A SMART INTERVIEWER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 386, 12 August 1911, Page 7

A SMART INTERVIEWER.

The Yankee and the Russian On my return home alter th: Russo-Turkish War I met my Men 1 General Gorlofi in London, and asked aim to dine with me at the Army and Navy Club to meet some interesting people. He was delighted 11 :ome, and said the date suggested would suit him perfectly. Then I unfortunately mentioned that Mr. Frederick Greenwood, editor of the "St. James's Gazette," would also be one of my guests. He im-

mediately pulled a notebook out of his pocket—in order to make quite sure of the date, he said—and sudienly discovered that he had a special engagement on that evemng. The subterfuge was so palpable that I asked him at ence, "Why don't you like meeting Mr. Greenwood ?"

He replied frankly, "I do not like meeting any newspaper people, and [ will let you know why." He then told me that when the 1870 war was going on between Prance and Germany he was appointed Military Attache to the United States, and landed in New-York. He was immediately surrounded by newspaper reporters, whom he absolutely refused to interview, and got safely to his hotel.

Shortly after he got there a man came up to him and said, "Sir, I want your views on the pr3sent aspect of affairs in Europe." Angrily he turned on his heel and said, '"I have no views whatever," and refused to say more. A few hours afterwards he saw placards in the streets of New-York — "Interesting interview with General Gorloff, just arrived from Europe." On purchasing the newspaper thus advertised he found a considerable space devoted to himself. His family previous career, and other matters were minutely, and in most cases inaccurately detailed ; then came his personal appearance, of which, in his opinion, the description was equally inaccurate, as it was most unflattering. Eventually a long article was wound up by the remark—"Evidently General von Gorloff is a man of low mental intelligence, as he assured me that he was absolutely devoid of any views regarding the thrilling and historical events now taking place in Europe."

I assured my friend that Mr. Frederick Greenwood was not at all that sort of man—quite different from his American enemy. On the contrary, that he was a gentleman of great intelligence, and one whom everyone was glad to meet. However, my Russian friend was obdurate, so I had to arrange another day for our dinner, and took care that there was no one connected with the press there to meet him. — Major General Frank S. Russell, C. M.G., in '"Blackwood's Magazine."