Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-24
VISITING JOURNALISTS
HALCYoN DAYS FOR BRITISH
WRITERS IN GERMANY.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON, June Is, 1907.
These are halcyon days for British jour
nalists. In the evolution of the entente
dale idea, European nations DESTROYS of
promoting amicable relations with the puts
SAINT John Bull have come to the conclusion
that the best way to do it is to invite rep
resentatives of his fourth estate to visit
them, give them no end of good time. and
then let them return home to tell the Brit
ish public through their respective papers
what excellent fellows their hosts are. and
to devote a large portion of the rest of
their lives to the cause Of international
peace and goodwill.
Germany started the notion. Germany
sent here last year a delegation of the
editors Of the leading German newspapers,
who were feted and made much Of The
return visit has just terminated. But
England has hardly played fair with the
Teuton in the matter. Germany sent
genuine editors here-men whose authorl-
tative positions and freedom to express
their convictions gave them real infiu-
ence as molders of public opinion. Eng
land has not reciprocated in kind. OF the
party of thirty more, now on their way
back. only three are real editors-Mr. Gar
diner Of the London Daily News. Mr..
Shorter of the Sphere and Mr.. Phillips
Of the Yorkshire Post. The rest are
sub-editors and reporters who have been
given an opportunity to take cheap hol-
iday at the expense of their German
hosts They can exercise no control over
the policy pursued, or opinions expressed
by the papers they represent.
In "Cylinder."
The humors of the Journalists visits
have been many. The German commit
tee, perhaps relying on the tradition that
Fleet street is the home of greasy Bo-
hemianism, issued a carefully worked out
program in advance, in which the visitors
were instructed what to wear at each
function. They were told that travelling
suit was de rigueur when they were
travelling and that at afternoon functions
they must appear in frock coat and cyl
inder." This caused some hard thinking
among the journalists until they learned
that "cylinder" was Anglo-German for the
silk hat which is the badge of respectable
ity of every true Englishman. They were
not surprised to learn that they were ex-
pected to wear evening dress in the even
ing, but they were somewhat puzzled at
the injunction to wear it at several morn
ing and afternoon functions which 1t APP
peared were to be of more than ordinary
splendor. The statement that white shirts
should be worn with evening dress was
also considered somewhat unnecessary, but
it is said that it has been scrupulously
observed.
The reports from Germany indicate that
the Germans have spared no expense to
make the TRIP Il ue1SHtlul IHeIS
have been rivers of champagne and oceans
of beer. The British journalists have
breakfasted in rathskellers, lunched in
palaces and dined in beer gardens. The
Gals have welcomed them in speeches
declaring the essential brotherhood of the
two great Germanic races.
A Earring Note.
The only Earring no,e has been the
kaiser. 1t was arranged that he should
receive the visitors at Potsdam, and at the
appointed time the British journalists
were all drawn up in the palace grounds
in evening dress. They waited for half
an hour after the time appointed, and
then there was a great clatter OF horses
and military accouterments, and the kaiser
rode up horseback attended by body
guard. The British journalists according
to instructions, took off their hats and
shouted "Hoch,- and the kaiser nodded
said something to his bodyguard. and
rode off. This created some little feel
ing until it was explained that the kaiser
was not used to journalists who were free
to express their opinions without fear of
a fortress if those opinions should hap
pen to be unpopular with the government.
An Imperial Reception.
Worse was to come, however. 1t had
been arranged that the kaiser should re-
ceve the journalists at the palace in the
evening. Before the time came word was
sent that he could only receive a delega-
ton of five The choice of these five
caused much heartburning, and Mr.. Gardl-
ner who is the editor of extremely
radical paper, and, therefore, may be as
sumed to be one of those who dearly
love lord" threatened to leave the party
and return home because he was not in
cluded. Matters were smcothed over,
however and the party is still unbroken,
but it is considered unlikely that the
friendly relations between England and
Germany will be appreciably improved by
the visit.
Another party of journalists, similarly
composed. is starting for Denmark this
week The Danes have issued no nstruc-
lions as TO dress or department, and the
journalists expect to be fully as well en-
tertaiued as their fellows were in Ger
many. journalists excursion to France
is talked of and one to Russia has even
been suggested. but it is not thought that
it will go beyond the suggestion. The
censor is still a power in Russia. and the