. the
! Times field Of inquiry into American SEN
timent has been transferred 10 New York,
where the clubs are a little more COM
placent and the atmosphere far more IN
American. Indeed, one can find in that
town, at least among the especially con-
spicuous "aristocracy," quite as genuine
a Coekney favor as in Houndsdltch or the
Strand. All Of which, as we say. con-
tributes to the gayety of the initiated,
out not TO the enlightenment of the Brit
ish public
Apropos, Mr.. Labouchere says in his
very brilliant and entertaining periodical,
the London Truth:
THE function Of a foreign corresDond-
ent OF an English newspaper used to be 10
report events in the country TO which ne
i sent. That idea seems 10 be rapidly be-
coming obsolete. The foreign correspond
tnts OF London journals give Us less and
less news and more end more opinions
sometimes the opinions Of local speakers
ana writers, but more often their own.
These opinions are selected or delivered
always with an eye 40 the political views
Of the journal to which they are trans
mitted. A foreign correspondent thus be-
comes a mere witness on the side cf the
leading arucle-writer or d mechanical echo
OF his utterances.
The most conspicuous example of this
IS Mr.. Smalley, of the Times. When over
mere, this gentleman was closely identified
with British Tory politics. Appointed TO
represent the Times at New York. he
cables over his views q. e, Tory views) on
current British political questions, which,
/ suppose, the readers are expected to ac-
cept as samples of American public opin-
ion He has even of late devoted himself
to carrying on a personal vendetta against
Mr.. Bryce, and Mr.. Bryce'S constituents
have been SOlemnly lectured on their duty
toward their member through the New
York correspondence of the Times. APP
parently, Mr.. Smalley's ambition IS to be-
come s-Atlantie BlowitZ NJ Blowitz
however, with all his failings is a man
of character and originality and a brilliant
journalist Of a sort He may know how
to say what his employers want said, but
he treats affairs. British or continental,
from a higher standpoint than that If a
Fleet street journalistic hack
We quite agree that Mr.. Smalley is, per-
haps, the most hOpelessly dull and fatuous
Of the lot. He knows no more of national
sentiment in this country than the Wall
street men and the Anglomaniac women
with whom he associates by preference
possibly by compulsion-and he Is as in
capable of prOnOuncing upon American
feeling and opinion as the secretary Of
our embassy at London. But Mr. La
bouchere need not stop at Smalley. There
are others. The London Times is not the
only British newspaper which is receiv-
ing as American news" nothing more val
liable than the private opinions of its. cor
respondents.