New-York tribune., 1884-10-16
W.R cOREE>pOyDENrN ~ EGYPT

VAR CORRINPONDENTS ~ EGIPT
| Itappcars thai Lord W0lsccy Is To be allowed
to work his wicked will upon the war CORE
| spondcnt~ who accompany hi>cxpedition upthe
Nile. They cannot send any dispatches until
! they have passed the military censorship, whcl'
is certain 10 be very severe, and may be relied
upon to veto The transmission of what the cor
respondents will consider the most important
parts of their dispatches. They will,
| however, have to submit 10 the discip-
line. though the journals they represent
are sure to complain loudly Of the tyranny
practiscd by the Horse Guards. The position of
the modern war correspondent is plainly be-
coming more embarrassing, at least in the Old
World. The military authorities in all c0un-
tries regard him with il-concealed dislike ns a
person who not only il engaged in n wo'k the
outcome Of which must be, if he is Jealous and
successful to put the enemy in posses
sion of the most important information,
but who also makes trouble for them
at home by promptly exposing their
blundcrs and defects of administration. Few
modern European commanders have any real
fondness for the war correspondent. They re-
fuse to recognize the necessity of providing the
public with instant accounts of all battles ana
military movements. They believe that The
gossip which fills camps and is reflected In let
tcrs to the press Is harmful 10 discipline
when thus disseminated anh given factltious
Importance aud they think that the general
tendency Ia to create nnnielligcnt because
hasil, formed, public opinion Un vital matters
Al the seat of wai
un the othrf h,nl. the public are 81 habitu-
airi ~ inll nrWs ~ wat time that moth
Ing lees viii content thrm. u 10 ttun
that The French nhi German 'nrrtnnipnis ,liii
ing Tho va ~ 1870 hppi u toN iiHht irih 80
the riess correspondents ~ lhe nflii, nnd that
the French aud German pNhlio consequently
knew much less ot the Wal than The English
and American public, lil the demand fnr news
grows by what II feeds on Vely rapidly, and
thus, while the inclination at the authorities
is mos and more toward the sup
preston or AT least the sharp censor
ship of news, the tendency of journalism
IL toward fuller reports than ever. 1t Il ,mpos-
sible to see just how this difficulty will be set
tied, at this moment. For the time the press
will probably have to give way, but whether it
" Il accept the military view of the question
must depend ultimately upon the
Judgment Ol lut puDIlN' II wv
latter conrlud. that the danger of
giving information to the enemy 0utweighs the
satisfaction and convenience of having early
news themselves. they will make the sacrifice,
and the military censorship will continue.
Ii is. however, not very likely that the public
will anywhere adop' this view if they are free to
choose orthcmselycs. They are more likely
to consider that il would b: foolish to sub
nit to a positive and immc hate dcpriya
ton of news because of hypOthet-
ical danger of informing the enemy II Is
true that the danger Is not problematical one
at all, bui when its daily wants are concerned
the public does not reason very closely, and
there /, no daily pubic want so impcriouS rs
that OF news at the present day. On the whole.
th reforc, it would be safe to back the war
in their struggle with the mill
tary authorities.