Exclusive

Two U.S. newsmen scooped their col leagues last week with "exclusive" inter views with the Son of Heaven. To the Imperial Household building, which is in considerably better condition than the bomb-scarred Palace, went long-legged Frank Kluckhohn of the New York Times. Six hours later Hirohito saw bullet-headed Hugh Baillie, president of the United Press, who, like the U.P.'s biggest stock holder, Roy Howard, likes to turn legman himself once in a while.

Both reporters seemed a little unsure what to do in the presence of the Emperor, who received them in morning dress. (Baillie: "He was taller than I expected"; Kluckhohn: "He was about the average height of the Japanese.") The Times man had to wait, but was provided with ash tray and matches, then was led in, shook hands with the Son of Heaven ("I did not bow nor was I asked to"). He and the Emperor chatted about ten minutes before "I backed out, walked back down the hall to the waiting room to pick up my overseas cap." The U.P. president got 25 minutes and was allowed to sit within three feet of the Emperor, to drink tea and smoke Turkish cigarets with him.

The Emperor gossiped cozily (the reporters had agreed not to shoot questions at him). Hirohito marveled that Baillie had reached Japan from the U.S. in four days, asked about U.S. baseball in wartime and remarked that Jap players were a little out of practice. Like Kluckhohn, Baillie had had to submit his questions in advance, was handed the carefully prepared answers on court stationery when he left.

The Pay-Off. The Times's editors paid off Kluckhohn's enterprise with a three column splash on Page 1. Many afternoon subscribers ran Baillie's U.P. story under an eight-column banner. The New York Herald Tribune (probably a little miffed at the Times's scoop--it printed Baillie's story a day later on Page 8) had some hard words on a subject which has troubled many an editor: "Who gains most by an 'exclusive interview'--the paper, or the man who gives it out?" (see FOREIGN NEWS).

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