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Show Newspaper Man Stuff: INS foreign news chief J. C. ues trScher teUs about the pompous general who gathered a group of far correspondents and bored f by outlining the broad strategl situation without giving them any wor&whlle news. When the general Tsked for questions, newsboy j Johnny John-ny Florea promptly dubIe"alk; "That is great General. But when wm your droops take Unterstitzen T the Bleiweis?" . . - The genera looked uncertainly at his maps. Of course there was no such town. He asked Florea to repeat the query Tne 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, Tenn.) was saved when his Bible instead of his heart absorbed a German bullet. In appreciation (during World War II), 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 more than 25 million Bibles have 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 Mellor 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 promise prom-ise and received the vets with open arms?" "That's the trouble," niftied an ex-G.I. (bandleader Herbie Fields) "Congress welcomed us with open arms instead of open minds." Just after the last election FDR had an appointment with a visiting Gov. But due to a meeting on war matters, he was detained "Mr President," his secretary said I guess you know you have kept the Governor of Massachusetts Massachu-setts waiting f0ur minutes " "That's not so bad " wint- Roosevelt. "I intcnd k Governor of New York waiting" four During the early l800s America's gazettes were very prim and U Editors recoiled in horror at the But'nn' m dCaIing Per.on.Utie, the lid off this staid attitude-with a bang by publishi " interview. An interview wVa em0ctor, oen in the Book i"."' ' |