Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-06
A NEWSPAPER SCOOP
HOW 1T WAS OBTAINED WITHOUT
ANY DEPARTMENT LEAK.


Sources of Information of which
the Alert and quick witted Corre-
spondent Is Always Ready to Take
Legitimate Advantage.
every once in awhile one reads in
the newspapers of the determination
of some one of the high government
officials to discover the source of the
leak of n piece OF news which it was
not desired should be given out at that
particular time" remarked an old
Washington correspondent, land with
out giving the solution to the secret
escapes of public information, as they
vary, l win tell you of one instance
which serves to show how news ap-
pears in print in what is considered by
all concerned to be n very mysterious
manner Like all mysteries when I'M
raveled it is wondered that it was not
thought of before. My story is en-
tireIy part of the secret sources OF
information which all correspondents
have more or less Mt their disposal
and which often comes from the out
side and not from the inside of the
departments.
'Some time ago-the precise time is
not essential to the story-a very i'm
portant public matter was up for de-
termination by the president. All of
the larger metropolitan dailies We're
particularly interested, as it did not
have to do especially with Washing
ton, and the entire correspondents
world at the capital was on the qui
vive to get it. including myself All
channels which were usually tapped
10,
barren as desert stream in midsum-
mer. kilograms from the home offices
poured into our various bureaus here
couched in imperative language that
the news must be obtained. evidently
in the belief that all correspondents
have to do is to so out, ask officials
for the desired information and re-
ceive it, coupled with q good cigar and
n bottle of wine. AS a matter of fact,
when officials wish to keep secret
piece OF information, all possible loop
holes of escape are securely padlOcked,
and it is the exception that it gets out.
Il had about given up hope of secur-
ing q beat in this particular instance,
though l was of course, as Vigilant as
ever. The time for the maturing of the
project was close at hand. and any day
it might by official announcement be-
come public property. One night as L
was sitting idly in the lobby of an up
town hotel, half doing in my chair,
waiting for the appearance of Il senator
with whom 1 had an appointment on an
inconsequential matter. I overheard one
of two gentlemen who were sitting be-
hind me drop the words the president
The high backs of our chairs nearly
touched. and by instinct my drOwsy
senses became clear and I woke up.
THE president remarked one of the
gentlemen, said that it was his inteu-
ton to adopt that course irrespective
OF the consequences either to himself or
the party H'a
But you pointed out to him what it
meant to us-that he was clearly in er-
ror?' replied the other gentleman
'ElabOrately,' responded the first
speaker. but the president said that be
was convinced that accruing results
would prove that we, and not he, were
in error
Then we may as well go back to
New York tomorrow was the answer,
| and both gentlemen arose and walked
toward the cafe. apparently in very
respondent frame of mind.
II was an involuntary listener to this
scrap of conversation. in which. it will
be observed, not a single word was
dropped as to the subject matter there
of. l ct once jumped to the conclusion
that the government. through the presi-
dents action, intended TO take, the af-
fpmative of the proposition. the news
side of which the correspondents had
so long and earnestly endeavored to
ascertain. With n straight tip as to the
course Of the government the CORE
spondent could do the rest. while with
the wrong tip he could not only make
his paper ridiculous. but would in all
probability lose his position; hence the
care in making a scare head, page wide
story
''In the furtherance of my conclusion
my paper had the beat of the season
| the following morning. as 1 stated the
facts as though they came from official
sources, as indeed, such / considered
/ them. To my mind. as Il correspondent,
| it vas as clear as if the president him.
self had given me the information. Two
| days after Il member of the cabinet
| gave out officially what l had wired
over and with it the announcement that
the leak had occasioned much annoy
ance, and its source would be investi-
gated thoroughly 1t is here given cor
rectly for the first Washington
| Star.