Green Felt and Gold C

Three dozen newsmen met in the Great Room of London's War Office one afternoon last week, peered solemnly up at walls hung with the colors of glorious regiments. Some, like Edward Angly and Walter Duranty, were correspondents for U. S. newspapers and wire services abroad. Others, like Ward Price, represented the press of Britain and her Empire. They had gathered to meet plump, fawn-faced Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War.

With a becoming beam, in clipped Oxford syllables, Hore-Belisha said that he was well aware they were most anxious to see fighting at the front. Unfortunately there had been some unavoidable delay while plans were made for transportation, billeting, supplies. As it was, "no caviar" awaited them; but the best possible arrangements had been worked out. All was now ready: they could leave tomorrow.

There was a startled silence in the Great Room. For a month, while Poland disintegrated in the East, newsmen in London had stuck to their posts (TIME, Oct. 2), waiting for this moment when the Government would let them join the armies on the Western Front. Now the moment caught them unprepared. Exclaimed a correspondent: "That's only twelve hours' notice!" Then, said Hore-Belisha, they could leave the day after. Still there were objections--a cameraman needed new lenses, some newswriters had not received their uniforms.

It was agreed finally that they would go this week. To each U. S. correspondent Hore-Belisha was introduced separately by amiable Novelist Ian Hay, public relations counsel for the War Office, to each he said a few pleasant words. Then on to the Air Ministry the newsmen trooped, took tea and whiskey with Sir Kingsley Wood while pretty girl-members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force offered cakes and sherry.

Twelve U. S. correspondents were authorized to go. For the New York Herald Tribune Edward Angly replaced Ralph Waldo Barnes, who underwent an operation for gallstones last fortnight, was still in hospital. To London by Atlantic Clipper Hearst's International News Service rushed William Chaplin when Chief Correspondent William Hillman resigned to become European Manager for Collier's.

From Rome to London went Walter Duranty to represent the North American Newspaper Alliance. The Associated Press sent Drew Middleton, United Press Webb Miller. Others were Harold Norman Denny of the New York Times, John O'Donnell of the New York Daily News, William Harlan Stoneman of the Chicago Daily News, the Baltimore Sun's, Frank Richardson Kent Jr. (son of tart Washington Correspondent Frank Richardson Kent). Both the Los Angeles Times and Columbia Broadcasting System were represented by an ex-sportswriter, Bill Henry. National Broadcasting Co. chose 58-year-old Brigadier General Henry Joseph Reilly, U. S. A. (retired), who commanded an infantry brigade in France in World War I. Mutual Broadcasting System sent Arthur Mann, once of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Frank Gervasi, onetime I. N. S. man, last week got permission to go for Collier's; then at week's end his authorization was canceled. Reason: other magazines had equal rights with Collier's, twelve U. S. newsmen had been set as a limit.

Britain will have 17 correspondents at the front, Australia three, South Africa and Canada one each. John Frederick Sanderson of Canadian Press (wire service) was not sure at week's end whether he would go this week or wait for Canada's Expeditionary Force. British journalists, besides Ward Price of the London Daily Mail, include the Times's H. A. R. Philby, Douglas Williams of the Daily Telegraph, E. A. Montague of the Manchester Guardian. Sir Philip Gibbs, 62-year-old news veteran of World War I, had planned to go until last week his Lady died, still hoped to go later. Meanwhile his novelist son Anthony Gibbs took his place, writing for the London Daily Sketch.

After mulling over the question whether U. S. neutrality would be violated by putting Americans in British Army uniforms, the War Office sidestepped a solution, specified officers' clothes of olive drab, said nothing about nationality. Since there was no time for correspondents to get U. S. uniforms, they were all dressed as British officers when they set out for the front this week. The regulation uniform costs as little as -L-5 ($20 at current exchange rates) including insignia. One unnamed correspondent spent -L-100 to outfit himself with a fancy greatcoat, change of boots, other swank accessories.

On his military cap each newsman wears a two-inch circle of green felt with a gold C for Correspondent. On the left shoulder of his tunic is a green-felt strip with letters in gold: British War Correspondent for Britons, Foreign War Correspondent for others. They wear armbands four inches wide, with stripes that remind Americans of a barber's pole. U. S. stripes are white and red, with black letters in the centre which read: Foreign Press. British stripes are white and black, with red letters reading: Press.

Most newsmen, as they donned their uniforms this week, straightened shoulders that were bent from years of hovering over typewriters, postured complacently in front of mirrors. They wondered whether, like real British officers, they should carry swagger sticks. But AP's Drew Middleton, gathering up his olive drab, growled: "I'll be God damned if I will."

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