The Washington herald., 1914-08-11
When Prince Henry Visited Us.

The complaint that the American press is not
fairly presenting the war news seems to have been
stated by the German-American newspapers, and yet
they are able to present little from Germany
as the purely American newspapers There is little
question that the news coming from London reflects
the English view of the war; and that the from
Paris reflects the French view.
When the cables are working to Berlin and the
censorship is lifted little the from that city
viii reflect the German view, and report German
victories as they occur. 80 ...
The complaint of the German-American editors,
however, shows a sensitiveness which has not been
noted particular characteristic of those gentle
men in the past. No foreign visitor to the United
States has in half century received much public
attention did Prince Henry, the brother of the
Kaiser, when he visited the United States twelve
years ago. He shown every attention by the
government as well as by the people, and Congress
made precedent then which some considered en-
barrassing by approprating money for his entertain
ment Special trains were employed by the govern
ment to carry the German prince different parts
of the country, and Congress made an appropriation
of $4,000 ito enable the President to meet Unforeseen
emergencies arising in the diplomatic and consular
service"
Mr.. Cannon, chairman of the Committee on Ap-
propriatons explained to the House that the emer-
gency fund of the State Department had been ex-
husted, and that part of it had been used to en-
tertain Prince Henry. In defending the appropria-
ton, Mr.. Cannon said: "
Prince Henry, as an individual, any other in
dividual who may visit our country would no doubt
be courteously treated by our citizens whether he
had official position of not But when such a one
comes the representative of that great people be-
yond the who have given US so many millions of
hest hone hrair hrau,r ,-ori,
out the principle of selfgovernment on this side of
the Atlantic, then from every standpoint of courtesy
that obtains between nations or peopleS-n difference
to correct public sentiment, from the standpoint of
wise policy on our part toward one of the great
powers of the worldfrom every standpoint seemed
to the President and his Secretary of State proper
to ask this appropriation to enable the United States
to recognize properly the great German people when
they appear through their chosen representatives upon
our shores in an official capacity"
With applause from all parts of the House the
appropriation made
A few years later, the great German-American
publisher who arranged for the visit of Prince Henry
to the United States became president of the Ameri-
can Newspaper Publishing Association and naugu-
rated the campaign against Cannonism" because the
Speaker of the House would not consent to piece
meal tariff revision, and lend his influence to the
passage OF free-prInt paper bill In that campaign
the publisher, who is now complaining so loudly
against newspaper bias, used his position at the head
of the publishers association to secure so far as
possible the publication of only side of the
troversy and boased that he could control the
and it to defeat the party in power if it did not
comply with his demands.
The people and the press of this country are no
more prejudiced against Germany now than they
were when Prince Henry was entertained as no other
foreign visitor had been entsrtained, with an
appropriation by Congress to pay the bills and it is
peculiar display Of sensitveness when the German
American publisher. who boasted that he could in
spire the whole American press with petty selfish
purpose, and use it to defeat the government that
would not comply with his demands, to now charge
this same press with bias against the German peo-
pie The press was bigger than Mr.. Ridder in 1908
and IT is still printing the as it can secure it.