The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-05-19
DAYS Of Big NEWS.
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENTS
MIGHTY BUSY DURING THE
MEXICAN TROUBLE.
WORK DONE IN RELAYS
Bulletin Service Furnished by the War
and Navy Observation-Disclosures
Week Talks With the PresI-
dent Suspended.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


Washington.-During the time Of
seemingly impending trouble with
Mexico, with now and then CLEAN of
hope of peace, to be succeeded by the
darkness of the apparent certainty of
war. Washington has been probably
the most important news center on
earth The old world has had its eyes
on the capital of America and the new
world has waited on its last word.
Washington always is well supplied
with newspaper men. Perhaps some
gentlemen with axes to grind In con-
gress think there are altogether too
many of the craft here at any and all
times. but when war seemed imminent
the staff Of correspondents in Wash
ington was nearly doubled over night.
All the news agencies and nearly all
the great newspapers of the country
sent additional men to the center OF
activities The government of the Uni
ted States is not strict censor Of
news. Frequently the White House
and offices OF the secretaries Of navy
and war hold up for while important
information which comes from the
front, but eventually they give 1t out
in ORDER that the country may know
just what is doing.
Night and day newspaper men have
been working in Washington in relays.
Ordinarily night and day in newspa-
perdom means working for one shift
until the afternoon papers go to press
and the working Of another shift until
the morning papers are put to bed, but
in Washington recently night and day
work has meant "a hours labor. One
relay Of correspondents sees the sun
rise, when another takes the post Of
duty and remains until the sun sets.
Activity and System.
signs of activity" is an expression
which has been used upon hundreds
and hundreds of occasions in the prints
of the United States. 1t has become
so common in its use that perhaps 1t
carries no strong meaning with it to-
day. The activity in the White House
and in the state and war departments
has been so great recently that one
must go to the Chicago Board of Trade
or to some other stock exchange dur
ing the hours of business in order to
get fitting standard of comparison.
With all the apparent hustle and hus-
tie in the service departments at
Washington, everything has been sys-
tematized No one correspondent, and
no one reporter who has come to lend
a helping hand, has fallen over the
heels of another in the rush of things.
The war and navy departments have
furnished bulletin service giving the
news from Vera Cruz, Tampico, Mex
leo City and the Rio Grande. Occasion
ally the White House has given out
statements prepared by the president,
not for use as a direct quotation, but
to guide the correspondents when they
wish to comment upon Mr.. Wilson's
feelings in this matter or that matter.
In addition to the bulletin service the
correspondents have obtained a good
deal of material from senators and
representatives who have their own
views on war. peace, preparations for
war and means to avoid strife.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels is an
experienced newspaper man. Person
ally he prepared plan by means OF
which proper news instantly could be
given to the correspondents, who, in
large measure, could be depended upon
to interpret it properly.
Correspondents Give Own Views
Many of the Washington correspond
ents are expected by their newspapers
to give their own editorial comment
on the news as it comes forth All ac-
tual comment almost invariably car
ries the writer's name and so the news
Paper itself does not necessarily have
to share the responsibility for the
views expressed. In other words, it
frequently occurs that the Washing
ton correspondent expresses one view
under or over his signature. while his
newspaper editorially expresses one di-
rectly counter to It.
AS is pretty generally known, Presi-
dent Wilson talks to the Washington
newspaper correspondents twice a
week, once on Monday morning and
once on Thursday afternoon. AS soon
as Argentina, Brazil and Chile urged
that they be allowed to attempt to
mediate the trouble between the Uni
ted States and Mexico and President
Wilson gave his assent thereto, the
conferences with the Washington cor
respondents were called OF. Some per-
sons apparently did not understand
why this was done, but the reason Ia
exceedingly simple. It is not consid-
cred diplomatic and proper for the
chief executive of q nation to discuss
with the public the details Of an ar.
rangement made by the representa-,
tives Of other powers.
II President Wilson had granted in,
terviews during the few days follow.
ing the announcement Of the begin
ming Of the work of mediation. he
would have been asked q good many
Questions by the correspondents
which it would have been difficult fol
him to answer without bringing crit
cism from foreign powers.
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