Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-10-13

in Paris, delaying Its dispatches. But
the ingenuity Of John Walter ii. was
too much for him.
The situation in India was grave,
and the Times established an overland
route to England without touching
France. The Indian mail was handed
to messenger at Suez, the messenger
rode on a dromedary 200 miles to Alex
andria and there handed his packet to
n passenger on an Austrian steamer
bound for Triest. Thence the pre-
cious packet was dispatched via Os-
tend to Dover where Il special train
waited to bring it up to London.
The French minister was angry and
made another move. Special trains
and steamers were placed at the dis
posal of the English rivals of the hated
paper and for once the genius Of the
Times failed. But a storm stopped the
French vessel in the Mediterranean,
while the Times steamer sailed quietly
up the Adriatic. and the triumph OF
the paper conceded with the advent of
its famous editor, Mr.. Delane, who
DeCdlllt tullOl vi lIlC Il ilhNo "h'i AZ
! was twenty-three.
The history of the Times is the his
tory of the world since the paper began
publication. No historian, writing of
any period from the French revolution
until now, can do without its files.
1t was the Duke of Wellington who
said that the editor of the Times was
the most powerful man in the country.
There was nothing the editor did not
know. few things he could not do. 1t
was through the Times that Lord John
Russell learned of the indiscretiOn Of
Palmerston, which led to an apology to
the king Of Naples.
1t was the Times which accused
Lord Melville, the friend Of Pitt, of
The practices for which he was I'M
peached, a tragic destiny which broke
Pitts heart. 1t was the Times which
startled the world one morning by an
nouncing that Peel would repeal the
corn laws. 1t was the Times which
published the Berlin treaty in London
two hours before ii was signed In Ber-
lin. II was the Times correspondent
in Paris to whom Alfonso XII, leaning
against the mantelpiece in his study,
told the story of the coup d'etat In
Madrid which had made him king of
Spain.
1t was in the Times that Charles
Dickens wrote the burning letters
which brought an end to public eXecu-
In, hA hot 7 ord
Brougham, Macaulay, Disraeli, Dean
Stanley, Cardinal Newman and host
Of famous men were proud to write.
1t was the Times that saved the
world from one Of the greatest catas-
trophies that could have occurred In
modern Europe. All the world knows
the story now, but the thought Of the
French scare sends thrill through the
chancelleries even today. 1t was Bis
marck who this time was behind the
Times Bismarck, the founder of the
German empire, who saved that en-
pire from itself and revealed to the
correspondent Of the Times the terrible
plot which would have crippled France
q second time.
Jealous Of Moltke and perhaps hon
estly detesting his fiendish conspiracy
against conquered foe rapidly regain
ing her strength, Prince Bismarck let
Blowitz know, and Blowitz, the Paris
echo of the Voice Of Europe" told 1t
20 the world. Those who remember
the middle seventies remember yet the
effect Of the thunderbolt which the
Times hurled against Count Won
Moltke
The Times has missed its chance
sometimes. In 1892 its editor received
a long letter forecasting the alliance of
Russia and France, but as nobody but
the writer seemed to believe 1t the edi-
tor kept 1t back until 1897, when 1t
announced, with the rest Of the papers,
that the Franco Russian alliance was
an established fact
If 1t has lost prestige in error II has
sacrificed itself not once or twice, but
many times, for peace and the welfare
of the world One Of the most graphic
stories IN journalism is of the foreign
minister who sent for the Times cor
respondent and shouted q challenge to
England in his ears, who flourished a
bundle of kilograms in the journalists
face and declared that g. - should
pay for It." The correspondent went
not to the telegraph Office, but TO bed,
and the world was no wiser the next
morning for the angry scene of the