The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-05

to whether or not you understand its
bearings.
An intelligent man understanding
world-sttuations will be able TO give q
coherant account of Developments
from day to day. where a correspon.
dent trained only in what news.
papers call spot news" will be help
less.
| Two Sources OF News.
There will be two sources from
which the correspondents will under.
| take to get their Interpretation Of
the meanings of the specific things
that happen from day to day. One
source will be n publicity man. The
other will be the Secretary of State
or somebody in the department speak.
ing for him.
The publicity man has not been an.
pointed. 1t will not be easy to find
somebody who can speak for the
Harding point OF view as satisfact-
Ortly as Ray Stannard Baker spoke
Tor Mr.. Wilson in Paris. Mr. Bakers
work was entirely different from Mr..
Creers. Mr.. Creers was propaganda.
which all the governments carried on
during the war. but which ought NOT
70 have any counterpart in the
" uSHlngton conference.
Bakers Work for Wilson,
MIR. Bakers business. on the other
hand. was not propaganda, but pub.
licity. A large part OF his effort was
Given to getting out explanatory ma.
lcrial, prepared by experts, with no
controversial elements, merely 70 help
the correspondents understand The
SMlous points as they came up for
discussion.
In doing this part of the work Mr..
itaker was so thorough and from Mr.
Wilson's point of view SO satisfartorr
that he was drafted into service. much
against his will, TO write the bool,
which Is TO be based on full access 10
all the documents relating to the
making OF the treaties OF Paris.
This material will begin to coma
out at about the time that the
washington conference opens. and
II Will have a bearing on various
questions connected with 1t.
Lessening Of armament, for in
stance: That subject was debated
In fun at Paris. and the French.
British, and American arguments
appear in Mr.. Bakers book.
Full Report Necessary.
one experience should be q direct
warning TO Washington to have all
the conferences fully reported in |
shorthand. In looking over the rec. |
ords made at Paris II appears that |
the accounts given by the French. |
and American official mar. |
rators. not being in shorthand. differ |
in important particulars from one |
another. 1t is obvious that this
ought not to happen again in Wash
ington.
More important. however. than
the regular publicity department., at
the Washington conference, is the
question of whether Mr.. Hughes
will continue his twice-a-day talks
and include the doings Of the con-
In the subjects about which
can be asked by the cor
Nobody can take his place. To
somebody else in the de.
partment would accomplish nothing.
The result would be timidity and
vagueness on the part OF the substi-
tute and dissatisfaction on the part
OF the newspaper men.
Mr.. Hughes gives out news better
than II has ever been given out from
the State Department. Although he
Is to head the American delegation,
t Is his duty to keep up his ad-
publicity work. In no other
way can most OF the correspondents,
not specially trained. keep intellectu.
ally abreast of what is going on.