The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-20
NEWS or BOOK WORLD
Greatest Newspaper Beat, in History,
las. Told by NJ. de BloWltz-Another
~ Book by Kate Douglas Virginia.
Story OF "The Painted Desert"

Newspaper work with rum among
emperors kings, presidents, popes and
princes, with dipomatists as small fry
would possess more than the usual fascin-
alton. Such runs are given to only a few
to cover" A master among such was
NJ de Blowitz Paris correspondent for the
London Times for many years. h, In
Memoirs OF M. de BIowitz, just published,
is told the story OF de Blowitz's life and
work as a Journalist.
Americans are accustomed to hear Of
the old-fogy methods Of European journal
ISM but a man who could "beat" the
world on the publication Of a great inter-
national treaty, almost scoring beat
on makers of the treaty themselves, de-
served to be ranked among the best and
ablest in the fraternity. ~.
De Blowitz accomplished such a feat
He went to Berlin in the early summer
Of 1878 to cover the Berlin congress which
was to settle the eastern question" From
the time Or his arrival, his work was not
only to get the news of the day, but to
lay his wires for getting a copy of the
completed treaty, on which the commits
sion was working, at the earliest moment
possible When he had almost given up
nope OF accomplishing this most important
OBJECT, copy of the treaty practically
dropped into his hat the day before the
members of the congress were to, sign lit.
Ihls was not an accident, however; it was
a direct result of weeks of effort in pull
ing every string that offered the slight
est hope, and many that seemed to offer
no hope at all. of being attached to the
document which the entire world was
then awaiting with so much interest At
last he got hold of. the right string and
landed his prize. Having made sure that
ne alone had it and having taken the pre-
caution to have his lines open to the
EDITORS desk in London, the rest was
easy. And the London Times published
the treaty at the very hour that the com
missioners were signing it in Berlin.
| The feat was a nire days wonder.
Prince Bismarck tried for years to learn
how de Blowitz had. obtained his copy,
and even went 50 far as to enlist the aid
I Of a clever and beautiful woman in his
efforts to get from the Times correspond
ent his secret. But that is another chap
ter In de BloWitz's memoirs and a very
interesting one. Il. 1. s
r. One is impressed by the absence OF
things M. de Blowitz might have told and
did not For example there is the story
of his interview with Pope Leo XIII, OF
which he says: II regret that may moi
write all that the holy. father said, tc
has: sealed. my lips forever with regard, tc
this Interview It must have beer
weighty matter that called for a. s'never-
to- released order from the pope n
book of BIT pages is. not large enough
to contain all that man with a, remark.
able memory like that of M de Blowits
might tell Of the stirring events that took
place in the course of his life so recently
ended, but lit contains very much more
than book of equal length written by one
! not SO ustomed to economy m the use
Of words might have told, ane all is ST
clearlys told that the reading Of the bool
! is a delight.