The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-25
JOSEPHUS DANIELS
PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
AT PRESS BANQUET
Makes Interesting Talk at
Associated Press Dinner
in New York-Policy of
Administration Open

New York. April pa Fellows of the
newspaper craft. publishers and editors
from all sections of the country gathered
tonight at the annual joint banquet OF
the Associated Press and the American
Newspaper Publishers association, held
at the Waldorf Astoria with the Seere-
tary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, own
er OF The Raleigh IN G. News and OBJ
server, as the principal speaker Just
before the dinner began Secretary Dan
iels received the unwelcome news from
Raleigh that his newspaper plant had
been destroyed by fire. The secretary
said that as soon as the banquet was over
he would return to Raleigh, although he
had intended to remain In this city over
another night to attend the dinner to
James Bryce, the British ambassador.
More than 100 exponents of the Ameri-
can fourth estate attended the dinner
together with a number of invited guests
not engaged in journalism. A vaudeville
performance given by professional enter
tainors preceded the speech-making.
Speakers besides Secretary Daniels in
Guided Cf aries r. Miller of the New York
Times, to4stnasl Presiy snt Charles A.
Richmond of I'm 1 cole se, Charles II.
l1TdStN OF Ine BdlllinOfe sun, MOTIFS u.
Osbcrn of the New Haven Journal, Ber-
lard II. Rdder of the New York Stats
zetung, Congressman Frank l.. Green Of
the st. Albans (Vt) Messenger and DR..
George Alexander, chaplain.
Daniels Address
Secretary Daniels in his speech, which
charmngly alternated humor and serious
ness said that among the Presidents he
singled out Lincoln and Wilson for high
est praise because each went outside
I of the field of politics to secure an edi-
tor as Secretary of the Navy the speak
er instancine Lncoln's appointment of
Gideon Welles. editor of the Hartford
Times. to the navy portfolio.
"The test OF a Secretary of the Navy is
whether ne is a good managing editor,
Mr.. Daniels said. He reiterated a decar-
alton of the new administration policy
welcoming publicity and inviting criticism
through the press. Speaking in humorous
| vein, he classified newspaper editors and
owners in nautical terms and reiterated
that the policy of the new administration
at Washington was to have the search
4 light of publicity turned on all its acts
Parenthetically Mr. Daniels asserted
that the abolition OF the terms port and
"starboard had met with the full ap-
proval OF Admiral Dewey and the general
| board.
Story FROM rage
Secretary Daniels related story which
he said had been told him years ago by
! Walter II. Page, newly appointed am
bassador to Great Britain.
"1he devil wanted the soul of certain
upright man, whom ordinary temptations
failed to seduce,' he started the narra-
tive. 80 the devil made him a business
proposition If you'll give me your soul
when YOU die, Til honor your drafts for
sIn 1t,o no IN. oil
man bought a Fifth avenue palace, a
steam yacht, a seat on the stock eX-
change, married a Marguerite and spent
amounts that would have staggered Croe-
sus. the uncomplainng devil paying the
bills. But when the man established a
daily newspaper city, the devil threw up
his hands saying. What in Hell are you
trying to do with the alibi?' The devil
| asked him several times. The devil said
he would withdraw from the contract.
If YOU are establishing a daily news
| paper you are exhausting the resources
of hell, and If you become on editor I'll
! get your soul any way
| For 80 years Secretary Daniels said
he had been engaged in sea service, in
| command of a gunboat on the Sea
of Journalism.
| Melville II. stone. he said, command
| ed dreadnaught; William Randolph
| Hearst an armada of torpedo boats
| Ralph Pulitzer had been on the out
pests with hydro -aeroplanes, and Col
onel Nelson had sought to blow up the
old political parties with submarines
while Frank Munsey acted as pay
master general of the flotilla's buoy.
About ''Marse" Henry
"Marse" Henry Watterson, he con-
tinued, had been rear admiral of the
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