Perhaps, the fact that Signor Mussolini was once a journalist accounts for concessions in the way of cheap fares on the State railways in Italy, just granted to Italian newspaper men and to the editors of foreign papers. These concessions will, I understand, cover private as well as business travel, and ought to be a boon to journalists.
A propos of this concession, a colleague has just told me a story of a somewhat similar concession granted by certain American railways. These railways permitted journalists to travel free on showing the card of the paper to which they were attached, and the privilege was sometimes rather abused.
The story concerns a needy young freelance journalist who had no money for a journey that he wished to make, and decided to bluff it. He boarded a train and explained to the checker: "I'm on the staff of the New York Sun. I haven't a card on me, but I suppose it's all right." "OK with me, said the conductor, "if the editor identifies you. It happens he's right up front."
Too late to back out now, the young man followed the conductor to where the editor sat, expecting only shameful exposure. The editor, on being approached, merely glanced up, and said: "Quite right, conductor, he's one of my men." The conductor left them, and the young man tried to stammer out his thanks to the editor; but the other cut him short: "No need to worry about that," said he. "I was afraid you were going to give me away. You see I'm not the editor."
The Irish Times, July 11th, 1931.