The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-08-03
A CURSE TO THE COUNTRY


Every day brings new evidence of
the scandalous part played by the
sensational newspapers of this coun-
try in the present war. Ever since
the war began our government has
been hampered, our army dlscour-
aged, and our national reputation
blackened abroad by the ignorant or
irresponsible correspondents who
have been sent to the front by equal
ly ignorant or irresponsible editors.
In the last three months it is safe to
say these agents of depraved press
have done more to damage our gov
ernment, our generals, and our ad-
mirals in the eyes of the world than
all the newspapers of the European
continent.
Perhaps the most conspicuous of
such offenders against public de-
cency have been Poultney Bigelow,
Richard Harding Davis and Sylves-
ter Scovel. While the army was
still at Tampa, Bigelow wrote a let
ter charging our officers with incom
petence, our troops with lack of dis
cipline, and our commIssariat with
decentralization. There was abso-
lutely no excuse for this except that
Bigelow might desire to bring his
name prominently before the public
and to show his employers his abil-
lty to advertise their publications
throughout the country. He knew
that he was harassing the United
States government; he knew that, as
far as in him lay, he was winning
friends in Europe for SPAN; he knew
that he was slandering our army and
disheartening our people; yet, in the
interests of yellow journalism, he
published his letter.
That letter was re published broad
cast in Europe and led some of the
ablest strateglsts at once to compare
the United States with France before
the collapse at Metz. In Germany
it was said that Mr.. Btgelow's tex
posure" justified the belief that our
soldiers were even more incompetent
ly handled than those of Spain.
Apparently envious of Bigelow's
laurels, Richard Harding Davis came
forward at still more critical juno
ture with an equally disreputable at
tack on our army. When our troops
had pressed on without artillery or
wagons, and, at great sacrifice, had
carried the outposts near Santiago.
this undereducated and underbred
tuft hunter gave rein to his imagina-
tion and under the spur OF wounded
vanity and petty resentment wrote
villainous sereed on General Shafter.
HG accused our general in command
of incompetence, of cruelty, of in
difference to the welfare of the army,
and of criminal negligence in the
discharge of his duty. This pack of
lies was telegraphed to Europe by
the Associated Press and published
just at the moment when European
Judgment was hanging IN the bal
ance. Had Davis betrayed our mil
itary secrets to the enemy he could
not have done the country equal
harm. His conduct was worse than
treason, yet we have not heard that
his newspaper employer has dis
charged him, or even disciplined
him.
1t was reserved, however, for Syl-
Vester Scovel to descend to the low
est depths of yellow journalism In
the present war. Because he was
not allowed to make himself conspi-
uous when our flag was raised over
Santiago, he walked up to the Amer
lean commander and tried to slap
him in the face. Had a French or
German correspondent done the
same thing under similar circum-
stances he would have been shot or
bayoneted on the spot, and few
would have said that he did not de-