New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-11-20
UNITED PRESS HEAD
BLAMES NAVAL man
Claims Vice Admiral Wilson Gave
Out First ArmiStiCe Report

New York, Nov. -29.-The United
Press today Issued the following
statement:
Neither I, myself, nor the United
Press, has any apology to offer for
| giving 20 the American people as
news, a statement of signing of the
arm1stice announced as official and
furnished In writing fer publication
| by the vice admiral of the United
| States, In supreme command of ali the
| American naval frees in France
| Were the same Identical proposition
/ presented tomorrow, we would do the
! same
Roy w. Howard, president of the
united Press, made the foregoing
statement upon his return to New
YORK today, after having spent yester-
day In Washington, where he con-
! ferred with Secretary of the NAVY
| Daniels and other government offi-
Gals, following his return to the
United States on government trans-
! port.
1.-The bulletin which Admiral
Wilson gave out, and whieh the
United Press carried, was not b. 'ru-
NOR" or report. It was q, bu1le-
| tin furnished to the admiral as Off
| cia1, and SO given to u.s. continual
| Howard.
LIT was given to us for publica-
ton by the ranking active United
States naval officer IN France. There
was no more ground for doubling Ad-
miral Wilson's source of news than
there would have been for doubling
the statement had it come from
Washington.
:" 1t was about ten o'clock In the
morning (French time), when I first
learned Of a rumor that the armistice
had been signed The report was
current in both French and American
army circles in Brest when I arrived
that morning to embark for the
United States.
I put In the entire day endeavor-
ing to confirm the report. But it was
not until about four o'clock in the
afternoon that Admiral Wilson was
notified on what he stated was off,
cial authority and On what knew he
had every reason to believe Was Off
Cial authority that the armistice had
been signed.
The announcement had been
made by the local Brest newspaper,
and the civilians soldiers and sailors
had their celebration under full head
way before I was able to get, from
Admiral Wilson personally, copy of
his written announcement and his
personal assurance that the bulletin
was official.
'' The admiral then sent hts per-
sonal aide with me to assist me in
filing the dispatch as I do not speak
French fuently.
=" 1T was the fact that all Brest,
including operators and censors, &C.
cepted the news as official and was
celebrating at the time that caused
my wire to pass the French CENSOR
ship at Brest unchallenged.
Upon my return to the United
States, I learned that no news had
been published here of the fact that
celebration Of the signing of the
armistice took place on November 7
at practically all the army and naval
bases on the French coast.
"+I was also surprised to learn
that nothing had reached here by
cable concerning the fact that all
Paris had the report of the armistice
being signed. At the American
luncheon club meeting in Paris, on
that day, the toastmaster arose, and
with Admiral Benson seated on one
side Of hi mand American Consul Cen
eral Thackera on the other ANNOUNCE
ed on what he said was the authority
of the American embassy that the
armistice had been signed.
All the celebration on that day was
by no meanis on this side Of the At
lantic.
" Nothing much has yet been said
as to the source of Admiral Wilson'S
information. This is not for me to
discuss Nothing has been said as to
the reason for the report current on
that day throughout France. No ex-
PLANTATION has yet been offered Of how
the report reached the American
embassy in Paris as official. Neither
has any explanation bee noffered yet
as to what became Of the first Ger
man armistice delegation, headed by
Won Hintze which was reported to have
reached the French lines on Novem-
Der 6 and which then disappeared
from the news, being supp1aated by
the Erzberger plenipotcntaries.
"fSome of these matters will be
cleared up after peace is signed'''
Howard called upon Secretary
Daniels yesterday to express his ap-
probation of the courage and square
ness of Admiral Wilson in furnishing
the United Press with a signed state
ment assuming full responsibility for
the bulletin which started the won
derful American celebration of No
vemiber IT,