The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1918-11-13
WHAT HOWARD SAYS


In regard to the premature an
nouncement of the signing of the ar
mistice sent out by the United Press
the United Press Association has made
public the following:
NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-The following
cablegram was received today from
Roy w. Howard, president of the Unit
ed Press, filed from Brest, France.
Admiral Wilson's statement tells
the whole story. The Admiral gave
me personally and a Brest paper a
bulletin stating that the armistice had
been signed, etc. Upon the Admirars
assurance that the information was
official and fully authenticated, | filed
verbatim copy of his bulletin in the
regular manner at the Brest pOstoffice
(French postoffices are also the tele-
graph offices) for the French censors.
| learned yesterday that in the excite
ment due to the newspaper announc-
ing the armistice my message did not
reach the censors until after the text
had been cabled to New York.
Il am personally convinced that Ad-
miral Wilson was assured that his bull
Ietin was official and that he acted in
absolute good faith. l do not know
who was responsible for the Admirars
misinformatiOn. My own part was
that merely of a newspaperman at the
end of a cable, receiving from the base
commander what l was assured and
had every reason to believe was an
official announcement of the armis-
tice. | made use of supposedly Off
cial information only after requesting
and receiving special permission.
While the demonstrations were at
their height | learned that French Of
fcers at Brest questioned the accu-
racy (of the announcemenU l i'm
mediately sought Admiral Wilson and
found that he had received word that
his original bulletin was unofficial
and uncomfortable. | Immediately
sent an urgent cablegram of correc-
ton to New York, which should have
reached there in time for the after
noon papers, but unfortunately this
cablegram was delayed for hours.
THE United Press (the original ca
BILE bulletinD was cabled from Brest
directly to New York. The message
contained both Simms' signature and
mine. the former because of our col
lection privileges (the right to file
messages tolls cOllect) rests in Simms'
name. The double signature caused
confusion in New York, causing the
erroneous impression that the matter
had been filed in Paris. Neither
Simms nor the Paris Office partici-
pated.
81 have received cablegram indi-
eating that Interested parties are en-
deavoring to capitalize the incident
whereof the United Press was a vic
tim.
Serve notice that every action of
the United Press is a matter of Of
fetal record. Our hands are absolute
ly clean. All officials directly con-
cerned have completely absOlved the
United Press of responsibility.
81 will take any steps necessary to
protect our reputation at home"
Howard's reference to 1.-The con-
fusion in the Brest postOffice probably
explains the fact that the original
cablegram to the United Press in New
York was dated Paris" and bore no
other dateline whatever. 1t contained
no mention of Brest either in the
text or in the date line and clearly
showed Paris as the Office of origin.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9.-Secretary
of the Navy Daniels today said that
he had no intention of making any
further inquiry of Admiral Henry B.
Wilson concerning the Admirals an
nOuncement to the United Press
Thursday, that the armistice had been
signed.
The Secretary spoke in the most
complimentary terms of Admiral Will
sons services, characterized him as
one of the very best officers in the
American navy. He said that every
one who had dealings with Admiral
Wilson in France brought the same
high reports of him. Secretary Dan
iels thought, too, that the Admiral had
pursued a manly course in ac-