El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-14

I said we would never arrive at an
Z agreement
No Real Secrecy.
And as for secret diplomacy, il does
not exist in Paris. in the old sense Of
the phrase All the major issues Of
controversy are clear to anybody who
takes the trouble TO inform himself:
the attitudes Of the different powers
on each point before the conference
are known in general, though not in
detail. because The details change
from day to day, as compromises are
made. Not a single decision has been
come to, scarcely an important sug-
gestion has been made. in the
secrecy Of the conference chamber
Of the big ten and later the big four.
that has not at once found some sort
OF an echo in the press
But IL the man in the street
here has mistaken speed for
sIOth and what Is comparatively
n glare Of publicity for nefariOus
darkness, regret to say that he
IL right concerning his third
grievance. The American press
has fallen down on its biggest
story. and the Paris conference
is being very badly reported. The
English newspaper reader, the
F'renchman and the Italian. are
being much better informed of
what is going on than the Amerf-
can.
1t seems strange for an American
reporter 10 reproach his colleagues
and himself and assail his own game
in public, but in this case I think a
little sackcloth and ashes is not amiss,
for think we Of the American press
between us have succeeded in pretty
thoroughly muddling the mind Of the
public, and 1 shall try to tell why.
Commission to Blame
The blame in the first instance rests I
upon the American commission to
negotiate peace All the other com
missions have arranged, openly or
subterreaneouslyi to inspire" their
own newspapers with the views and .
arguments thought useful. and thus
from the tone" of the French. I
Italian and part Of the British press
what IS going on can be accurately
inferred. We Americans have a free
press. a press that does not take ''in-
SEPARATION" OF this pussyfOoting kind.
a press that asks for facts
But IN Paris we asked for bread, I
and we were handed. by Col House
and his colleagues. a stone. No pro-
visions had been made 10 supply the
american reporters with facts. to
offset the supply OF "inspira ton to
the neWspapermen OF other lands Our
delegates have loyalty kept silent
when al the powers had agreed TO
Keep matters IN conference cOnfiden-
-lal until decisions had been reached
7rher statesmen have broken the
spirit If not the letter Of their agree
nenr and created day by day at
noSphere' IN their own countries. by
Use Of their newspaper satellites who
know how TO interpret a lifted eye
brow OF an inclination Of the head
me ten-thousandth Of an inch Our
delegates have time and again pro-
-ested against these manipulatiOns.
1ut have not seen that the remedy
ay IN their own hands
Were Green to Game.
The American delegates should
ave fathomed the game OF their
colleagues and insisted upon their
light 10 tell certain salient facts 10
heir own reporters as they developed
Those reporters are competent men.
picked man, and on a story" in
sather1nE and presenting facts, are !
.etter men by far than the European 5
correspondents present just as Amer /
can newspapers have developed the
echnique Of news narrative far be-
ond any other press in the world. /
But confronted by the situation that
egan shaping itself in Paris in De-
ember, denied official facts. and
schewing the official inspire ton the
ress OF other countries was obtain
ng, the American correspondents
tubbed their toes and tripDed over +
heir own superior technique
As a cub reporter the American
eWspaper man is trained TO gather
acts, big facts or little facts TO
Intimate himself and his own opin-
1ns from his stories 10 avoid gen
ralizations- He is taught 10 pick out
he most striking fact he can dis
over on the STORY" TO which he is
and play It up making It {
he lead" OF his narrative, upon
Thich the headline VIII be based Z
his system results in more honest
eporting and better reporting in the
nited States than elsewhere.
But the peace conference f.
very peculiar STORY TO report.
Its completely is infinite. Truth, I
in Paris. has ag many faces rs the
diamond. The newspaper man
can approach the conference, not
from two or three angles as in .
the case Of other events he is !
called upon to describe, but from
10000.
Most American newspaper men Z
-ent TO Paris without any special 7
nOwledge OF the men or languages y
z problems they were TO meet They y
ere sent TO cover a story and o
icy proceeded to cover II in a G
clash" between Clemenceau and VIII :