The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-03-17


war or of the transfer of islands from
one allegiance TO another. there is a
great map of Mexico which includes
in its compass map of the frontier
OF the United States in the South
west.
On this Mexican map are shown the
positions as near as they can be de-
termined OF the fighting factions in
Mexico. and upon the map showing
the American side of the border are
placed little flags, either yellow white
or blue, marking the camping grounds
OF the regiments and attachments OF
United States troops now stationed in
places from which they can look
across the border into the Mexico OF
turmoil.
Cabinet Talk Is of War.
A large part Of the cabinet delibera-
tons of today, OF course, must con
Germ themselves directly or indirectly
with the. questions of war. When a
neutral vessel is sunk or merchant
man belonging to one Of the warning
nations is destroyed by submarine
it is necessary for the cabinet. acting
as advisers to the president, to know
definitely just where the happenings
occurred and all the circumstances
connected with each case
Ii must be remembered that there
is a three mile limit law and So IL
may concern the United States deeply
In CT hot har n
not any battle Of the seat or any sink
ing of a commerce carrier has taken
place within waters over which the
United States has control.
Getting the News in Washington.
Newspaper correspondents in Wash
ington divide prominent men in Off
cial life into three classes, good
copy" fair copy" and poor copy"
Some statesmen-politeness and pol
icy compel the use Of the word
for all national legislators-are will
ing often to take the public into their
confidence. Others are willing to do so
occasionally. while out of some others
it is impossible to get word with
any means of persuasion short of dy-
Mantle.
There are, however, some senators
and representatives who will say prac-
tically nothing and yet they are
classed as good copy" because their
characteristics are such that ii Is
worth while to write of them If one
| cannot write from them.
The outer office of the White House
is better place than the capitol itself
to learn into which class congressman
fall, according to the newspaper mems
views. The presidents visitors every
day number from scores to hundreds
and considerable part of these visi-
tors have their seats after twelve
o'clock under the dome of the capitol
When the members of congress have
finished their talks with President Viii.
son, they leave him and pass through
the room where ordinarily are gath
cred ten or a dozen newspaper men
ready enough to learn and to write
what the great ones Of earth have said
to the greater one of the earth.
There are some members, notably
senators, who can come from the
presidential presence with the prom
Use of a friends appointment to the
Court of st. James or to that of Bcr-
lin in their possession and yet never
betray by so much as sparkle of the
eye or a smile that they have re.
ceived anything better than the prom.
ten IF ha inf Of frin
to postmastership at an office which
pays a few hundreds year. There
are other senators who can no more
conceal the fact that they have picked
an appointment plum than they can
hide the evidence that they are on
earth.
Cannot Quote Directly.
Washington newspaper men cannot
quote any official directly without his
consent. Sometimes a cabinet officer
or senator or representative will say:
You can use this and say that | said
it," but more frequently information
is conveyed in words like this: For
your own guidance | will tell you that
such and such thing is likely to hap
pen. You can use the information but
don't say from whom II comes
II any newspaper man in this town
| oversteps the mark and quotes di.
rectly when he should not do so, he
gets into trouble. II 1t is known that
he has coupled an officials name with
statement without permission other
officials will fight shy Of him in the
future. 1t is only fair to the CORE
| spondents to say that any mistakes
of this kind generally are made
| through a misunderstanding.
or course the president of the Unit.
| ed States never is TO be quoted di.
rectly except on the extremely rare
occasions when he gives permission.
Most of what the president says. how
ever, to the newspaper men. directly
or through his secretary, gets into the
papers with some such advance words
as 1T can be said on high authority.
or Friends OF the president let II be
known today" or something of this
nature