Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07

THE news reel cameraman Is the
modern romantic. He has displaced
the colorful and fascinating adventure
of the newspaper reporter of the
Richard Harding Davis era whose as
signments took him to the ends of the
earthaand through dangers and hard
ships. Swift development in the
means of communication, as well as
closer organization of the world. has
made the newspaper reporters job
humdrum.
The cameraman is the dashing ad-
venturer Of romantic fiction. He
walks with kings and makes them like
it. He looks into the mouths of vol
canoes. From the air he photographs
the triumphant aviator steaming up
the bay in battleship. He follows
armies and photographs the bursting
shells. In the jungle he holds his
camera steady against the leap Of the
tiger. Because his orders are Get
the picturei" he must be always on
the scene, q colorful, romantic figure.
Emanuel Cohen, dean of news. reel
editors, who has just launched the
first edition of Paramount News, the
latest entry in this field OF the cinema,
could talk for days on the daring ex-
PLOTS of cOmeramen that have come
news reel activity.
There is Jake Coolidge of Boston,
Familiarity hailed by President Coolidge
as Cousin jake 1t was he who
managed. when accompanying Presi-
dent Wilson on his first historic voy-
age to France, to get through for
bidding official barriers and make his
way from ship to shore In time to
photograph the war Presidents arrival
at the port of BreSt. The French
minister of marine had issued orders
that no passenger was to be allowed
to land until one hour after President
Wilson had put his foot on French
soil.
Joe Johnson of Los Angeles was as
signed to cover the Pershing expedi-
ton into Mexico. 1t was forbidden
that cameramen should go with
Pershing into Mexico. For time
Johnson was missing from his usual
haunts. When he returned he had
thousands Of feet of news film show
ing significant incidents attending
Pershing's pursuit of Villa. To get
them he had to go into Mexico over
the burning sands, up mountains,
across wild terrain. carrying his
heavy camera, carrying his food and
precious water, and he had to go
alone.
Henry De Siena was star camera.
man in Washington. On dull days 1t
irked him to realize that no motion
picture camera had ever been allowed
in the august Senate chamber. Champ
Clark died. His body lay in state in
the Senate chamber. That was news.
De Siena carried his camera to the
entrance of the Senate wing Of the
Capitol. The guards, of course, stopped
him. He explained that he had an
engagement" with their chief inside.
So he proceeded into the building and
on up to the Senate gallery. He shot
his film. The chief approached, more
than irate. Di Siena explained that
he had hoped" the chief would per-
init him to photograph such an impor-
tant spectacle. Get out" was the
chiefs retort. Out went De Siena. A
few hours later the scene in the Sen
ate chamber was on the screens of
nearby theaters. De Siena was the
hero Of Washington cameramen. But
his days of usefulness in Washington
were ended. He was transferred to
New York, where the ire of officials
could not interfere with him.
George creole was in Austria on a
| rowing assignment, picking up what
ever scenes that appealed to his news
Judgment Cohen, in New York, saw
the Turko-Greek controversy rising to
a dangerous pitch. He cabled: "Er
cole to leave for Constantinople imme-
diately and cover the Turkish-Greek
war" Creole followed the Turkish
Nationalist army advance, obtained
pictures at Tchatalja showing the
Turkish advance and watched the
Greek advance on Smyrna. Smyrna
was reported in flames, so Cohen or
dered: Rush all pictures Smyrna
fire." Ercole needed no such order.
He had already photographed the
monstrous fire from the air, had it
shot from the water front, had pictures