Evening star., 1942-07-26

| kS./
Gazette compares the covernoe OF
today NTH the 1,e,pspdpering OF
World War I and the treaty OF
Versailles and finds the 1912 per-
formance a great improvement.
IT. H. Thomas, military his
torian iOho serped on the general
headquarters stat in the First
World War, on the other hand,
finds the credibtltty OF tDdr neUs
and Interpretation to be suffer-
ing from too consistently opti-
mistic a slant)
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.
This spring I was one Of 4 dozen
newspapermen looking over the
editorials Of 100 American news
papers. We were awarding a prize
to the newspaper that had the
most intelligent outlook on the
world today.
1t was difficult job to make that
award. For all over this country
newspapers, large and small, from
the country weekly to the metro
politan daily, are discussing world
politics with an intelligence that
could not have been imagined 26
years ago when we entered the first
World War.
The intelligence of this editorial
discussion is not all on one side.
Isolationist editorials bolster their
opinions by facts and figures that
indicate a wide knowledge Of the
world today. Editors whose opinions
have an international slant also
present their case and draw their
conclusions with conception Of
facts and sense of balance that
only a few newspapers used In their
discussions in the second decade Of
this century.
One is amazed at the change the
quarter of q century has brought
in the range of information and
kind OF intelligence that the Amer
ican press reveals In its editorial
opinion today.
Quality Reporting.
Also the reporting is of a quality
so good that 1t really differs not In
degree but in kind from the re-
porting of the last World War.
The American people, therefore,
in 50 far as the newspapers lead
them, are under better, more de-
pendable leadership In the matter Of
foreign affairs than ever they were
before .
I can no better illustrate what
has happened to the American press
than by short reminiscence. was
one of the reporters who covered
the peace conference in Paris which
made the Versailles Treaty and
wrote the covenant Of the League
Of Nations. .. .-
We had as our Interpreter Ray
Stannard Baker, who saw President
Wilson every day. Press conferences
were held by Colonel House with
those who filed daily cables. We all
went to press conferences held by
the British, two or three times a
week. We met Lord Robert Cecil,
Lloyd George, Philip Kerr. and
others who were close to the British
end OF the story. We also had ac-
cess to the French. They entertained
us with their most adroit and OBJ
vious liars, and nobody believed
anything he heard at French press
conference.
All Missed the Truth.
Yet, while. each OF us reported
the facts Of the conference from
dax to day, we all missed the truth.
Only one man in the American
reportorial galaxy gave the world
the truth, though I am sure we all
honestly tried. But Frank Simonds
had been through the war, at the
front. He knew the French. He
knew European politics. One day he
wires his papers:
"The Versailles Treaty Is wrecked.
The League Of Nations Is doomedl"
So when we all came home from
Paris, we news gatherers, with the
Governments economic, political,
social, geographical experts and
other four-eyed cattle, we found the
country rising in wrath against the
treaty and the League. :.
Editorials on the League question
in the United States were sadly un-
informed. Newspaper editorial writ
ers, who on the whole represent the
best elements of the American pop
ular mind, just didn't grasp the real
truth -.
Today 1t is different. No one can
know or remotely guess what kind
Of treaties will follow the peace. No
one can say what our attitude viii
be toward any treaty. -.
American Press Still Free.
It is question whether or not the
sacrifice will be greater II we try to