Evening star., 1934-01-19
WASHINGTON HELD
CENTER OF NEWS
Worlds Spotlight on Capital,
Emery Tells Historical
Society.

Characterizing American journalism
Ss "a titanic business, major pro-
TeSsion, and a major industry" Fred
A. Emery, well known journalist, told
the Columbia Historical Society last
night at the Mayf1ower' Hotel. that the
worlds spotlight is on the National
Capital as never before"
Mr. Emery, whose address on Wash
ington Newspaper Correspondents, will
be published by the society, reviewed
the development of journalism IN the
United States explained the swift ad-
vance in methods, and gave his audi
snce an entertaining and comprehen-
Sive view of the man behind news gath
airing in Washington bureaus from
early days to the present time
The society reelected all its officers
for the ensuing year, headed by Allen
C. Clark, president. Other officers are:
Vice president. Wilhelmus Bogant
B Deyber; recording secretary, Miss
Maud Burr Morris; corresponding
secretary, Harry L. Bryan; chronicler
John Clagett Proctor, and managers,
for another term Of four years. Theo-
dore w. Noyes, Robert E. Mattingly, E.
Francis Riggs, and Robert v. Flemming.
Estimating that about a billion dol
lars is invested in journalism in Ameri-
ca, Mr.. Emery said about a billion
dollars flows into it annually from ad-
vertising and circulation" Approx
mately 100000 copies of newspapers
are issued daily, he said. "A hundred
million people read them and by what
they read are motivated in what they
do today and tomorrow. In the CEN
ter of all this news, both nationwide
and worldwide, is Washington, our
home city. The silver jubilee of the
National Press Club, which closes this
month, is a journalistic milestone in
this program"
Reporting Recovery.
Several hundred Washington CORE
spondents of American newspapers, Mr.
Emery said visualize history in the
making while every civilized govern
ment is watching what Is done at this
World Capital"
Reviewing in thumbnaial sketch
the high points of 1888, as recorded
by the press, Mr.. Emery said, during
the past year, these correspondents
RooSevelt's national recovery program
in all its multiple phases, the recogni-
ton Of Russia, repeal of the prohibi-
tion amendment, the American bank
ing holiday the Federal campaign
against crime, the revelations of in
vestment banking practices, the United
States departure from the gold STAN
dard and other outstanding events"
The first newspaper in what is now
the District of Columbia, Mr.. Emery
said was the Times and Potowmack
Packet, founded in the thriving port
OF Georgetown. When the seat Of the
Federal Government was removed from
Philadelphia to Washington in 1900,
the speaker said, Samuel Harrison
Smith came to Washington and set up
offices of the National Intelligencer on
New Jersey avenue just south of the
Capitol
1T was small tri-weekly paper,
and he owned and edited it." said Mr..
Emery. People politically opposed to
it called the paper Mr. Silky Milky
Smiths National Smoothing Plane"
Among other early news gatherers in
the city, the speaker said, were Joseph
Gales, who became editor of the In
tellgencer. and his partner Col. Will |
liam w. Seaton, both of whom later
became mayors of Washington.
Early News Methods.
Transmission Of news from Washing
toH LII early Gays, MIR. Emery explained, |
was by stage coaches; later pony ex-
press services were established to COM |
pete with each other, and finally the |
Post Office Department took over these |
pony expresses, which often made the
rrun run from Washington to New York in
20 hours. by relays. The telegraph
started between washington and New !
York in 1874. Mr. Emery explained, and
1t transformed the whole news COM
service"
Development of the Associated Press,
headed by Frank B. Noyes, was traced
by the speaker both by quoting from
an address by Mr.. Noyes, and through
Mr.. Emery's personal experience of
many years in the Washington Bureau.
Mr.. Emery also recorded the develop
nent of news associations generally, and
named the four principal ones as the
Associated Press, United Press, Inter-
national News Service, and Universal
Service. Thousands OF newspapers In
the aggregate, he said. take the services
of these four organizations
Newspaper Row. with its historical |
and the journalists who
worked there were reviewed by MIR.
Emery. Throughout bis address he
listed scores of names of newsmen, and
related stories OF their exploits. In
discussing the development of news
paper clubs. the speaker said: "It is
pecuAarly appropriate that the present