tration ! Why, allmy life I have fought for it. Here's my speech to prove it.”
The reporter took it , memorized it while keeping
up a running talk with the author, went home and wrote it out and the next day published it, - much to the discomfiture of the
author who never understood how his speech got into print and accused an unknown person of stealing it.21 The interview may often be given to accomplish definite poli
tical ends. Prince von Bülow gave many interviews carefully
written in advance ; sometimes they were given out through the German Press Bureau , sometimes through representatives of a favored paper that then submitted them to the Press Bureau,
sometimes they were personally handed to correspondents. The interview was then well " played up," telegraphed around the globe, and dissected and discussed in a dozen languages. This
form of communication with the public well suited his purpose since through the interview he could give certain topics publicity and could choose the time when his words would have the best
effect.22 Baron von Bissing gave an interview , justifying the deportations of Belgians, to the Berlin correspondent of the New
York Times and a French translation with the comment of the
as North German Gazette ent wwas published in the Brussels papers.
equ The Baron " frequently gave out interviews all of them 'carefully d e prepared ,”” obviously thus expecting to explain the Germans to r u ,' , the Belgians.23
Governor Whitman “ took the public into his confidence" in 1916 and granted an interview that had as its keynote " what a
governor is up against," and it was thus of general application,24
although given to the press to meet a specific political situation . The politician may refuse an interview to all papers except
those of his own party on the ground that they are hostile to him and may ask him " embarrassing questions,” or he may use the interview as a means of “ getting even ” with his political oppo nents. But often the interview may be of real service to a public 2 The account of this interview was given by a Belgian gentleman at a semi-private meeting, May 15, 1916 , but to my knowledge it has not been published and hence printed citation can not be given .
22 G . V . Williams, " The German Press Bureau," Contemporary Review , March , 1910, 97 : 315 - 325.
23 Brand Whitlock , Belgium , II, 450- 460. 24 New York World ,March 5 ,
