These European agencies and their tributaries constitute one great
clearing-house of news. Havas gathers the news of France primarily into
Paris; thence it radiates throughout the world: to Reuter for England,
to the Associated Press for America, to Stefani for Italy, and so on.
In this way a budget comprising the news of the world appears day by
day.
Not content with receiving for its papers the news of Europe through
the agencies already mentioned, the Associated Press has established in
practically all the European capitals, bureaus of its own. In London
the Associated Press keeps a large staff, though no attempt is made
to sell a single item of news to English papers. All their work is to
gather news and send it to America.
In London the staff of the Associated Press, as it is familiarly
called, is under the direct supervision of Mr. Walter Neef, who is in
charge of the entire European service.
The correspondents resident on the continent are in close touch with
the Chancelleries, and are welcomed at their respective Foreign Offices
with a kindness that speaks eloquently for the friendship these
European nations are willing to offer to America.
The first news of the arbitration treaty that sealed the Anglo-French
“entente” was cabled to New York by the Associated Press from Paris,
and re-cabled to London, where it was promptly denied by no less an
authority than the _Times_. The first news of the recent Anglo-Spanish
treaty came to England from the Associated Press in New York, having
been cabled from its London office.
When Martinique was devastated by a volcanic eruption, which included
among its victims the correspondent of the Associated Press at St.
Pierre, the Fort de France representative called on Mr. Melville E.
Stone, the General Manager, then in New York, for assistance.
Mr. Stone promptly placed a steamer at his service, and the other
correspondents of the Associated Press in places of danger were
rescued, and lived to tell to the world the story of that hideous
visitation.
This cost the Associated Press about £5,000, and that is the sum it
usually expends on the international yacht races for the America Cup,
which are reported for England and America by correspondents and half a
dozen special boats equipped with wireless telegraphic instruments.
When Pope Leo died, London, Paris, Berlin and other European capitals
got the first intimation of his death from New York. The Associated
Press correspondent in Rome had telegraphed the news on which all the
world waited, and it had arrived in America exactly nine minutes after
having been sent out from the Vatican, which is nearly two miles from
the central telegraphic office in Rome.
This gave the Associated Press time to re-cable the news to Europe
before it had arrived from another source. On that day the Associated
Press published in its American papers over one page of closely printed
description of the events centering round the Vatican, all of which was
cabled from Rome after 4 o’clock on the preceding afternoon.
When Cardinal Sarto was elected Pope, the news again came to Europe
in the same way--from the Associated Press office in New York. The
decision of the Alaska Boundary Commission was cabled by the Associated
Press to New York and Canada on a Saturday, and re-cabled back to
England for the Sunday papers, though it was not officially announced
in London until the following Tuesday.
To come to still more recent events, the news of the transmission
of Russia’s final note to Japan was received in London from the St.
Petersburg correspondent of the Associated Press via New York, while
despatches from the same agency announced in America the rupture of
diplomatic relations and the practical outbreak of war as early as
Saturday afternoon on February 6.