Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-27

course. there is no telling whether
q any of the newspaper correspond
q ents at Portsmouth win manage to
" pull off big scoop before the con-
ference is over. The only thing
that has been done in that line so
far was the publication of the japanese de
mands soon after the conference opened
That was the work of a correspondent
of the Associated Press, and it has not yet
developed how the thing was done Such
stories do not usually come out till after
they are history instead of news. But there
have been several big international events
where, in spite of the strictest censorship
and secrecy, the correspondents have man
aged 10 get the best of the Authorities in
printing beforehand what the official world
had made up its mind was to remain a
secret till offcialdom in its good time
should be graciously pleased to make it
public.
1t is not of record that any great harm
has ever been done by this sort of enter
prise. In fact the secrecy and censorship
over military affairs in a modern war are
the greatest possible farce. The censorship
in the field is run for purely political rea-
sons instead of military reasons, as the
powers engaged would always like the pub
lie to believe. One can imagine a general
in the field sitting down and planning his
that reached him in the newspape of the
enemy. Yet that is what the military CEN
sorship presupposes. That is just little
too absurd to think about.
X
About the negotiations at the end of a
war, there may be some reason for secrecy
pending their conclusion But the principal
reason for secrecy is that the powers do not
like to see their. case put ON trial in the
newspapers day by day, and it hurts their
delicate feelings to see anything get into
print before they are good enough to per-
NIT it, AT the same time the moves and
counter moves are always known to the
principals on both sides, so 1t is a little
hard to see what real harm could come of
publicity even while the negotiations are
proceeding 1t would simply mean getting
the opinion of the world on each move that
was made in the game. And while public
opinion might not always be compliment
airy, it is generally pretty just.
However, that does not count in consider
ing the big newspaper scoops that have
been pulled off under the nose of the CEN
sor in the past. Probably the most re-
nowned was that of De BlowitZ in report
ing the proceedings of the Berlin conference
for the London Times 1t may be that
this feat got goodiy amount of publicity
rot only because 1t was great feat but be-
cause De Blowitz, so it is said, was a pretty
fair cornetist in his own behalf and never
turned his way. But it was a good piece
of work, all the same.
He knew that he would have to do the
Berlin conference, and made his plans far
ahead. Through his personal pull he got
young fellow appointed as private score
tary to one of the members of the confer
ence. No one save the managers of the
Times. De Blowitz and the young men In
question, knew how or why he got the job.
He and De Biowitz We're not supposed even
to be acquainted. However, when they
We're both in Berlin, the young secretary on
the inside of the conference and the cor
respondent on the outside, they always
dined at the same restaurant at the same
hour in the afternoon. They did not sit at
the same table and never spoke to each
other. But they wore hats exactly alike,
and when they left the cafe De Biowitz al
ways went first and took the other mans
hat off the rack. The days proceedings of
the conference were written on thin paper
and placed inside the sweatband.
The Times printed the proceedings from
day to day. and there was much specula-
ton as to where the leak in the conference
came. Detectives Swallowed everyone. even
the members of the conference. after they
had left the building. But the secret never
came out till De Blowitz himself made it
public. He was paid we'll by the Times for
his work. and he never surpassed II
through all his long residence as the
Times regular correspondent in Paris
An equally clever piece of work was done
in reporting the Verenengin conference.
that marked the close of the war in South
Africa South Africa was even better
situated than Berlin for keeping Sc
crets from the public. There was the
strictest sort of censorship on every word
of news that went out of the country The
British controlled the cable Office at Cape
Town. and not a line was allowed to go by
either the east or west African cables.
There was another censorS office at Alden,
and this man took fail out of all news