The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-07-27
"COVERING" NEWS.
Getting a Line on the Mexican Situa'
tion.-How Press Men Work.

sador to the United States, is an in
teresting person in this year OF grace
1916. Likewise is Maj. Douglas Mac
Arthur, the censor of the war oe-
partment, and the man upon Whom
the Washington newspapers must de-
mend for their daily supply OF au-
thentic information concerning Mexi-
co. Upon Senor Arredondo, MAJ
Macarthur, Robert Lansing, secre-
tarv of State, and Josephus Daniels,
secretary of the navy, are centred
right now the eyes of every news
paper man in the national capital
who is towering the Mexican SIT
uation.
And how is this covering done?
Whom do you see to get the real
news. and when, and how much OF
what YOU get must you print and
how much must you leave imprint
ed? These are questions which to
the novice might at first seem more
or less perplexing, but which to the
experienced Washington correspond
ent become a comparatively easy
matter, at least after he has paved
The way before him by establishing
a. confidential relationship between
the paper he represents and the big
men with whom he is to work from
! day to day.
Beginning the day the big papers
in Washington "cover" Mr.. Arredon-
do, it being recognized that he is the
gateway between the department OF
State and Gen. Venustiano Carranza,
the de facto leader of the Mexican
government.
Making the Rounds.
The first call is made at the Mexi-
can embassy at 10 o'clock ip the
morning. Mr.. Arredondo's plans for
the day are then secured. At IL
O'Clock it is the secretary of State,
then the war department and the
secretary of the navy That is the
run for the afternoon papers, but it
ia much more complex and, at the
same time, more interesting as the
day goes on. During the afternoon
there is another conference with the
four officials named, each lasting per-
haps half an hour, the last of these
being with Senor Arredondo. That
finished the man writing the story
for the morning papers begins to
check up all the days stuff prepara-
tory to sending in his copy" He
has, meantime, while en- route from
one of the departments to another
hastily read the afternoon papers and
If there is anything in them which
has escaped his attention, another
call must be made upon the proper
and that official haughtiness which
clothes many officers, and which
forms a barrier between themselves
and the outside world.
A Bit of Excitement.
So when Maj. Macarthur gives the
ssboys' the. tip that he is ready to
talk business about what Carranza,
Villa and others may be doing be-
yond the great border line of the
Rio Grande, every man takes out his
pencil and note book and is. ready
for the job. May be it's a real long
story which must be prepared before
it is sent to the "ofice." On the
other hand, if it is a flash h'-possi-
bly, from Funston, or Bell or Perish
ing-there is wild scramble for
one of the half dozen telephones in
the press room and in a minute the
air is sizzling with reports going in
with telegraphed dispatches received
from the front.
Then after Maj. Macarthur has an
nounced that ''the department is
closed for the night the newspaper
man must again check up Mr.. Ian
sing, Mr.. Arredondo, Mr.. Daniels and
all other lines of communication, be-
fore he may feel safe in leaving his
post. But all is not over yet. After
Lansing and Arrendondo and Daniels
and Macarthur have announced that
they are done for the night, there is
official either for confirmation or a
denial, if the situation demands a
categorical answer.
The morning man, with his data
before him, rattles off his "copy''
and rushes it on the wires. That
done, there is half an hour for hur-
ried dinner, but not always so. In
deed, there is many Washington
newspaper man who rarely gets home
to the evening meal, and at times
even the quick lunch must be passed
up for more convenient time.
Then the big stories for the COM