Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-24
Special Correspondents and the Cabinet

To the Editor Of The Star:
l have read with some interest your &C
count of an alleged meeting of d:sgruntled
correspondents and reporters and the state
ment that If the policy Of silence is con-
tinued by cabinet officers they will retaliate
by refraining from passing out any more
bouquets in their stories, and, in fact go to
the other extreme.
You quote one correspondent, whom you
designate as Hammer No. l." as saying:
Its a funny thing that we Washington
men are responsible for the opinion the
public has of a large number of public
men. Hammer No. g. is quoted as shar-
ing this opinion, and further makes the
statement that some of them have been
"unintentionally" fooling the public all the
time The inference to be drawn from
these statements, and we will assume that
the two Hammers were quoted correctly.
as the story is printed in our old reliable
Star, that these men have In the past been
sending in matter favorable to some par
ticular official who was in their good
graces. irrespective of the facts and that
they propose, should their demands for
a modification Of the recent order not be
granted, to get back by using their po-
sitions as newspaper correspondents to
vent their personal spleen. 1t might in
terest these particular Hammers" to know
that their opinion of themselves and their
lions Is not shared by at least one news
paper reader. and that is the writer. Fur
thermore. believe l voice the sentiment of
a large number of others. A newspaper
reporter Is entitled to special information
and facilities for getting news solely as a
medium through which the great American
public keeps tab on the events of the day
as they transpire. The only way in which
he can affect a public mans reputation is
by suppression misstatement of facts, as
Hammer No. o. puts it. fooling all Of the
people,
When he does this he ceases to be faith
full and correct medium for the transmits
sion Of news to his papers readers, and. If
the sheet he represents is honestly admin
istered, of any value to 1t. The great
trouble with most of the correspondents and
reporters in Washington (and l have met a
considerable number of them) is that they
have an entirely unjustified idea of their
Importance. Instead of realizing that they
are here for the purpose Of sending timely
and accurate news to their papers, and
through them to the thousands of readers
they become imbued with the idea, as ex-
pressed by Hammer No. % that 1t is their
mission in life to educate the vulgar masses
hold up the public man, andw hen he re-
fuses to be held up to go after him with
their Geographic ak.
The conversation quoted In your paper
shows that these men have been coloring
their stories in exchange for information or
other official favors and were prepared to
resent the withdrawal of favors heretofore
shown them by refrafning from writing
any more commendatory notices Of the Of
tenders, irrespective OF what might be
called for by the facts.
An article by Mr.. Sato Of the recent Jap
anese peace party which appeared in the
magazine section of Sundays Star gives
most accurate description OF the impression
made upon his oriental mind by the Ameri-
can correspondent With delicious sarcasm
Mr.. Sato laments the fact that his country
can never hope to produce newspaper men
of this type for the reason that men en-
gagged in this business In Japan are sadly
handicapped by an education and environ
ment which requires Of them polite and
courteous treatment toward those with
whom they come in contact
believe that the press of this country
should be allowed the fullest and freest OPP
portunities for securing the news at all
times when not incompatible with the pub
lie interest. But 1 also think that news
papers that send correspondents here to
represent them should see to it that these
men send them the whole truth; that they
confine their efforts to the gathering and
transmission of news, and promptly dis
charge any reporter who Is guilty of an
attempt to pay any favor grudge through
the medium of his news reports to his pa
per- CHARLES MOSHER.