The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-01-09
UNIQUE IN JOURNALISM.
New York Times Candid Ad-
mission of Serious Error.
CONCERNING GERMAN WAR SCARE

Dispatches FROM Wnshington-No
Attempt Made TO Extenuatc the se-
riousncss OF It's Misstntements.
The New York Times published on
Sunday. Dec. 20 n special dispatch
from Washington in which was strong
" suggested the imminence Of war
with Germany over the Monroe doc.
trine iu its special applicability to the
situation In Venezuela. The corre-
spondcnt responsible for the dispatch
stated with positiveness calculated to
carry conviction that the United States
government fully appreciated the sltua-
ton and was both "alert and pre-
pared"
A day later the New York Journal
criticised The Times iispatch and the
New York Evening Post also took ex-
ception to the suggestion contained in
the information" from Washington.
Then followed on the part of The
Times an example of candor and frank
though dlgnlfed self abasement proba-
bly, unparalleled in American journal
ism. There was no effort to set itself
partially right by demonstrating that
some contemporary was even more
wrong. The fault or mistake was fully
acknowledged. and there was no ad-
vancing even Of mitigating clrcum-
stances.
This is the editorial which The Times
published conspicuously in its issue of
Tuesday. Dec. 81:
The publication in The Times on
Sunday of foolish and unwarrantable
dispatch concerning the possibility of
trouble between the United States and
Germany over the attempt of the Ger
mans to collect with warships money
owing them by Venezuela has called
forth the following comment from our
neighbor the New York Journal;
on the first page Of the New York
Times yesterday appeared "a Washington
dispatch headed, Possibility Of War
with the German Empire" The alleged
possibility rested on the disturbances i'm
Venezuela. II was asserted that our gov
ernment had the chances of a clash with
Germany constantly in mind and was pre-
pairing for It.
Sensational Journalism may be either
EODb OF Ddu II dDptdIH 10 US llldl TINS ~
distinctly sensational journalism OF the
bad kind. The statement that we are con-
templating the possibility OF war with
Germany can be productive Of nothing
but mischief or course It is well to make
all European powers understand that none
of them can acquire territory in America
without fighting the United States
thorough understanding Of this general
principle must promote peace, but there
rs no excuse for singing out Germany. as
tod
pressly for her.
These observations are judicious and
sensible. The censure which they con
vey Is fully deserved by The Times.
1t is not the policy or the practice Of
The Times to give place to baseless
and mischievous reports. to which cate
CORY the Washington dispatch in ques.
ton clearly belongs The conductors
of The Times endeavor faithfully TO
use due diligence TO exclude false news
and noxlous trash from its columns.
BY one of those accidents or oversights
which sometimes battle the Intentions
OF finite men this Washington dispatch
about Germany got into the columns of
The Times. For the harm II has done
we feel more regret than we can ex-
press. AS our neighbor The Evening
Post justly says: 1T is not creditabie
to n respectable newspaper that II
should publish a dispatch from Wash
ington. as The Times did yesterday,
representing that there is danger OF
war between Germany and the United
States over the complications in Vene
zuela. There Is an utter lack of evi
dence to support such sensation.
The Times does not willingly or with
intent do things not credtable to 1t oI
likely TO impair its reputation or di
mlnlsh the confidence Of its readers In
the correctness of its news and the con
servatism of its principles.
we accordingly declare that it ID
within the knowledge Of this newspa
per that the relations between Ger
many and the United States are wholly
amicable and that the belief In theii
continuance is based upon reasons oi
unusual validity. The procedures oi
Germany in her preparations TO compe
Venezuela to keep faith expose her nei
ther to reproach nor to suspicion on oul
part. They have not been taken In dis
regard OF precedent or OF the accepted
principles of international law. NO
only has she done nothing in contra
vention of the Monroe doctrine. but i
may be said that her courteous anc
friendly communications to our gov
ernment advance that doctrine on'
step further toward universal accept
ance as part of the unquestioned law
of nations. We have no reason to re
gard Germany save as good friend
and The Times wishes to make its dis
claimer of the unfortunate Washington
dispatch to which we have referred al
broad and unreserved as language cal
make 1t.
Lipton,s Heart Set on Americas Cur
j. Frederick Tams, yachtbroker