Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-09-04
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
Events of Interest from the Seat
of Government.
BY j. T.. JONES.
Big and Busy Politics.

the president has been so well salts
fed that he has elevated him to a po-
sition in the supreme court, which
is supposedly the greatest honor that
can befall a lawyer. McReynolds was
practically unknown to American
politics until President Wilson dug
him up. Another new man has been
elevated to the attorney-generalsh
and this gentleman, Thomas Watt
Gregory of Texas, is as obscure so far
as any knowledge of him by the
American people is concerned, as a
country postmaster.
1t is understood that Mr.. Gregory
was appointed largely because of the
influence exercised in his behalf by
Colonel E. M. House, who is another
man of mystery. Colonel House is a
Texan, although he lives most Of the
time in New York and Washington,
in the same manner as good many
senators who are supposed to be
residents of particular states and on
ly get back home at election time.
Thus Texas, which already has the
place of postmaster general in the
cabinet, is given a second portfolio in
President Wilson's official family.
Politically Texas, in point of being
conspicuous, ranks next to New Jer-
sey. 1t may even become notorious
in a short time, since it is probable
that the senatorial contest will be en-
livened by the demand of the parti-
sans of former Senator Bailey mat he
be returned to the senate.
The Lost Art Of "War Correspond
ents."
When the American fleet sailed for
the Gulf of Mexico most of the met
ropolitan newspapers were repre-
sented by special correspondents who,
after spending a week or two in the
war zone, were glad to find boat
returning to the dear old United
States. Circumstances connected
with the European war confirm the
experiences of metropolitan newspap-
ers at the time of the Mexican trou-
BILE, showing that the science of the
war correspondent" has become a
"lost art"
Richard Harding Davis, John Reed,
Jack London and few other gentle
men wrote very entertainingly of the
affairs of Vera Cruz, but the real
stories the American people looked
for hungrily were furnished by the
press organizations. Zine writing"
will always be appreciated. but in
hours of excitement the dot and dash
Of the telegraph instrument. prompt
ed by live wire correspondents at the
scene of the trouble, interested in
telling the exact news, is the modern
and more satisfactory method de-
manded by the American newspaper
readers. Besides this the scope of
operations in modern warfare covers
scores of miles, and long range guns
make it almost impossible for one
army to get near enough to another
to be seen. The day of musketry
charge and the slashing saber, and
hand to hand fights has passed. The
telegraph wire at the scene Of battle
is inevitably in the possession of the
contending armies and military au-
thorities do not permit interference
by correspondents.
In the case of European warfare
available telegraph lines, If found at
all, are apt to be hundreds of miles
away from the scene of the struggle.
The difficulties of news gathering
never were greater in war matters
than now. In order to control the
natural methods of communication
the case of Germany and it's censor
ship is in point.~ However, that is not
a new experience, since no foreign
country knows even yet what hap
pened at Mukden. Neither the Japa-
nese nor the Russians would permit
any writer's near the scene. Besides
that. no correspondent could of him
self possibly know what was going
on over territory so very many
miles in extent.
After the Standard Oil.
The Standard Oil company will
likely never outlive its troubles and
history repeats itself in new de-
mand for congressional investiga-
ton of charges that the Standard Oil
company is restraining trade in var
ious oil fields by refusing to purchase
from the producers. Senator Chiffon
OF West Virginia is pushing the reso-
luton. Through ownership and con-
troll OF pipe lines" the resolution
says, "the Standard Oil comnanv has