New Britain herald., 1914-08-21
UNITED PRESS CODE
 ! CLAIM UNDERMINED
The Associated Press Scores False
 Announcement of Pepe's Death.

l Tinted Press Association sent out l formal announcement of the death of I.ope Plus K The Associated Press sent out no such telegram at that hour. nor for several hours there after. ~ Claim was made that the United Press had scored an important news beat This claim was challenged with the statement that at half past two, New York time (S:30 D. m. Roman time) the pope was still alive and that he actually died at 1:20 on the follow |i ing morning. To this the United press made answer that while the Natican may have officially announced |l1:20 as the time of death, it actually F occurred much earlier and that such a practice was not unusual. It was said that when Leo XIII. died there vas long interval between the actual tdeath and the official announcement. While this is true, it is equally true that at no time was the hour of death of Pope Leo XIII. (4:45 D. m.) ever Ynisstated, officially or unofficially. Two Code Messages.
 Further it was said that the United Press correspondent at Rome in the case of Pope Plus x. had sent two code messages, one reaching New York at 2:26 D. m, New York time, and the other at 3:55 p. m., New York time, and it was still maintained that these were accurate and that the Pope's death actually occurred about l that hour.
 4 There have been some new and 1n- teresting developments
 Message to Mgr. Bonzano.
 At one o'clock yesterday morning Mgr. Bonzano, the papal delegate in this country received a despatch from I Cardinal Merry del Val, the papal sec retary of state, dated Rome at 1:18 i Wednesday night, which was AIS p. i sn., New York time, or one hour and lfifty-two minutes after the United IPress circulated the announcement of the death showing that the Pope was sStill alive, as follows:
 '.Ho1y father dangerously i'll since this morning. He may die at any moment
 < It is we'll enough to permit the issue of veracity between the Vatican and the United Press to stand.
 Ambassador Pages Message.
 Ambassador Page at Rome tele- graphed the state department in Washington that the pope died about one o'clock yesterday morning.
 The Agence Havas of France, in its independent service from Rome, gave the hour of death as 1:20 A. M.
 N The Reuter- Telegram Agency of London, in another independent mes sage fixed the same hour.
 The Central News Agency, of Lon- don. in another message, gave the hour as 1885 A. M.
 Oyerthrows Code Claim
 As to the claim that the United Press message was sent in code the following correspondence is illuminat- ing:
 The general manager of the As z sociated Press sent to the officers or the only three cable companies over : which despatch from Rome could be transmitted, note as follows:
 My understanding is that, during this war period, news messages can- not be sent between any part of Europe and the United States in code. Am I right? An answer will oblige."
 To this were returned the following answers:
 MT. Stone: Yes, for the reason that messages cannot get to the United States without passing through belligerent's territory and the bel Hgerents have prohibited code
 Traffic Managers Statement.
 George Clapperton. traffic man. nger, Commercial Cable company.
 Dear MT. Stone: Your understand ing. unfortunately, is only too cor rect. There is no route between any bart of Europe and this continent over which. any kind of messages pre- i,, ha sent
 "J. c. Willever, manager cable de- partment, Western Union Telegraph Co.
 Dear Stone: You are quite right. All codes outside of government mes sages are prohibited.
 "E c. Sweeney, manager French cable company"
 Other Similar Cables.
 This business of announcing the death of distinguished person be- fore it actually. occurs is not new with the United.Press people. Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901, at 6:3O F. M London time 1:34 P. M. New York time). Before that hour despatch from ethe United Press an nouncing the queens death was printed Whensthe charge was made that this was a reckless guess or bold anticipation since the messages were sent before the queen had breathed her last, answer was made that a code word "bergerac" had been used and that it meant dead
 The claim was also setSup 'fhat while the official announcement fixed the time of the queens death al 6:30 F. M, it actually occurred an hour earlier and that a message to that effect was sent from Osborn house at r.orD N to the archbfshOn of Can