Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
LONDON TOO QUICK
ON AMERICAN NEWS
Beat Correspondents In Paris
on Story of Oversee
Expedition.
ACCOUNT NOT RELEASED

Especial Cablegfam % The Sunday Dtn1
and New York Tfmes.)
PARIS. July Although moro than .
week has passed since the arrival Of
American troops. no really satisfactory
explanation has Jet been made to the
public Of how the news came to Be- pub
lished in the London press two full days
before the story was officially 'releas ed''
for publication.
One thing is certain. No shadow Of
responsibility for this gigantic beat
rests on either the Reuter- or the Lon
cables in the normal manner in accord
ance with instructions and who have
been personally exonerated by Gen.
Pershing.
Owing to the necessarily profound
secrecy regarding the expedition until
the whole force had safely landed. Amer
lean correspondents had been informed
that no news must be sent until the last
transport had locked and the troops
were on shore. This order came from
every one as not only reasonable. but
absolutely imperative in the circum-
stances.
Correspondents Go to Port.
Arrangements were made by a press
omcer that American and British cor
respondents should leave for the port
by night train, reaching there in time
to witness the arrival OF the main body
OF the flotilla on the following day. al
though it was already known in Paris
that the first section Of the expedition
a number Of French correspondents had
actually left for the port on Monday
night.
1t should be clearly understood that.
from the outset. no one. either French.
British or American. had any idea Of
beating the censor with the story.
Apart from the danger to American
soldiers and the allied cause. in the
event of enabling the Germans to in
tercept the latter part Of the convoy.
stood that in case Of stories Of such
Importance nothing but strict equality
of time and opportunity would be per-
mitted.
The hour and place Of handing in .
story to the censor or telegraph bureau
are frequently, as on this occasion left
to individual choice. 1t 10 realised
that the moment Of release will be the
same for all and give every one the
same chance.
Dispatches Filed.
Most Of the French correspondents
naturally handed in their dispatches
at the local telegraph bureau Tuesday.
Their example was followed by q mum.
Der Of Americans and British next day.
thing at the local ONCE until the hour
OF release. It was pointed out to the
press officer this might cause q block
on the line. He agreed Wednesday
morning to let dispatches be transfer.
red to Paris and held there instead.
Among dispatches already filed was
one by the Havas representative for
Paris. AS Havas works in partnership
With Reuter-, the correspondent Of the
Reuter- Agency put q London address
and filed 1t with the rest, . perfectly
normal procedure adopted to save the
delay Of recopying in Paris.
The London Times correspondent also
Other Englishmen preferred to return
to Paris and submit their stories direct
to the censor there, as did a majority
Of Americans.
London Prints Story.
All French and British and several
American correspondents reached Paris
the London Times men most Of ali
were astounded to hear that dispatches
from those two correspondents were
printed that morning in London.
The French press. not unreasonably
thinking, the story. had been released.
clamored for permission to print. Tho
censor stood Arm. awaiting authoriza-
ton from American headquarters.
How the dispatches slipped through
Is still something Of a mystery. Maj.
Palmer said positively. today that the
chief French censor here had been in
formed Of the embargo as early as
Tuesday morning. The French censor's
office explains the mishap as due to
error. or rather the ignorance OF a
telegraph operator. This probably Is
correct.
that two cables addressed to London
were sent right through. instead OF be-
ing held with the rest at the central
bureau in Paris-the telegraph opera
tor either sqpposins they would be
simply not considering a point outside
his own job. Apparently the English
censor was not informed of the en-
matter that had been transmitted from
France.
EXPLANATION Not Clear.
To those Of US who are familiar with
the inner working of the censorship
and with the telegraph authorities. this
hypothesis is not entirely satisfactory.
as no such break has previously oc-
curren on an important story. That Is
the official explanation. Nor is it clear
why, after the news once was pub
lished in England. the embargo was
maintained for French and American
dispatches until IL o'clock Saturday
morning. a procedure which gave rise
to considerable feeling in the French
press and lent credence to ill-advised
rumors of disloyalty on the part OF the
Times and Reuter-.
Facts Of the case show how baseless
these rumors were. George Adam, the
Times correspondent. states that he
and the Reuter- representative. Kerr
Bruce. have received q letter from Gen.
Pershing frankly expressing his GER
tainty that they were in no way re-
sponsible or to blame.