German service

I think of the initial Reuters German service with fondness, pride and embarrassment. I trudged around German newspaper editorials in 1975-78, to be greeted everywhere with respect, and very often with refusal.

Why embarrassment? German editors automatically assumed I had been, or was, a journalist. They used to greet me with “Guten Tag, Herr Kollege.” I instantly felt I was there under false pretences.

Refusal? Most of my Gesprächspartner (people to whom I spoke) ultimately decided against using the Reuter German service. ■