The Tardy "Ledger"

There are only a few agencies which furnish foreign news in these United States, and they, to say the least, have their limitations. So a few ambitious and wealthy newspapers have set up their own foreign news services. Not the least of these services is that of the Public Ledger (Philadelphia). Of this service the Ledger is very proud, speaks of it frequently and devotes a special page of its paper to featuring it.

On Nov. 30, the Ledger published a despatch dated "Hongkong, Nov. 29", which began: "When news was received of the election of Marshal Tsao Kun as President of China, a meeting of Dr. Sun's Cabinet was held in Canton." Thereupon followed the text of a proclamation issued by Dr. Sun.

Unfortunately Marshal Tsao Kun was elected President about six weeks earlier and shortly thereafter (under date of Oct. 9) the news of Dr. Sun's proclamation was brought to this country by the Associated Press. A running head over the Ledger's account, appearing more than a month later, said "Foreign News Service by Wire and Wireless."