The sun., 1916-03-05


tainly Il startling performance. COM
parable to tho younger Pitts becoming
Prime Minister at the same age. lie
was only n little over a year out of
oxford and had been employed in
newspaper work for that length of
time. But the 7imcs was already es-
tablishcd In the position which he
maintained and improved through the
labors of his predecessors, Sterling
and Barnes. az the author is careful
to show: ii was already the "'Thun-
dcrcr," and John Walter the Second,
the proprietor. who picked out Delane.
had known and studied him for years.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature
in the transaction is that The young
man should have had the confidence
in himself and the assurance to under
take the task.
In his conception Of the editors
functions. according To- Sir Edward
Cooks description. Dcianc seems TO
have anticipated modern efficiency
methods and the now executive voca-
tons. He made himself the director
and assigned TIE actual work of writ
ing and investigating largely to others.
Ne wrote very little himself. but no
word went into the paper that he mad
not seen and revised: nothing that
failed to express the views he thought
the paper should have. He employed
the most competent men he could md
To W:itc thc leaders and the special
articles. but hr edited their articles
severely. 10th as regards the sub
stance and the English used; he ar
ranged the methods uf gathering news
and sending II N cXpeditiuusly in the
days when railroads were beginning,
The telegraph was a scientific novelty
and cables did not exist. In addition
TO this lie performed the duties that
would he now dclegatpd to political
reporters. going daily into society.
whore he was likely to gather news.
He had a genius for making forecasts
of coming events from the varied
sources of news at his command.
which often resulted in scoops" winch
were attributed 10 exclusive official IN
formation given to him. The euesses
which failed. and there were some in
the history Of the Times, are not mem
toned by Sir Edward Cook.
\ regular days work, acco. ding to
him. was something Ike this: Delanc
rot up a noon and lreakf,stcd: then
ho mounted his horse, for he never
walked or drove II he could help Il, and
made calls on persons who could he OF
assistance. After this he went to the
office. where he first attended to the
correspondence. selecting the letters he
wished to prin and answering those
that called for an answer in his own
handwriting; after this he made up the
paper FOR the following day. next he
ISSUED instructions to correspondents
reporters. reviewers. and allotted sub
jects with instructions also) among
the leader writer's. The instructions
We're generally in writing. When this
was done, II anything important was
going on IN Parliament he would ride
To Westminster and listen tp the de-
bates or else he would ride IN The Row
til dinner time. he duod out almost
every night but slipped away about
10 o'ci"ck. and 10y / al latest WAS AT
his desk IN the office. where he re-
mained til or = ia The morning. Tn"
author quotes from knglakc:
These ver" The houss %, IL" ulsht vhcn
q
coarse wish groa' .V.f:ncs,---hc,vcen Two
diNetcn'. when ho-!io.. n mus, fudge
the appra's brought up to- tie patamount
sfhiter ffur all kinds ~ men. from
sor's ~ earthly t..hluil.. wacn dH.pat"hes
OF moment, when ''.cgrlms Taught wI.h
grave tldlues, when notes ht~f'' r.rlp-
blod in the Lords or the Commons. were
from Tim" :" Nm" coming tn to confirm,
or to disturb perhaps even 10 annu,---
former reckoniuvs. and these hcs lea. Nere
the hours NhSh IA" somehow must cause to
sp'.ng up sudden essays. iny.ctlyes and
arguments Wit il on'r .,rouE p.wer 90
brain ~I:h even much toll cou'i suppy.
In spite uf Ia" mlCn.inqu"uc" this j.
a fair description uC a managing cdi-
tors nightly task. Another writer who
saw Dclauc at WORK says of him:
IL. lustiuct.te perception. l'4 sAga,io..
pros,lencc ~ 'ho t~udcuc, ~ events. was
on.y para.."loi b. h PROMPT decision.
\ message coming IN ~ tn" lIs' moment
pregnant With issues N foreign po'i;iys a.
home AFFAIR. lever 'uuad him uurcady.
HIS brother n.sw sad. 1t is hose fashes
of surc intuition thau save n m, II ne we're
In the habit ~ h'.!tating h. would often
be hunic. tug
From the very hos.unirg. with ali
possible courtcuusn"ss, H." made all
subordinateS and contributors under
stand that what Mr.. pcianr aid was
law in the 1,MrS. occasionally he took
day off or visited friends for a few
days, bat his regular vacation came
after Parliament rose when he fire.
qu"NtlN visited the cont incnt. Such
ws~ the iuuiiGc ut his life for tho thir-
ty-siN years during whi,h he edited
the Tim.s
II must have h"ru with mixed emo
tons that Sir Edward cook. Il news
paper man Whose present duty = TO
prevent news from being known. de-
scrihcS the du,nGs Of Dciiue and his
greatest find among special currespun-
d"n's, W. II, Russell the later Euil
Run Russell, durin- trc tr mean war.
kuss"' va frc" to say whatever he
liked and what NOS" ~ al' hoI'iN dis
liked: u" not only denounced abuses
ana incompetence, hut gave military
Information that m ght have a.led the
enemy Il tn" Russians had r"nd the
Times. Neither a. h"mc nor nt the
front was the idca "f a censorship en-
tertaincd. And N London. on In" basis
of Rus~"ll's reports ,,nd other mforma-
ton, the Tim"S kept druuuu,irg the
"f administrators and uf
comnard'rs - the field. The com
mcnt uf the ui'iv,il ccuSor T.:
Owing I" tho NastS Increased range ~
runi"rn Weapons AND 'Nt,ndrd sphere OF
military operations on tho n,c hand, and
owing ou the other, 81 tho At.culc seer
iN nl tln o-m.mE.hLm- Nm, nnnnrimnl,Ics