dispatches. He must recognize the elaborate and careful prep arations made for the receipt and transmission of all important news, - two years before the presidential election of 1916 it began its preparations for giving the returns of the elections. He must give credit to its desire to guarantee its statements wherever and whenever and by whom questioned . A statement was ques
tioned that had been made by one of its correspondents in France in December, 1917. The Associated Press promptly cabled for definite information as to the source of his statement; the correspondent cabled in reply that it was copied from the official communication issued by the general commanding the division concerned and that a copy of the original order was in
his possession ; — this is but one instance of the many that could be given to illustrate the care taken to secure unimpeachable evidence.
That in spite of every precaution against sending out incorrect news, the Associated Press sometimes does send out such news is inevitable , but wherever possible the wrong is redressed . It reported Senator La Follette as saying in a speech , September 20 , 1917, that “ we had no grievances against Germany " when in fact he had said precisely the reverse . When eight months
later the error of its reporter was shown the Associated Press , it immediately explained its probable source and apologized ,
but it could hardly be held responsible for the injustice done
Senator La Follette during the intervening months when error had travelled on wings and the Associated Press had been ignorant of its escape. It has been inevitable , however, that various special interests should feel that they have not been given as full publicity as their merits have deserved and therefore they have organized
special news-collecting agencies to disseminate information con cerning particular subjects. The Federated Press was organized
in 1919 and is “ a co-operative, non-profit making association of editors with a membership in America and abroad of approxi mately two hundred and fifty . It is established on four continents
with Bureaus in Paris, London, Berlin , Vienna, Rome, Sydney, Mexico City, Ottawa, Pekin , Washington , New York , Chicago , Boston and elsewhere. . . . The design of the organ
