The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-17
LAWRENCE GIVES
DETAILS Of HOW
PLANS WERE MADE
Discusses Adoption of the
Leagues Details and Shows
How George CreeI Was
Eliminated Early in Session
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The News seimltar's Special Core.


WASHINGTON. March 17.-This is a
story OF the part George Creel played
at the peace conference-or rather the
part he didn't play. When II Is con-
sidered that congress CAV vent TO sew
eFal indignant speeches In December
on the mere mention OF Mr.. Creel's
prospective departure for Europe, and
a great h~ullabaloO was raised about
"coioring' The news, there is perhaps
some interest in what the head OF the
committee on public information really
dld DO with respect 10 the peace on
First OF all. it should not be imag-
med that the correspondents who had
the impression that an official GO
between or Interpreter was to stand be-
tween them and the American delega-
ton objected to Mr.. Creel personally.
They didn't want Mr.. Creel or anybody
else to act as a barrier between them
ana the principals who really were
speaking or acting on behalf OF the
American people in the formal or in
formal negotiations. There is nothing
10 show that President Wilson intended
70 put George creel or anyone else in
that position, nor was there any sign
on board the George Washington, where
Mr.. Creel and the president hobnobbed
Tor days at a time, that the much
criticized chief OF the committee on
public Information was In disfavor at
court, Nevertheless a curious thing
happened on the arrival of Mr.. Creel
and the presidential party in Paris.
Long Disorganized.
For several DAYS the presidents office
was not organized, He lacked a pri-
waite secretary. He hadn't taken Joseph
p. Tumulty, his trusted adviser, be-
cause he wanted someone back in the
White House who would give him a
clear and impartial account Of what the
public feeling In the United States was
and from what little learned about
that In Paris | gathered the impression
that Secretary Tumulty performed an
invaluable service. But Mr.. Wilson, to
he sure, was in need Of some secretary
IN Paris. George CTeel, II was gen.
orally whispered, WAS a candidate for
the Job, and the whispers took on rath-
er tangible form in the many hurried
visits to and from the Murat palace
and the Hotel Crillon, where the presi-
dent and Col. House made their re-
spective abodes. Anyway, the presi-
dent finally decided that Gilbert Close.
his confidential stenographer, who used
to be his personal secretary when Mr..
Wilson was at Princeton, could handle
the buslness-and he did SO very well,
indeed. From that day on. very little
was seen or heard Of George Creel.
The correspondents who had come
from America to write about the peace
conference found no facilities for get
NlhH ~ AhNNh WIN inc AHiSl ANhA ms
sion, nor was there any pressroom' con-
v~eniently located through which II
could be assured that official an
nouncements would reach all concerned.
The correspondents, after much diff
Guilty, got the attention OF the Ameri-
can mission and established such a
headquarters, Also Col, House, Secre-
tary Lansing, Gen. Bliss and Henry
White agreed to meet the correspond
ents every morning at IL O'Clock and
submit TO a quiz, At first the Ameri-
can delegates talked frankly and free
~ and In large part in confidence, so
as to guide the correspondents, but
the large number of the latter, con-
tanning many men personally unknown
TO officials and whose discretion
DIDN'T seem aiways ~ h. Of the best.
II soon resolved itself into a case Of
the personal equation for the Individual
correspondent. which is what usually
happens whenever II IS sought 10 deal
with large numbers Of newspaper men.
II Ia true that the delegates were too
busy to give individual audiences 10
many correspondents, but soon they be-
gan meeting the officials In small
groups, and that's the way things are
proceeding now, As for the conduct
Of the pressroom and the distribution
OF official announcements. Ray STAN
nard Baker was placed In charge by
the American mission, Mr.. Baker has
II difficult job, but does II very well.
He doesn't try to force news on any
b~ody-indeed, he simply confines him
self to the preparation or written nat
ter for the correspondents. These state
ments are not TO he quoted on the au-
thority of the American mission, but
they are digests OF official reports from
American intelligence officers and the
technical experts Of the peace mission.
! Usually they are as impartial as Asso-
ciated Press stories and merely state
both sides of a problem. Most Of the
correspondents find these statements.
especially on such intricate problems as
Poland and Czecho- Slovakia and other
European matters,
No Coloring Given,