Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-15
GERMANY MOST CORDIAL
TO U. 5. NEWSPAPER MEN
vast difference Between Their Treat
nient In Kaiser's Empire and
In Great Britain.
SHORT STORY OF COMPARISONS
American Citizen From West.
Strictly, Honestly Neutral, After
Several Months In Europe, Grows
More and More PrO-German.

LONDON. November 14.-This Is
story OF comparisons If 1t Is odiou.
let the fact that il is also the truth
, ana truth which the United States is
emitted to know-be it's self apolory
II is the story of what befeIl an
american citizen. newspaper man
sent by his employers from n city In
f, the West on rowing commission over
the war zone-not to cable daily news
developments. but rather to gather
dntn on which, after his return to the
United states, to base editorial ar
tlcies. lie has just sailed for New
york. having spent two months I'm Lon
don following an equal stay in Ger
many.
And here are some of the conclusion.
on which Will he based the editorials
he is going to write. once free from
the mnuling censorship of both belll-
gereuts:
lie Is convinced Germany will be
returned the victor.
lie has arrived at this decision-no,
by what he saw in Gcrmany-but what
ne has failed 10 see in England
When he left New York he was
strictly. honestly neutral: on his ar
rival In London he was full of dislike
for Germans and German methods. on
ms departure from London his csti-
mate OF Englishmen and England
made his opinion OF the Fatherland and
Its people seem inspired by the highest
form of admiration.
When h" landed in Berlin he found
the American correspondents nj III.
Adlon Hotel were law unto them
selves. AZ intense as is the German
dislike OF all speakers Of English this
favored little group Of dozen flam-
bo%antly American newspaper men
ruled the roost-so far as Berlins
principle hosiery is concerned For
these boys" Herr Adlon himself is
willing. eager to break any rule
"Nerboten' and the 'hoys" are strang-
ers--at the Adlon. DO three or four
OF them came in in the wee small
hours of the morninE-still unsatiated
as regards thirst-lIerr Adlon's orders
permit n discrcte porter to find a bot
tie from some mysterious corner.
PLACES AMERICAN FLAG
NEAR WHERE "BoYS" MEET
So much far the purely social, per-
Sonal side of life rs Ii is lived bv
American newspaper men in Berlin.
My friend tells mo on occasions the
bartender at the Adlon has gone so far
as TO produce large American flag
on standard and place-it in n prom
inent place when the boys" congre-
gate there for afternoon cocktails
The fact that that bartender and
most of the servants arc in the en-
ploN OF the secret scrvice--that every
9
made by these servants OF all CONVEX
sauons in English they have over
heard-docs not seem to dim the joy OF
living IN Berlin, insofar as the news
paper men are concerned.
Official Germany is even happier
thing for these correspondents Take
the censorship for example. In Der
I'm the censor is real, living. APP
proachablc human being. Perhaps he
has cut something out Of your dispatch
ana your Office has registered n pro
test. Your course-in Bcriin-is alb
sucdly simply You go direct 10 tho
man who is the ccnsor-thcre is only
ono man who holds this job in Berlin
and you sit down beside him and
ask him why he cut out the phrase In
question.
And-what is distinctly more to the
point--h" not only tells you why: but
ne comes pretty close 10 proving he
was justified In doing it. In the infre-
qucnt event OF your being dissatisfied
with his painstaking explanation you
are not yet at the end OF your re-
sources You take yourself promptly
to the official Weep on My Shoulder.
This gentleman Is probably the most
suave. the most diplomatic, the most
urbane. the most soothing gentleman
IN all Germany. According to nv
friend. at any rate, he is the most per-
feet specimen of the kind he ever saw
in ali his life.
GENERALLY TROUBLE
is QUICKLY PATCHED III
And TO him you pour out your tale
OF woe. lie has no obvious official posi-
ton. lie is connected In no known
way with the government. nut he is
the man IL is suggested to YOU that
you see-if anything is wrong and
You think there is a chance Of it's be-
ing put right. When he mas heard
your story he is very sympathctic--in-
rariably. Also he never fats to en-
press modest hope that perhaps" the
wrong may be rightcd. Never has he
been known to dispute that the com
plant is we'll grounded. And general
ly-after the lapse of a few davs-the
trouble is patched up.
TO my friends this gentleman made
most. amusing admission one DAY
You know he said, Germany pre-
pared long time for this way. She
believed sincerely she had overlooked
nothing. And yet we all did overlook
one thing-you newspaper men. We
believed the war would last only q
short time and peace would be declared
before newspaper correspondents need
hGthGrpl