Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-21
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C.. NJ.
COVERING WASHINGTON. J. Fred
erick Essary. Houghton Miffiin Co

! IlOI VI SOiile QUIET AulcA iSoh
Washington with it's scant 5OO,ooo
stands, nevertheless. the great news
center of the world. 1t gathers and
distributes more vital current infor-
nation than does any other quarter
of the globe. 1t supports for this
particular industry half a thousa no
newspaper professionals. Such Is the
statement of Frederick Essary, him.
self one of the 500 so engaged.
Covering Washington: Government
Reflected to the Public in the Press
l1S22-1926." is, in substance. the story
Of the National Capital as. a news
field. 1t Is the story of the city in
It's distinctive overtures to the active
and ambitious newspaper man.
The strength of this study and it's
clear attraction to the reader rest
upon the authors passion for hunting
appearances down to their origin.
upon his discomfort with the bare out
side Of any matter in hand. So. the
initial statement already given as to
Washingtons supremacy in the do
main of news Is set out as sequence
of certain conditions and facts. The
controlling fact in the situation is the
outreach Of the Government into all
basic industries Of the country. For
instance, the farmer looks to the
Congress at Washington for relief.
The railroads listen in upon the de-
! alterations and decisions of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. The
ercantile marine turns to the Ship
ping Board. Banks and credits rely
for their ATTITUDES upon the Federal
Reserve System. and so on in a
countrywide linking up of industry
and the central government. The eX-
hibit serves fully to point upon the
press at the Capital as the great
American news agency of the world
in all matters of immediate and vital
concern.
Such, throughout, is the illumina ting
method used by this author. Mr.
Essary sets his work against vivid
backdrop of the city as whole. He
projects, sketchily, its circles within
circles-ofilcial, diplomatic, military.
| social-rounding not unfamiliar
pageant that is touched off here and
there with comment shade satirical.
| with opinions of the seasoned and
sophisticate order.
Having provided a setting for the
survey in mind, the author makes
exclusive use of this for the adven-
lures and activities of newspaper rep.
resentatives at the Capital. Looking
backward, as is the way of him, he
discovers for readers that it was the
Civil War which first gave Washing
ton Its rightful place in the sun"
Then government in America became
centralized for the first time. States
surrendered powers during that emer-
gency which were never wholly re-
stored to them" With this change
came also the appearance of the news
paper correspondent in anything like
regularity and considerable numbers.
But before this there was newspaper
work of sorts. chiefly letter writing
back to the home paper, and here
come the names and the work of pio-
neers in news gathering. Then the
pony express made swift transit for
that time. The magnetic telegraph.
wonder OF the time, gave rise to the
New York Associated Press Great
names flourish here. And tremendous
strides were made to meet the hard
times imposed upon correspondents by
the exlgencies of the Civil War. Here
Is good picture of Newspaper Row"
and from 1t Mr.. Essary passes to the
press galleries of Congress, with the
work, intricate and stupendous, i'm
posed upon the newspaper men Of the
present day. In this passage from
earlier days in the profession to pres
ent ones there are innumerable
anecdotes. all of them intensely inter-
estlng from the standpoint of news.
paper growth, many of them amusing
In high degree. These present cor.
respondents whose names stand high
IN this absorbing profession, some of
them near enough to these days for
personal acquaintance. some of them
more remote. Here in dramatic oh
Jectivlty. Is the origin of the ''scoop"
and OF the interview" both now mat.
tiers OF course, but in their beginnings
quite radical departures in the world
OF neWspaperdOm. Here, too, is the
origin or the famous Gridiron Club.
now as much of fixture at the Capt..
tai as is Congress itself. The Presi-
cent or the United States in his rela.
lions with correspondents is a rich
TOPIC, as is that of the diplomats.
when Press and Congress Clash" is
nne bit OF Renaissance. But, in.
oeed, all OF this waywise book of
recollections and historic gleanings is
so enjoyable in it's information and
spirit that to select here and there
Is merely to let you know of a hook
that Is we'll worth any ones atten.
tion. just one more point: To be sure.
TINS Is a field of sharp competition,
put In 1t one finds cases of generosity
ana magnanimity toward one another
OF tnese newspaper men that warm
the heart and make another urge for
reading Of this history of Washing.
ton In its press activities and inter.
ests.
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH A
NEWSPAPER MAN. E. J. Stack
pole. j. B. Lippincott & Co.
Naturally, a newspaper man is
more interesting to read than anv
other sort of man. In the first place.
1t Is his job to find out things, and
to catch them. while they are still
hot. So, in the course of time he
becomes a repository of every i'm.
portant happening that comes along.
And his mind has in the process of
newsgetting specialized on freshness
OF effect. so that the man never does
grow stale. At any rate. that is the
way 1t seems to one thinking abou!
1t. And on reading the newspaper
recollections Of so years by this
editor such seeming takes on the sub.
stance of reality. Beginning as a
boy. over a blacksmith shop by the
side OF the canal-a clear charm in
that last phrase-E. ]. Stackpole for
many years stood behind a big news
paper as its editor. President and
editor Of the Harrisburg Telegra ph,
the very heart of Pennsylvania poll.
tics opened up to this man. And
here we have given to us manv
chapters of political history from
this rock-ribbed Republican common
wealth. Intimate chapters, as these
were worked out in the inner circles
of the elect and powerful. And
through them walk, alive. many with
whose names we are familiar and
about whom we are keenly alert.
Nearest to us stands the figure of
Bcies Penrose, and to this the author
does fine and friendly justice. And
there are others, for there has been
a line of Republican kings in this
sturdy State Of Pennsylvania. And