The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-03

OF his great duties. lie is assisted by
able Heutenants, some of whom are
known as superintendent of the four
geographical divisions of the organ
ization.
Frank B. Moves of the Washington
Star, the president of the Associated
Press for the past twelve or fifteen
years, is active in its affairs, devot-
| ing his time and talents unselfishly to
| the great work. His long connection
with the organization has made him
familiar with all of the presidents and
practices of news gathering organi-
cations upon which subject he is an
authority.
Receipts and Expenditures.
! The receipts of the association are
| by assessment and are based upon eX-
penditures. At times during wars.
the expenses of the organization in
| charters vessels and boat and sends
correspondents to long distances.
Sometimes the cablegrams transmitted
| by the Associated Press correspond
ents for the use of the different mem
| bers cost as much as 81 per word
| The Associated Press employs the
wires of the Western Union and Posi-
tai Telegraph and the telephone COM
panies for the transmission of its
news. There was an impression quite
widespread some years ago that the
| Associated Press was in some way al
lied with the Western Union Tele-
graph company. Now, the Associated
| Press may use more Postal wires
best serve the different papers. 1t
uses the telephone lines everywhere
! The organization requires in this
country about 500 telegraph operators
and these operators must be experts;
no ordinary telegraph operator, no
matter how good he is, is competent
to take the Associated Press report
except after long training and expert
! ence. The report comes SO rapidly;
you may imagine it must came rap
idly.
Some Interesting Code Words.
There are many, many code words
used by the "A. p One word or one
| letter may mean a sentence. For in
stance, the word 'scotus' is the code
word for supreme court of the United
1 States. So when the telegraph opera
tor listens TO that word coming over
the wire he must write out upon his
typewriter the full clause, the SUI
preme court of the United States and
he does it. If the word pots comes
over the wire and is not used in con-
nection with the culinary department,
it means the president of the United
States being the initials of the words,
| president, of, the and states The
simple letter k means out of it The
three letters Xyn' mean IN the tele-
graphic code 'constitutionality,' a word
/
readily see that the telegraph opera
tor must not only be an expert on the
wire, but he must have eXprt knowl-
edge of the rapid Associated Press
| code.
The Presidents Message to Congress.
II might tell you of an incident that
will transpire in a few minutes on the
Associated Press wire and be trans
mitted to The State Journal in Topeka
and the Topeka Capital at the same
moment. The president of the United
States, at o'clock, Topeka time, is
expected to deliver his war message.
| No one knows just what that message
will be. From general conversation
and investigation that the president
| has made, it is known that he means
! to declare that this country must
enter into war, which must be main
tanned to victory, with the imperial
German government, not with the
| German people.
This message is awaited with prob
| ably the greatest interest that , has
awaited any document that has come
| from the president since he was in the
White House. The length of it is not
known; it is understood to be the
| longest message that the president has
ever delivered to the senate or house,
or the joint session of those bodies.
| THE message will not be transmit
ted from Washington until the presi-
| dent delivers it. But an Associated
Press telegraph operator in the very
| chamber in which the president VIII
speak As he drops the sheets of his
manuscript, page by page, each page
will be transmitted over the wires of
the Associated Press and will go to
the different parts of this country and
be cabled to those European countries
| that are not in conflict with the
| United States at this time, or about
to be.
Quick Transmission of News.
ITO show you how quickly that in
telligence will be known in Topeka in
the offices of the State Journal and
the Topeka Capital, the message is
transmitted direct from the chamber
in Washington to Chicago. 1t is there
copied on the typewriter by a tele-
graph operator receiving it; next to
him and looking over his shoulder is
another operator who reads the mes
sage word by word as the first opera
tor and typewriter puts it on the pa
per. That is called a visible relay, and
it is practically instantaneous.
THAT message is transmitted to
Kansas City, where another operator,
| looking over the shoulder of the frs
operator, by this visible relay trans
mits the message Instantly to Topeka
! and on to other cities So, Just after
| the president starts, his first words
will be known in Topeka and over the
entire United States, from Washington
! to California. Soon after he is thru
I speaking the message will be in type
and few minutes after his speech is
| delivered extras will be issued giving
the speech in full from newspaper Of
fees in all the larger cities, including
| Topeka.
81 think from that incident. which
/ is now transpiring, you may form an
intelligent idea of the magnitude and
importance of the Associated Press to
| the newspapers and to the public. and
want to say to you that the Associat-
| ed Press uses the greatest care to be
accurate. 1t is its accuracy, accom-
panied by it's speed, which has gained
! it a reputation extending over many
years and gained it a following which
believes in it. If it is in the Asso-
, ciated Press. you are pretty safe in
| believing it is true.
Accuracy Enjoined.