IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17933, 2 November 1918, Page 4

IN THE PUBLIC EYE.

PROMINENT PEOPLE OF THE , PERIOD. At frequent intervals the cable news includes messages from America giving some brief comment upon the war situation uttered by General Peyton 0. March, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. These comments are really extracts from an official statement given every week by General March to the American Press. It is the American way of keeping the publio in touch, with the war, and an. American journalist has given an interesting description of these conferences, with fiomo intimate pictures of some other members of the Government. "There is a snap of breeziness about these Saturday morning conferences," he writes, "which creates a distinctive atmosphere and seems to temporarily transport the room where tho meeting is held to the vicinity of the battle zone where strict discipline and military' precision prevail. The daily conferences which some of the newspaper correspondents hold _ with Cabinet officers have long been informal affairs, and there was a certain air of democracy and informality abput tho conferences which President Wilson used to hold with members of the Pi'ess. Secretary Lansing frequently meets the correspondents with a smile, and these meetings are often enlivened by alleged exhibitions of wit on the part of ono (Or two of tho newspaper men, while discussions or even friendly or humorous arguments as to the propriety' of giving out news often interrupt tho more serious phase? of the conferences. With Secretary Daniels it is rare indeed when the element of humour and informality is lacking. Mr Daniels himself generally has a "good story" for the confidential ears of his " fellow newspaper men." Even at the meetings with Secretary Baker on the latter's busiest days there is the same atmosphere of informality. Mr Baker calls a number of the men by their tirst names, does not object to being cross-examined searchingly, borrows a match to light his pipe from on* of th>> men sitting on tho far corner of his desk, adjusts himself comfortably in his chair, with ono leg under him, and says, ' All right, gentlemen, fire away.'

"But at conferences with General March all this informality is lackiug. It is as if every man present wore a uniform and the General were their superior officer. * It reminds ono of a class in school with a vory businesslike, earnest teacher anxious to exclude ali irrelevant matter from the questions at issue. The time sot for the Saturday conferences is now 11.30, and if any of the newspaper men arrive a minute late they find the door closed and guarded from the outside. Prior to 11.30 the correspondents gather outside the office, and General March makes his appearance on the dot. He bows to the men in greeting, but does not say, ' Good morning' or ' All right, gentlemen,' or 'We're ready now.' Ha doets not say anything. His arrival instils an air of military snap to the gathering, the daor to the room is opened by tho attendant, and he walks in accompanied by two aids and waits for the m eu to find places.

"General March generally begins by turning to one of the pin-studded maps that line tho wall, with the latest positions of the contending forces marked, beginning his explanation of developments without preliminaries. Sometimes he uses a pointer—the typical pointer used in school rooms) —to assist his audience in following changes in the battle hue. He speaks rapidly, precisely and without waste of a word. JNo one would think of interrupting him. One of tho corespondents stood up to get a better view of the map during tho second conference, and tho General promptly ceased speaking and said, 'Sit down, please!' Sinco then no one has stood up during the explanations. After that conference the correspondent who was called to order caught up with General March walking down the corridor and apologised for having stood up. The correspondent —one of the best known here —confessed afterward that he expected General March to slap him on the tack and say it was all right. The General, however, looked him straight iu tho eye and accepted his apology.

"After going over the salient military features, General March gives out such news itemg as are ready for publication, and when he has said all ha has to say General March faces his audience and adds with military snap: 'Any questions?' The questions begin to come and they are answered without a moment's hesitation. The General makes a point of giving the information if it can possibly be given. Frequently the answers bring out important features of the Government's war programme. As soon ns a lull comes in the questions the General says,'That's all, gentlemen,' and everyone knows that the meeting stands adjourned. The General is usually the first to leave, and goes back to his busy office to tackle big problems which are now his work day by day and hour by hour. The formal, military, businesslike attitude of General March is a novelty in official "Washington, but it appeals to many nevertheless. The first impression one gets is that it is not a natural formality but assumed for the occasion. This impression, however, quickly dissipates after one sees General March in action a few times. Ho is always the same, and the formality i 3 seen to bc> a result of the fact that the General is heart and soul in his present responsible work and takes it very seriously."