The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-03
Washington Star.

European war. II Is true tnat no
hostile armies operate therein. and
that the ION is as yet free from the
shrek Of shells and the below of
bull-throated siege guns, but there is
an alert and active corps # wal cor
respondents operating in this terri
tory. and it is through their activities
that many important messages having
to do with the checkerboard moves
upon the var ground across the At
lantic have been given to the public,
sometimes many hours in advance Of
the censored and INSTRUCTED message,
which too often SnailS its way over
the commercial cables.
Washington's war one is widely
scattered. 1t is comprised of many
bits of property which, in the eyes Of
international law, if not in the sight
of astute and literal g~eographers, are
really bits Of the empires Of Ger
many. Great britain. Russia. Austria
Hungary. Japan and Belgium, as we'll
az the Republic of France.
How 1t Was.
In piping times Of peace the doors
Of zWashington'S embassies, generally
speaking, are not propped back with
a brick to permit free entrance TO
scribes; neither do the embassy door
mats bear the woven symbol wei
come" Those who find it easy to
cross the threshold of foreign proper
ties in the nations capital are ususlly
citizens of the country whose repre-
sentatives dwell therein, or they are
other members OF the diplomatic
corps.
To use diplomatic language. g
newspaper man has, heretofore, been
looked upon at least aSkance and
conversed with only in the most eau
tiOus amer Witness the case OF
Mira Ali Kuli Khan, charge d~'affaires
OF Persia.
During the late Mexican trouble.
and before the European war cloud
had worked its miracles in the diplo-
matte set. the Persian charge left
Secretary Bryan's office late one
just in time to fall into the clutches
Of the representatives of two of the
press associations.
In their best State Department
name the newspaper men requested
the charge to tell them something OF
the details of his visit. The charge
drew himself to his full height
shrugged e%loquently, and replied ir
English, which lacked even thu
slightest trace of accent:
Il am so sorry, gentlemen, but
cannot speak a single word of you
language. If. however, .ou will cal
any time at the office Of the Legation
on Wyoming avenue, l have a secre
tary who will be pleased to convers,
with you"
How 1t Is.
But spontaneously with the crasl
or European arms all was changed
Ambassadors, charges, SECRETARIES
under secretaries and clerks, who f.
many peaceful years had been tn
best of friends, suddenly found it in
cumbent upon them, by virtue Of tn
hostilities between the nations, to for
get that many of their best friend
even SO much as existed. And in tn
state department, the neutral groun
in Washington's war belt, Eddi
Savoy, who sits as guardian angel be
fore the door Of the Secretary {
State, found that he had his wor
cut out for him keeping the forme
friends, and by reason of the wa
present enemies, from crossing on
another's paths. for Savoy we'll kne
that to seat the councillor Of tn
French embassy in the same rool
beside q member of Germany
diplomatic staff would never do
all.
But now that it is possible {,
SPANS minister to boast tina he
the only representative of a wOrI
power who can speak to all the re
of the corps without danger
fracturing some International Gu
toih, ~ DtSOIIlc tn important pa
of the duties of the representatives
the countries now at var to place IL
fortunes of their respective govern
ments, good or bad, together with IL
many other matters which ha,
arisen with the conflict, before Il
public in the fairest light possible.
And that is how the corps Of er
bassy war correspondents car
into being in Washington short
after the first day of August, and WI
now it is no uncommon sight to ent
an embassy and perceive half
dozen alert news gathererS cluster
about a world-tried diplomat, holds
an impromptu strategy board" a
discussing with the venerable veter
OF a dozen international affairs eveI
thing from the rumored scarcity
navy beans in Russia to some alleg
violation of neutrality in China.
of course, the bulk of the war ney
carefully censored and freely delet,
comes by telegraph and cable from
least somewhere near the seat Of "
over press association wires from q,