Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-31
New York Talk on Prepared
ness Almost Left Out of East
ern Morning Papers.
REACHES OFFICES LATE
AFTER UNUSUAL DELAY
Secretary Tumulty Comes to Rescue,
and With George c. Boldt
Saves the Day.

Prom the New York sur.
One of the most important speeches
ever delivered by a President of the
United States Mr.. wilson's address be-
fore the Railway Business Association
at the Waldorf Astoria Thursday night.
narrowly missed being left out of the
newspapers of New York and the
newspapers of the east generally. and
actually did not reach many western
papers until too late for publication.
This will be a surprise. probably, to
any newspaper reader and no doubt to
mokhe President himself, of all Americans
tke most concerned. because of the is
sues involved. in having his opinions
sent rapidly broadcast over the coun-
try But 1t was a narrow thing, one
Of the narrowest sQueezes in newspaper
history-a matter of minutes. seconds
even.
II had been the Presidents intention
TO deliver a preparedness address which
he had written in Washington two days
before he came to New York Advance
copies of this speech were sent to the
New York papers by their Washington
bureaus These were handled in the
: usual way and were set up In type
ready for the signal from the reporters
covering Mr.. Wilson's appearance at
the waldorf that the speech had peen
delivered as written.
Makes a Different Speech.
8. Suddenly, at the last minute. the re-
porters at the Waldorf were informed
that the President had decided to throw
away his prepared speech and to launch
H. W0nId
more significant of his stiffened attitude
on preparedness and international rela-
TONS This was at s pm. Simultane-
ously the newspaper men were told that
Q firm Of stenographers had been re-
tanned by the publicity bureau OF the
Railway Business Mems Association to
take stenographic notes of the extern
poraneous address and to transcribe these
: notes and furnish copies of the speech as
rapidly as possible to the waiting re-
porters.
This change of plan meant delay. nat
urally in the business of rushing the
1 Presidents speech from the waldorf 70
the uptown and Park Row newspaper Of
ices, but it was not looked upon at the
moment as serious delay. 1t meant that
the editorial forces and composing rooms
would have to speed up little more than
they had expected. The hour was re-
assuring, since the President arose 10
speak at 9:35 pm.
The program carried out up to a certain
point. Mr.. Wilson began to speak at 9:35
nm He finished his address at 1910
pm The firm of stenographers had kept
TRANSFERRING the speech In short takes"
They should have had the transcriptions
ready to distribute within three-quarters
Of an hour at the most. But when the
newspaper men went to room 129 at the
where the stenographers were
working, and asked for copies in hurry
they were told that instructions had been
| received by the Railway Business Mems
the Sten0Rr4DherS
that not a line of the Presidents speech
could be given out until the whole speech
had been gone over, word for word, by
the Presidents own stenographer and re-
vised and approved by him.
Meant Further Delay.
The desperate nature of that informa-
tion lay in the fact that the Presidents
stenographer had gone from the Wal
dorf to the Biltmore with the Presi-
dent to take the Presidents speech
before the Motion Picture Board of
Trade. and could not possibly get back
to the Waldorf before midnight. That
would mean, with the necessary time
for revision and minor correction, at
least / am before the speech could get
TO the newspapers.
What was to be done? The associa-
ton press agent was adamant. Mean
while new gray hairs appeared upon
reporters heads, and in newspaper Of
fees managing editors and city editors
were wondering perhaps If the whole
world had gone crazy.
1t occurred to one reporter that Jo-
ssph p. Tumulty, secretary to the Pres
fdent, never in the world could have
been a party to any arrangement by
which his chiefs speech would be kept
from publication because of sheer rou-
tine and red tape. The reporter, after
some difficulty got Mr.. Tumulty on the
phone at the Hotel Biltmore. Mr.. Tum-
nifty was appalled,. That is the only
word that describes his state Of mind.
For heavens sake" he shouted over
the phone. Get somebody here that
those people up in room 129 will pay
speech in the morning papers! Great
Lordv'
Mr.. Boldt to the Rescue.
The best man who could have been
wished for to meet the emergency
George c. Boldt, proprietor Of the Wal
dorf. happened at that moment to walk
past the telephone booth. The situa-
ton was breathlessly put to him. He
that's why he has the Waldorf. He
Jumped into the booth. caught three
words from Mr.. Tumulty. jumped out
again and led the way up to room 12s
with all the reporters in the world
trailing him. Guests of the Waldorf
looked on in establishment. F1ingins
open the door. Mr.. Boldt said. sue
cinctly:
"You will give these gentlemen of the
pfess the speech they are waiting for
Impossible" he was told. 1T IL
against orders"
II am asked by the Presidents secre-
tary to instruct you to surrender the
speech" said Mr.. Boldt-
Somebody started to say Impossible!
and then Mr.. Boldt took step for
ward. hre in his eye.
IT tell you," he said, you will de.
liver that speech now, instantly. Dc
You hear me?"