The Washington herald., 1909-03-14

For years one OF the recognized needs
in Washington has been a press club that
would be in keeping with the dignity and
! Importance Of the part taken D. the
newspaper men in the affairs OF the na-
ton The National Press Club in reality
the organization Of newspaper writer's OF
the United States. has been formed to-
MI the requirement
Although It is not quite a year old. the
new club has over 800 members. including
the Washington representatives OF nearly
all the important newspapers in America
The nonresident membership is rapidly.
filing with writer's from all parts Of the
country. and the roster will soon include
the most imposing array Of writing talent
/ ever assembled together in any one or
ganization. Larger quarters win be oc-
eupied in few days. and many notabIes
viii attend the opening
The National Press Club is in no sense
rival Of the Grldiron Club. that most
/ famous OF all dining organizations. The
majority OF the Gridiron men are also
on the roster OF the National. The Grid
iron had it's birth IN the mind OF Maj
i John n. Carson. for many years dean
/ Of the cOr9s of Washington correspond
/ ents. but now Chisf Of the Bureau Of
Manufacturers Of the Census ONCE. Dur
I ing the last twenty years the Gridircn
I Club has entertained more famous people
| than any other dining club IN the worlds
7 history. Every year scores Of the most
noted men in the country travel from ali
/ parts OF the United States 10 Washing
ton 20 attend its unique functions
/ There is no other city whose daily news
Is one-tenth as important 70 the nation
Al large as that OF the Capital and the
I Washington date line appears more often
/ than any other in the average Ameri-
can newspaper Aside from subjects OF
! general concern. there are always mat
I ters Of acute local interest originating
I here Consequently. = becomes as i'm
1 portant for each leading newspaper 70
I have its Own Washington correspondent
as II Is 10 have good reporters at home.
/ The men who serve IN Washington are
I usually those who have proved their
mettle In the home Office before being
sent 10 the Capital They know the
/ workings Of all the branches OF the gov
I ernment, and soon prove themselves
\ worthy 20 be trusted with all sorts OF
I condolences. In his farewell address 20
the newspaper men. Mr.. Roosevelt stated
I that among them he had many as capa-
bic advisers as he could ind anywhere
inside or out OF the government service
] The appointments which come Unsolici-
! ted 10 Washington correspondents proves
/ that this statement was not one OF the
I insincere hyperbOles that sometimes ac-
company farewell messages.
] The corps OF Washington correspond
ents is one Of the most unique orgauiza-
I lions IN the country. At the beginning
/ Of each Congress the newspaper men
meet and organize. electing a standing
I committee of FIVE. who are their repre-
/ sentatives in all business matters in
/ which the members Of the fraternity
/ are collectively interested Cooperating
I with the Speaker Of the House and the
4 Committee on Rules OF the Senate. they
i have jurisdiction over the press CALLER
/ les OF the Senate and House. They pass
/ upon the credentials Of all who apply for
/ the privileges Of the press galleries. and
/ IL IS their duty 10 see that only bona fide
newspaper men are admitted II Is easier
4 10 get through the prOverbial eve OF the
needle than past that standing commit
I tee. unless one is entitled 10 the priv
lege.
The amount OF copy handled out OF
/ Washington every day IS astonishing. The
two telegraph companies daily trans
nit about I25.O00 words OF press matter.
I In addition 20 this there are four press
( associations. whose combined daily out
I put amounts 20 about $4,000 words Each
association has IT'S own leased wires. its
own operators. and iJs own distributing
facilities. Then there are some twenty
/ big newspapers which have their own
/ leased wires. and rney probably bring
the total amount Of daily press business
leaving the city Of Washington up TO the
/ tremendous total of $4,000 words
The occasion OF the second inauguration
Of Grover Cleveland Is said 10 have been
/ the record d-breaking time in the history
f. Of telegraphy for the number OF words
sent Out from p single city in 1nc Say
\ Il is estimated that the total ran up TO
\ a half million words The time Of the
( Spanish-American war was another Pc
riOd when the telegraphic facilities OF
F. Washington were taxed 10 the utmost. It
was not an unusual thing for single
paper 20 have ten or fifteen thousand
word message filed.
( The greatest performance az the teIe-
| graph key in the whole history q the
/ business occurred ar the time OF Ne
/ kinleys annual message 10 Congress in
\ the fall Of 1917 II was then the Gus
1 tom 10 release the message by wire in
/ stead Of mailing II out as is now done
I The Associated Press. was given the doc
ument on sunday afternoon. II contained
1900 words. w L. Waugh and Ernest
+ W Emery both Of whom are Stfli with
+ the Associated Press. although no longer
/ at the key. transmitted the entire message
/ in Eve and a half hours. which was al
+ the rate OF G-0s0 words an hour per man
/ For sustained speed. nothing equal 10
/ this has never been done.
! General conditions OF newspaper work
al the Capital have changed lastly in the
/ past twenty-five years. In the oldea DAYS
each correspondent had 70 cover nrac-
tioally the entire field Of general news
[ and local matters. since there was no
press association 20 handle the routine
stun To-day this burden is taken from
I the shoulders Of the correspondents. and
/ they are left free 10 handle the news OF
Z local value and TO comment on and inter
I pret that Of general interest Serving
hundreds OF papers, representing all
/ shades OF political belief and all degrees
+ Of journalistic prOpriety. the press assO-
ciation has 10 content itself with the bare.
, bald statement Of fact
There IS no conflict OF interest between
+ the correspondent and the press assOCia-
tion. After all. IL IS the inside details.
7 the analysis Of motives and the side lights
I which make the best story and TO the
I press association this is forbidden ground
Furthermore, the people OF the Seventh
I Virginia district are more interested in
I knowing what their Representative fs do
/ ing than what the President himself is
having in mind. The appropriation OF a
I half million dollars for the construction
/ OF a pOst-oflce ar Atlanta is OF more in
| larasl 70 The nannla nf -hoL cLt, L. a.