The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-21
ALL AGAINST IT
Evidence Shows United Press
Association Was Wrong.
Announced Death of Pope Long
Before 1t Occurred.

Before 1t Occurred.
New York. Aug. 21.-On Wednesday
afternoon, about half past TWO, the
United Press Association sent out
formal announcement OF the oear n %
Pope Plus x The Associated Press
sent out no such telegram at that
hour. nor for several hours thereafter:
Claim was made that the Unlteo
Press had scored an important news
beat This claim was challenged WIFI
the statement that, at nalI pas. w.
New York time $3.50 p. m Roman
time). the pope was still alive and that
he actually died at 1920 on the follow
inc morning To this the United Press
made answer that while the vatacan
may have officially announced l:zo as
the time of death. 1t actuany occul 1;e
much earlier and that such a practlce
was not unusual. 1t was sald that
when Leo XIII died there was a long
interval between the actual oeath anu
the official announcement. WINE inns
is true it is equally true that at no
time was the hour of death OF rope - ~
XIII (4:45 d. m.) ever misstated OIL
cially or unofficially. Further II was
said the United Press correspondent at
Rome in the case of Pope Plus ~ ndo
sent two code messages, one reacnlhs
New York at 1925 p m: new 1urn s
time. and the other at 800 p. m. view
YORK time. and it was still maintained
that these were accurate and that the
pope's death actually occurred aoou.
that hour. There have been some new
and interesting developments
A. O'Clock yesterday morning Mon
signor BonzanO. the papal lesate ~
this country, received a dispatch from
Cardinal Merry del Val, the papai sec
retary OF state, dated at Rome at luis
Wednesday night, which was 4:ls p. in.'
New York time or one hour and h1ty-
two minutes after the United Press cn
culated the announcement OF oea.n
showing that the pope was still aiive'
as follows:
"Holy father dangerously i'll since TINS
morning. He may die at any moment.
Question of Veracity.
IT is well enough to permit the issue
of yeracity between the Vatican anu
the United Press to stand
Ambassador Page, at Rome. teie-
eranhed the state department in Wash
ington that the pope dleo ANU.
O'Clock yesterday morning.
The Agence HavaS of France IN us
independent service from. Rome gave
the hour of death as 1920 g. m. Inc
Reuter- Telegram agency OF Lenoon,
in another independent message nxeo
the same hour. The Central News
agency of London, in another MESSAGE,
gave the hour as 1875 a. m. AS to the
claim that the United Press message
was sent in code, the following corre-
spondence is Illuminating:
The general manager OF the Asso-
ciated Press sent to the officers OF the
only three cable companies over which
a dispatch from Rome could be trans
mitted, a note as follows:
my understanding is that during
this war period, news messages cannot
be sent between any part OF Europe
and the United States in code Am l
right? An answer will oblige."
To this we're returned the following
answers:
"Mr. Stone: Yes. for the reason
that messages cannot get to the United
States without passing through q bel
ligerents' territory, and the belliger-
ents have prohibited code.
(Signed) GEORGE CLAPPERTON,
Traffic Manager Commercial Cable
Company"
Dear Mr.. Stone: Your understand
ing, unfortunately. is only too correct.
There is no route between any part OF
Europe and this continent over which
any kind of messages prepared in code
can be sent. !SigneG w,, rvrp
Manager Cable Department Western
Union Telegraph Company
Dear Mr.. Stone: You are quite
right. All codes outside Of govern
ment messages are prohibited.
(Signed) 'E. c. SWEENEY.
Manager French Cable Company"
Not the First Time.
This business of announcing the
death of distinguished person before
1t actually occurs is not new with the
United Press people. Queen Victoria
died on January %, 1901. at $50 p. M.
London time, "a p. m. New York time.
Before that hour dispatch from the
United Press announcing the queens
death was printed. When the charge
was made that this was a reckless
guess or bold anticipation since the
message was sent before the queen had
breathed her last answer was made
that code word "Bergerac' had been
used and that it meant Dead"
The claim was also set up that while
the official announcement fixed the
time Of the queens death at $3.50 D. M.
it actually occurred an hour earlier and
that message to that effect was sent
from Osborne house at 5:3o D. M to
the Archbishop of Canterbury An in
vestigation resulted in an autograph
letter from the archbishop to the gem
eral manager of the Associated Press