ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1924, Page 4

ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISM.

lii "Ad von lures in Journalism,*’ fcir . Philip Gibbs lolls of his experiences in . Fleet Street, and as a special corres- ' pondout in various parts or Europe. For a time he was a free Inure, but | afterwards entered the sen ires of the I ■■. Daily Chronicle,” the "Daily Crap- j * hie,” and other papers, including the j iil-i'.uctl ■Tribune." If ever a journal 1 j deserved to succeed it was that one. • Its staff was perhaps (he most brilliant i ■ in l.ondoii, and. given a fair chance. J it must have made good, li-ut the j gentleman who was financing if want- j ed results too soon, and so the " Tri- | < hone” jierishcd. Sir Philip Gibbs con- 1 iV---e: i!i;• 1 in lii.s long cmver he has j rarely achieved a " scoop,” though tile \ fact causes him little concern. "1 j don’t much believe.” he says, "in oili- j tor or reporter who sets his soul on * scoops, for they create an unhealthy j rivrirv if r sensatiei: at any price—even at that of the truth—and the fake gen- j orally triumphs over the truth teller, I until both he and the editor who on- ; <•011 raged him come a cropper by being j found- out.” However, Sir Philip Gibbs brought ; off at least one. noteworthy ".-coop.” j lie exposed Dr Cook when t’ e latter j returned to Denmark irom Hie Arctic. | claiming that he bad reached the i Xorilt Polo. The author was the first I !o interview Dr Cook, and at till' out- ! .:•>!; did not for a moment suspect his : ... d faith. Hut, gradually. he fell that th.e otlK-r was en the defensive, mid did protest (oo turn-!)'.' On exam- : U ; S|! , the stow Sir Philip Gibb.- found that ~v r, . fell /■: Ihtws noil Icier ascertained thill certain pro-!'- npoti which the explor”! r '■•ed, m l a o. i- 1 ! r, ii -cppli-d. The mid- iklain jn be ini impositor erenfed an eu,.. n;„n« s-.-n-al hm, and if Sir Philip Gibb.- lmd not I .-ecu able to 'mb" out his ease f:e would have been rumcil Itai he was on sure ground and C,„,k isa , ill -credit ed. The author attended ili- famous coronation review at. Foilheaa!. and mentions that as the Royal Yai'ld passed along the lines of warships assembled from every part of | the world, the one vcs-el which did I no! the- i ii wa- the German "Von del I Timiin.’’ 11" visited Portugal just - after the revolution, when the prison;j we;e fid--I with eri.-tos and socialist: who had keen forgotten hy the auihor- ! iii,- -. lie recalls the Sidney-stri-cl 1 affair v-in-u Mr Win-loit Churchill hiow.du a lialtilion of regulars into action to dead with a handful of for- - in Pari - when M. Hriand saved Hie ! sitr.aiion !,v : tnauioning certain cla---to 1d,,, , ~h,m-s. Had they disobeyed the-. Would have beon .-nilly of ircui sou to the Republic. i TV o,iie ids journalist ie ael iviiics. . Philip found time to write novels and history looks, with the foilin-r ru ..C-h-h he ha.d rallmr had luck. When •■The Street of Adventnre” appeared an anuaiataiiee allege,l that one ol the eharaeter; was a libellous, portrait of n, v,-r came into eeurt, hut mu-L of the author'- royalties wem in eo-ls. 1 The hook was most suceessftd. vet Sir f Philip Cihhs had oulv made out i of it until it had a second birth in America simp the war. Mis second moil, "futeih-oinal Mansions." was published wlii'ii militant mil! ragi-nt - was at its height. The heroine of Hii ! U was a Si! lira gist. So the party j i , lain-eil It a- I heir or. a. bought tip tit" 1 -a hole edition. bound it it: purple. - and white -their eoloar---and , ktlleil it -ton,- dead. Sir Philip Cih!.- : 1- I • Ita-lv Mad." and give.-, r.a im.-r. -Aina: , | imjii-,-—iu'n ~f the hue ! id North-j - « hi 11... He does not credit the latter a bli yid-th'lv in- iii-agiimfioii , Id- atr passionately interest-d in something I m-w. Me had HO real policy. Never i on*-;- r.a he eon-emu ot any purpose T- 1 1 the ma-tnis- he was driving. > The whole thine wa- implv an advauI !■ re. Of hi- experieia- in the war - the ait! hot- says little; he ha- writ fen - hi- early -a -.inter wit!, i I: ■ .-elisor-

ship, and ho condemns tho dijponaivii.:.; allowed reference to bo made to the* dominion troops, but not to tlio English. As a result many people in the* dominions believe to this day that their men bore the brunt of the lightinn*, while Tommy Atkins looked on from it safe distance. As a matter of [net, the English formed from first to lasi 08 per cent of the iota! slrcngh, took most of the hard knocks, and did most of the dying. The protest is well founded, lint why, oh why, doc s Sir Philip (Tibbs spell Sydney, X.S.W.. with an “i.”