The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-11
War CORRESPONDENTS
his interesting and instruct

Continuing his interesting and instruct
i've STORY of the War;" in the Out
look, Mr.. George KEENAN, deservedly COM
pliments the war correspondents Of the
Associated Press and those Of the leading
papers Of New York, Chicago and London
on the hardships endured and the difficult
ties encountered by them in collecting
news from the seat Of war in Cuba.
There is quite little army Of those en-
terprising newspaper men on land and
on sea from Key West to and along the
Cuban coast.
In addition to the fifteen or twenty men
in the employ Of the Associated Press
at the front every one of the great daily
papers Of the eastern cities has from three
to twelve trained representatives in the
field. These. together with the CORES
pondents Of foreign papers (the London
Times having four). make, all told, two
hundred and seventy-one news gatherers
who daily and nightly run serious risks
and suffer privations in order that the
eager and expectant public may hear
from the seat OF war.
Mr.. KEENAN, gives in illustration the
experience of one such correspondent,
who landed from dispatch boat on the
coast of Cuba in the night with the inten-
ton of making his way to the insurgents
camp, and who walked eighty miles
through tropical forests and swamps,
taking the chances of being shot by Span
ish sentries or guerrillas, in order that
he might interview General Gomez. Hav-
ing succeeded in this he returned to Key
West after an absence Of two weeks, In
the course of which he had not once
tasted bread nor slept in civilized bed.
A knowledge of these facts must neces-
sarily give a certain zest to war news
comfortably cleaned by the citizen from
his morning paper over the matutinal
rolls and coffee.
A fleet Of fifteen or twenty dispatch
boats-either powerful sea-going tugs
or swift steam yachts-is constantly in
use by these men, racing between Key
West and Cuba, bearing the precious
very latest" news for transmission to
the press. These boats, we are told, cruise
along coast line nearly thousand miles
in extent and, if necessary, go with Ad-
miral SIMPSONS squadron to point of
attack as remote as Santiago de Cuba or
Porto Rico, the correspondents sleeping in
their clothes on benches or on the decks,
and living a rough and tumble life. In
following the fleet, especially at night.
these vessels are liable to be taken for
Spanish torpedo boats and fired on by
some of our own ships of war.
Referring to the censorship of press dis
patches. established at Tampa, Mr.. Ken
nan thinks that its result is "to give the
INSCRIPTIONS and ingenious correspond
ent, who sticks at nothing, an unfair ad-
vantage over the conscientious and law
abiding dispatch writer. While there is
some force in this 1t cannot be denied that
some such censorship was an impera-
tive demand Of the war situation in
Cuban waters Even the most honorable
and prudent correspondent. If not re-
strained by 5udicious supervision, would.
in his professional zeal, cause the publica-
ton Of news which would give the enemy
information of important naval or army
movements. and thus defeat the strategy
Of the wisest naval or military chief.
The government Is right in adopting
measures to minimize all risks of that
nature.
A gratifying result Of the present war
Is to find heroism in the pursuit of duty
an everyday trait of the American,
and may we not add of the English. war
correspondent. These men build up the
reputation of the soldiers and sailors, but
are silent about themselves-suffer and
endure and bravely dare in order that the
world may know of the bravery and dar-
ing Of other men. All honor to them!