The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-29
BY FREDERICK j. HAsKiN


WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. %
Novelists could well afford to with
draw their attention from abroad and
concentrate on Washington for mater
ial for those thrilling stories of es-
pionage and political intrigue which
the public so eagerly devours. For i
long time, the popular novelist has de
lighted to let his characters get into all
kinds of scrapes and have hair-breadth
escapes and discover important secrets
of state in such places as Geneva, Pet
rograd, Monte Carlo, and Rome. They
could do Just as we'll at Washington.
Since the war, Washington has be-
come in certain sense the capital of
the world With all nations looking
to the United States as the leader OF
iternational activity our National Capt.
tai has taken on increased Importance.
Washington as a headquarters for
diplomatic activity has long had con-
siderable vogue, but never so much
as at the present. The increased bust
ness of this character started with
the war when the propagandists and
diplomats special commissioners and
Observation-Disclosures of all principal ma
tions came here as steel is drawn to
a magnet. Nearly all of them have
stayed and ply their trade as diligently
as ever.
The treaty of Versailles provided for
several new states in pursuance of the
doctrine of self-determination which
President Wilson introduced at the
peace table. All of these nations were
born in turmoil and have been en-
countering difficulties in holding their
hard-won identity.
The opinion has become fixed in
Europe that a government can accom-
plish almost anything by convincing
American public of the justice of the
cause. 1t seems that the world bows
to the collective American mind, and,
in consequence, every Effort is made Il
appeal to that mind
Bureau Supplants
Former Junta.
The foreign Hobbies frequently take
the form of information bureaus Such
countries as Esthonia, Latvia, Lithu-
ania have bureaus with headquarters
at Washington whence millions of
words Of information are sent broad
cast to the American press showing
the development of each country, stat
ing its nationalistic aims and frequent
ly holding up to scorn the conflicting
aspirations of other peoples. The in,
formation bureau is the successor or
the old fashioned diplomatic agency or
junta which used TO be in vogue here.
There is no doubt that these bureaus
make substantial impression through
out the country and it appears their
home governments are well justified in
believing that the American press is as
important, if not more so, than the de
partment of state in connection with
American affairs.
The newspapers in the last year
have had good deal to say about the
Chita government. 1t will be recalled
that the conference on the limitation
of ornaments devoted no little atter
ton to this small nation, officially
known as the Far Eastern Republic
Much of this attention, this world wide
publicity. arose from the efficiency Of
the Washington information bureau
maintained by the Chita government
which at psychological moments is
sued statements to the press or, il
other words, to that vague collective
factor in world affairs, the American
mind.
The development has gone so fal
that several of the old established EN-
bassies maintain on their diplomatic
staffs, highly trained newspaper cor
respondents. Sometimes these art
brought from the home countries anC
nave such impressive titles as Pres:
Ataache. More frequently they art
american journalists employed in this
country. 1t is the general opinion
that the best results are obtained
from the American newspaper man be
cause he is more familiar with tn
American mind and knows more &C
curately how it can best be appealed
to.
All readers of American newspaper
have seen a great deal of agitation
concerning Philippine independence
This springs largely from the infoI
nation bureau maintained at the eS
pense of the taxpayers of the Philip
pine islands, for the sole purpose o
telling Americans about the Philip
pines and constantly presenting argu
ments for independence.
Work of Irish
Nationalist.
The Irish nationalists have main
tanned such a bureau here for year
aad many observers believe that Ire
lands independence resulted in par