tion of correspondents to camouflage and the dangers of camou flaging; at times the necessity of placating both governmentaloffi
cials and the public when the interests of the two are antagonistic ; the troubles with distant correspondents who may sometimes prove irresponsible ; the exuberance of reporters who may metamorphose a cable “ Vesuvius grows ” into a “ story ” of eighty -eight words describing a conventional volcanic erup tion .32
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
· · ·
It must also not be forgotten how often the Associated Press may be confronted by embarrassing situations, even though they
may seldom take such positive form as they did when in the Spanish -American war the press was asked to announce the
departure of the American fleet for Spain , - a ruse de guerre.33 Some of these hindrances and trials have ultimately cleared
the air and thus proved beneficial. When the news collected by the Associated Press was pirated by the International News
Service, the decision handed down by Judge C . M . Hough from the United States Circuit Court was to the effect that news is
property, that the distribution of news not gathered by the sender is unfair competition, and that the law protects property rights in news, — thus upholding every contention that had been made by the Associated Press.34
A decision on appeal to the
United States Supreme Court was given in favor of the Associ ated Press, December 23, 1918,35 and a final decree in its favor entered May 19, 1919.36
The war brought about international complications that could scarcely have been anticipated by news- collecting agencies.
Early in the war, the Havas Agency was the victim of a false report industriously circulated to the effect that it had agreed to furnish news concerning Germany only if supplied by the Wolff Bureau, - a report whose truthfulness it indignantly denied.37 Agencies were soon established to give certain neutral 3 W . Aplin, “ At the Associated Press Office," Putnam 's Magazine, July , 1870, 16 : 23 - 30. 33 New York Evening Post, December 29 , 1917 .
34 The text of the decision is given in full in the New York Times, June 22, 1917.
35 The text is given in the New York Times, December 24 , 1918. 36 New York Evening Post, May 19, 1919.
37 New York Times, September 6 , 1914 .
