The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1914-05-15

power development, Fort Dearborn
Just lacked one vote in the United
Congress OF being made the Uniteo
States Military Academy. the vote in
the senate being broken by the vote OF
Ele yice-president of the United
States casting his ballot for West
Point. Another South Carolina boy,
D. C. Roper Is the right hand man
OF the postmaster general.
With fine cut OF Josephus Daniels,
Secretary of the Navy, on one side of
the page, and an equally fine cut of
Howard A. Banks, private secretary
to Secretary Daniels on the other, The
New York Tribune of Sunday gives an
entertaining account of the manner in
which these two newspaper men have
evolved the best system Of supplying
the war news that the. government
has yet known. And this is how they
do IL:
Mr.. Secretary, there are reports
around that THAI condi, ions in Mexico
City are serious. Can you find out for
us whether or not these reports are
true?"
=
send a telegram to Admiral Fletcher
asking him to transmit Immediately
report on conditions in the City Of
Mexico"
This brief conversation took place
at o'clock the other morning be-
tween Josephus Daniels, Secretary of
the navy and one OF the newspaper
men stationed in the State. War and
Navy Building at Washington.
1t was only one of the many little
conversations OF the kind that have
occurred there since the conflict be-
tween Mexico and the United States
began two or three weeks ago, and
they al go to nrnve the survival of the
newspaper man in tile Tar Heel state
member OF President Wilson's official
family,
II. IL hadn't been for Josephus Dam
iels, Secretary of the Navy and manag-
Ing editor of the Raleigh News and OBJ
server, the greater part of the infor-
nation which has been given promptly
to the American people concerning the
conditions mt Vera Cruz, Tampico and
other parts would In all probability
lapse OF time had robbed 1t of Its
freshness.
When the fleet was ordered to Vera
Cruz and exciting things began to hap
pen, Mr.. Daniels forgot at intervals
that he was secretary of the navy and
he became the managing editor OF the
Wilson administration. His newspa-
per training told him that the people
were hungry for news of Mexico, and
he at once set to work to give it to
them as quickly as possible.
(; He at once organized his force as
the ging editor OF daily newspa-
per would. He made Howard a.
Banks, his private secretary; "a. McH.
Howe, private secretary to the Assist
ant Secretary OF the Navy and Frank
Smith his confidential clerk, associate
editors charged with the task of dis
tributing she news as quickly as 1t
arrived there to the group of waiting
newspaper men. Admiral / Fletcher
and Adniral Badger and the o;ficers.
and sailors of the American fleet were
made the reporters, and It wasn't very
long before detailed anu complete &C.
counts of what was happening in Mex
leu was being distributed ffroiI The
Navy Department.
The system, for distributing this in
formation was interesting. Most of
the news! so far has come from, Vera
Cruz. which is 1000. miles away from
WASHINGTON, but the System for dis
trihntin9 II and raeaivine it wae an
complete that one could almost con-
verse with the admiral on the other
end of the wire.
A telegraph Office is just outside the
door of the Office OF Secretary Daniels.
Within two minutes after a telegram
is received, It is turned over, to either
Mr.. Banks, Mr. Howell or Mr.. Smith,
who take turns on watch.
1t Is then turned over to Captain
Mark l.. Bristol and Commander Will
liam ID. Leahy, the consors who got
over 1t quickly They hold out only
parts OF the telegram which may con-
Germ strategy or something OF that
kind aud in q few minutes IL Is turned
over to q gtenographer, who quickly
monographs 1t and hands 1T over. to,
newspaper men. The average the fs-3
ceipt 0f telegram ssiS,ffiiii a I'm; raj.
Fletcher or Admiral Badger at the tel
egrapb 6fIice and the distribution OF
copies OF Ii ia the newapaper men has
not been more than - minutes.
While, OF course, Mr.. Daniel's expe-
Beince with the newspaper men has
been the reason for the excellent SER
Vice, nevertheless, s. would not have
becn so successful had It NOT been for
the assistance. Sof Mr. Banks and the
newspaper men and of hfr. Smith. wha;
had had considerable experience la the
publicity work at the Democratic Ma
tipnal headG tefs ip New York Mr.
Banks wax AZ Z s,n5s ffnla editor sss ss,S