COLLEGE MAN'S PROFESSION

Mr. Frederick Roy Martin '93, assistant manager of the Associated Press, delivered an interesting and instructive address on "Gathering the News of the World," in the Union last evening. Mr. Martin described the organization and functions of the vast system of which he is a manager, told many incidents of daily newsgathering, and outlined the requirements of the successful news-gatherer.

Organization of Associated Press.

The Associated Press is a co-operative organization which at present is distributing news enough to fill 60 columns a night to nearly nine hundred American newspapers of all kinds and of many tongues. The news is transmitted over trunk telegraph lines from which many hundreds of smaller wires radiate. Infinite wire trouble and the loss of many thousands of dollars is caused by disasters, such as the recent Ohio floods. But news must be gotten at any cost.

The basic principle upon which the Associated Press works is that every newspaper member must supply the news of its immediate vicinity to the central bureaus located in the larger cities of this country. It is the duty of the Press to get all the "news that breaks," that is, news of a sudden and unexpected nature, besides all routine news, and to distribute it in the best possible form.

The Press has performed great international journalistic services, such as the achievement of Mr. Stone, the present head, in relieving the rigid news censorship in Russia. There are Press bureaus in all the important foreign capitals. Mr. Martin stated that several Harvard graduates are in this foreign service.

The College Man's Profession.

Service in the Associated Press requires usually a newspaper training, a keen, alert mind, and a "nose" for news of the right kind (scandal and opinions are not accepted). There is every chance for the man who is willing to work 24 hours at a stretch if it be necessary as it often is, and who can see news and describe it accurately. Two-thirds of the really serious news work is being done by college graduates. The college man has this distinct advantage, concluded Mr. Martin, over the other man,--his training affords him the address and ability to successfully meet men of every station of life. Journalism is the college man's profession.