Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-14

With the advent OF the United Ststes
into the World War came the aug
nlentafion of writer's In tho National
Capital. Papers had representatives
not only To cover special assign
meDts at the Capitol. but To handle
the White House news. 70 be present
mt the conferences in tbs o,s,cutlvs
branches Of the government ~ well as
to write other special articles Wash
Ington was the capital Of ;he world
for more than two years orl Mntii Mr..
Wilson sailed for France fra Decen-
Der. 1918.
Enter the oAasiaI Hress Agent
When this country declared war.
there Immediately were created a
number OF press agencies Ia the xov-
ernment departments. Their number
gained as the war went on. Few of
them have disappeared. They are IN
charge OK former newspaper men and
turn out, daily. enough material 70 on
the columns of the ordinary nows-
paper Specializing on features u he
work coming under the department Or
bureau With which they are connected
is the duty OF these agencies
In the winter OF 1913, the eyes d,
) the world were focused on Paris and
its Peace Conference. Thfthcr travel
, ed many Washington correspondents
and many Of them remained until me
, return Of President Wilson az the con-
. clusion Of the Treaty az sversa iies
/. Those who remained In the National
, Capital spent most Of their time at
the Senate, where every move made AZ
/, Paris had its reflection.
With the return OF Pree'fen, WI
son, interest remained centerod on
Capitol Hili FOR a time: then u went
across the~continent with Ir. Wilson
on his tour in advocacy of the Peace
: Treaty. Congress held minor place
4 on the stage.
Since the defeat OF tho treaty IN the
: Senate, there have been not more than
: a dozen occasions when the press KALI
d leries Of either house were filed 20
: capacity. The reason S. not that the
Legislative halls do not provide as
IS good news as they once did, bot that
Y the executive branches Of the govern
n ment usually provide better stories
: What Is more. most newspapers de-
v vote the energies Of their writer's here,
a as a general rule, to the affairs of the
# printed. They depeDd upon the press
! associations for the stories on Con-
- gress, while their Washington writer.
n concern themselves more with tns
Il actions Of their individual legislators
- Except when some member of Con.
gress hurls an ink bottle az another
member, the average correspondent q
too busily occupied with other natter
even 10 pause In his work.
pc How Dawes Got Attention.
AR Here is an illustration: Brigsdier
te General Charles G.. Dawes was sum
rs moned to appear before a House sub
ey committee investigating some Yhss
H. OF the war. He saw the newspase
a. men before hs went 10 the commits
an room and told them there would B
o. interesting soings there. When \
80 appeared he delivered himself % a tor
-, rent of invective against those wh
sought to detract from the efficacy q
=. the American war methods. II mad
good copy" and there We're column
= Of 1t IN every paper in the courtr-
en Later somebody asked him why b
ne had used profanity.
er' II wanted 10 get the story and m
'nt position on It in every newspaper
en- answered Dawes, $50 l swore a IL,
St and millions of people read Il. Hs
'ial not used that mild profanity. m
ne body would have known was
Il Washington"
he All OF which illustrates that ev'
10 big people at home frequently a
Of not heard about on their visits her
I'm It Is a far cry from the last few wee
vas OF President Cleveland's adninistr
ton, when he rarely was asked 70 =
adj anybody except his private secreta
cry and Queen LII, OF Hawaii. who "
day calling continually for some actt
: to assuring that island kingdom the pr
lection Of the United States.