The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-30
Foreign Gossip.

Not all Oriental potentates possess the
good sense and the ready understanding
of the Shah of Persia. who, while on his
memorable visit to England, was a guest
at club, known as the Lions"
Among the members were some of the
greatest scientific men. and one of their
p, customs was that. instead OF applauding
| at their club dinners, the gentlemen
| should stand up and each should wave
enc of the tails of his dress coat, and
at the same time roar like lion. The
| distinguished visitor. after he had salts
flied himself that the men present were
] not all Insane Joined in the tail-wagging
and the roaring with great gtfsto. and he
was delighted to find that what, may be
| called the .standing orders of common
sense" had been suspended for the occa-
sion.
When the King of Siam visited Eng
| land some years ago, he was driving
| through the crowded streets OF one OF
/ the big towns, accompanied by the Lord
| Mayor, when he noticed that one OF the
! spectators put his thumb to his nose
| and spread his fingers out after the style
| OF the rude little boy. His Oriental mai
| esty asked the Lord Mayor what IL meant,
\ and the latter automatically explained
| that the mans action was a national
salutation indicative of afectionate re-
| gard and profound respect. . This the
left by special train. i
All the notabilities were there-Lord
/ Mayor. Aldermen, town clerks, and so on
while a number of troops forming q
| guard Of honor were drawn up at at
| tention. The King stood on the end plat
| form of his saloon coach exchanging
| parting greetings with his hosts. a
| just at the last moment when the train
began to move, he seemed suddenly to
20 Uga
graciously placed to his nose. and then
he twiddled his illustrious fingers at the
astounded onlookers. the effect being
heightened by the half-melancholy ORR
entail smile which accompanied what he
thought was a display of affectionate re-
gard and profound respect.
None but the Lord Mayor understood
he had the consciousness of feeling that
he had saved the situation.
The fact that British chancellor of
the exchequer consented to be inter
viewed has established a precedent in
the records of British politics and the
press.
The relations between statesmen and
journalists in England are much closer
than the public suspects. America in
this respect has set the example. No one
Is more, keenly alive to the growth and
decline of his own reputation than the
eminent politician, and he realizes that
in this matter the newspaper eXerts n
vital influence. Whatever the severity
of the criticism or the volume of abuse.
1t Is infinitely preferable to being ig
nored by the press. Not to he reported
would be the crucIest blow that he could
suffer. The arguments developed on the
platform are intended not so much for
tile audience in front as for that vaster
number who read the words through
out the country and abroad Many
speeches are prepared solely for outside
consumption
Front-rank politicians in Great Britain
notify the press I'm advance Of their
forthcoming speeches, and reporters at
public meetings invariably send up notes
TO the star speaker to inquire the
length Of his intended remarks. The
statesman will pencil his reply on the
reporters card-"About forty minutes"
or About an hour" as the case NAV be.
The inquiry is made with a view to IA
cilitatinG arrangements for te!egraphing
the speech.
. But apart from this general exchange
of courtesies many English Journalists.
notably those detailed on what is known
as inquiry work. come into contact
almost daily with party leaders No
European statesman of to-day is more
popular among journalists than Mr.
LlOyd-George. Whatever the political
views of the paper which he represents,
ii would be hard to find anywhere a re-
porter with whom the chancellor is not
a fayorite.
There is one good reason for the re-
porters' warm regard; Mr.. Lloyd-George
is accessible High Office and world
wide fame have not frozen his geniality.
The journalist sent to see the chancellor
has no fears to his reception. There
will be no chilling rebuff such as the
newspaper man receives at times from
public men of far less Importance The
fact that he also has been "a dabbler
in journalism. as lie himself puts IL.
may account in part for Mr.. Lloyd
Georges sympathy with the press.
When president of the British Board
of Trade he enhanced his reputa ton by
averting the great railway strike five
years ago, an army OF reporters and
photographers assembled at his Office,
employers and their men sat in confer
ence. and for a whole day the issues
Of peace or strike hung in the balance.
For hours the reporters awaited the de-
cision.. Byt when it became clear that
no announcement could be made before
night. Mr.. Lloyd-George entertained at
tea all of the waiting journalists some
fifty in number.
On one occasion, before he became a
cabinet minister. journalist called on
the future chancellor in quest of certain
information. II so happened that the
point on which the scribe wished TO be
enlightened was to be cleared up in a
speech TO be made the very next night
and not before. But" said Mr.. Lloyd
George. ''if YOU have been put to any
expense or Inconvenience in coming TO
see me or II you are likely to lose any
fee by my not giving you the Informal
ton. never mind the speech. | must
find some other subject for that"
: And he gave the information. Such an
incident enables one TO realize why
iournalists-regard the British chancellor
as a man and as a friend.
Sir Edward Grey, whom the Balkan
crisis has brought prominently before the
public, is another statesman on good
terms with the press. AS Foreign Min
lister. Sir Edward occupies a position
which bars all public interviews" and
with journalists. Put the fact that he
by members of the press gallery of the
House Of Commons speaks for itself.
The head of the foreign Office repre-
sents a distant constituency. and at
times he speaks in remote villages. Still
he is one of those public men who must
be reported. What he says may not in
terest England alone, but all Europe.
Hence representatives of London papers
have to undertake long and tiresome
journeys Their enterprise has amused