OCR Text |
Show lJ Newspaper Man Stuff: INS foreign news chief J. C. Oes-treicher Oes-treicher tells about the pompous general who gathered a group of war correspondents and bored them by outlining the broad strategic situation without giving them any worthwhile news. When the general asked for questions, newsboy Johnny John-ny Florea promptly double-talked: "That is great. General. But when will your troops take Unterstitzen on the Bleiweis?" ... The general looked uncertainly at his maps. Of course there was no such town. He asked Florea to repeat the query. The reporter did so, emphasizing that Berlin could not possibly be reached unless the Bleiweis was crossed and Unterstitzen captured. Afraid to admit he didn't know something, the general confidently replied: "My men will take it in a few days at the most." Probably the most bumptious publisher pub-lisher of all was James Watson Webb. During the Civil War- he wrote to Lincoln suggesting that he be made a major-general. Lincoln offered him the slightly lower rank of brigadier-general. Webb returned re-turned the commission with the words "Respectfully declined J. W. Webb" written across it. Some legislators are again whooping up plans to clamp a nix on newscasters who tell the truth about them. Which isn't anything novel. Years ago, only reporters who were friendly to Congressmen were allowed to enter the Halls of Congress. Henry Clay fought such undemocratic procedures. He pointed point-ed out: "Liberty is not the private property of Congress. It is America's Ameri-ca's heritage. If freedom is only accorded to our friends, then we are the foes of democracy." When Floyd Gibbons covered China for a news service, he didn't communicate with his home office for many weeks.. Finally Gibbons' editor asked another news service to cable their correspondent in China and find out what happened to Floyd. . The whimsical newsman cabled his retort: "Have located Gibbons in the bar-room of Cathay Hotel in Shanghai. Do you want me to interview in-terview him?" A steel sheathed Bible carried in the left breast pocket saved the life of Flying Fortress Bombardier Robert Turner of Lexington, Ky. . . . Returning after a mission over Germany, Turner discovered several sev-eral jagged flak fragments embedded embed-ded in the Bible. During World War I the life of Ross Neal (of Lebanon, Term.) was saved when his Bible instead of his heart absorbed a German bullet. In appreciation (during World War ID, Neal's church sent a copy of the New Testament to every member mem-ber in the Armed Forces. Oldest Bible in America is a Latin translation dated 930 A. D. The lettering is in pen and ink on vellum. ... For the past 25 years - morn ihar, ok ;n: n.-t-i , r - - - nnAj-iun xMuies nave been distributed throughout the world. ... The American Bible society so-ciety (130 years old on May 10th) has 16.000 copies of the Scriptures In its New York library written in over 860 languages. . . . Esther 8:9 is the longest verse In the Bible ... 89 words. John Barrymore was arrested for speeding in a hick town. At the courthouse he rushed to the phone. We're only allowing you one call, said the judge, "so you better bet-ter phone your lawyer." "Lawyer," snapped John. "I'm phoning my press agent." Inquiring photogger Sam Iellor stopped a group of ex-G.I.s to ask what they thought of the way Congress Con-gress is treating returning servicemen. service-men. "Do you think," asked the newsman, news-man, 'that Congress kept its prom-arms?" prom-arms?" reeived U,e ve,s "Pen pxTV'',! "le tro"bl" nlftied an ex-Lr.l. (bandleader Herbie Fields), congress welcomed us with open arms-instead of open minds." Just after the last election FDR naa an appointment with a visiting mtte?, dUe t0 8 mCCting 0n w matters, he was detained. siW .'.TPrCSidcnt'" his secretary kent' ,h yU know J'0" hnve sett, ,the1.Gover0'- Massachusetts Massachu-setts waiting four minutes." Hint's not so bad," winked Roosevelt, "j inlcnd t0' k S'New York waiting four gnzeTtc? t,,C Car'y 1800s America's Editor, WCr? VCry PHm nnd dll' to r,CC?i,cd in horror at the But fnl dcaJill ln Personalities, the KT,0 newsPP blow a bin- S St:"d nt"dc-with intorviPuT y. publishllS the fl"t titutel " "ltCrVicw wiu Pro- iJccment0. """"'"tor, moioET,Nt0rtT,g sci,oii,rs or ety- word sPl,lh" ",C ',T;,Mlng ' th0 ""en in th" r. T Wh,ch n,',cars 1,1 ,ho Bok of Tsalms. |