The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-20
HOWARD EXPLAINS
Premature Signing of Armistice
Given Him as Official.
Celebrations General at French
Army and Naval Bases.

New York. Nov 2O.-"Neither I, my
self nor the United Press. has any
anoIogy to offer for giving to the
American people as news, a statement
of the signing of the armistice an
nounced as official, and furnished in
writing for publication by the vice
admiral of the United States, in SUI
preme command of all the American
naval forces in France. Were the
tomorrow, we would act exactly as on
November I. No newspaper man
could, or would, do otherwise"
Roy w. Howard. president of the
United Press, made the foregoing
statement upon his return to New
York today, after having spent yester-
| day Ill Washington, where he con-
ferred with Secretary of the Navy
Daniels and other government officials
| on a government transport.
1.-The bulletin which Admiral Wis n
gave out, and which the United Press
carried, was not a 'rumor' or a re
port 1t was a bulletin furnished to
/ the admiral as official, and so given to
| u.s." continued Howard.
! 1T was given to us for publication
/ by the ranking active United States
naval officer in France. There was nu
more ground for doubling Admir-"
| Wilson's source of news than there
would have been for doubling the
| statement had it come from Marshal
| Focn.
ut was about 10 o'clock in the
| morning (French time) when 1 first
/ learned of a rumor that the armistice
| had been signed. The report was cur
rent in both French and American
| army circles in Brest when 1 arrived
that morning to embark for the United
States.
| Il put in the entire day endeavoring
| to confirm the report. But it was not
| until about o'clock in the afternoon
that Admiral Wilson was notified on
| what he stated was official authority.
| and on what 1 know he had every rea-
\ son to believe was official authority,
| that the sarmistice had been signed.
1.-THE announcement had been made
| by the local Brest newspaper and the
| civilians, soldiers and sailors had their
celebration under full Roadway before
L was able to get from Admiral Will
son personally a copy of his written
| announcement and his personal assur-
ance that the bulletin was official.
1.-The admiral then sent his personal
aide with me to assist me in filing the
dispatch, as l do not speak French
fluently.
ut was the fact that all Brest, In
| Guiding operators and censors accept
ed the news as official and was cele-
brating at the time that caused my
wire to pass the French censorship
at Brest unchallenged.
Upon my return to the United
| States, L learned that no news had
been published here of the fact that
celebrations of the signing of the
armistice took place on November Z
at practically all the army and naval
| bases on the French coast.
II was also surprised to learn that
nothing had reached here by cable
concerning the fact that all Paris
hnd he 80
signed. At the American luncheon
club meeting in Paris on that day the
POSTMASTER arose. and with Admiral
Benson seated on one side of him and
American Consul General Thacker or
the other, announced 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 means on this side of the
Atlantic.
Nothing much has yet been said
as to the source of Admiral Wilson:
information. This is not for me tc
discuss. Nothing has been said as t.
the reason for the report current or
that Gay thruout France. No ex.
PLANTATION has yet been offered of how
the report reached the American EN-.
bassy in Paris as official. Neither ha.
any explanation been offered vet a:
to what became of the first German
armistice delegation, headed by vor
Hintze, which was reported to have
reached the French lines on Novem
Der 6. and which then disappeared
from the news. being supplanted b,
the Erzberger plenipotentiaries.
Some of these matters will b,
cleared up after peace is signed"
Howard called upon Secretary Dan
iels yesterday to express his appre
citation of the courage and squarenes
of Admiral Wilson in furnishing tn,
; United Press with a signed statemen
assuming full responsibility for tn,
bulletin which started the wonderful
American celebration of November z