The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-26
WAR CORRESPONDENTS.
Notes ON the Changes In Their Posi-
tfOn-Auecdotes of Journalists.

lie gained it's information of the prog
ress snd varying fortunes of q campaign
from belated official dispatches, supple
mented occasionally by extracts from
private letters from officers engaged In
the war, which were sent to the news
papers. The first war correspondent was
Mr. (now SIR Henry Howard Russell,
who represented the Times in the Cri-
mea. His position with the troops was
unrecognized by the military authori-
ties. 1t was consequently attended by
many discomforts and inconvenience.
His movements were not in the slightest
degree restricted: he had perfect free
dom of action; he could go where he
pleased, and what he wrote was subject
! to no censorship; but he was unable to
procure rations for himself or forage for
his horse from the provisioning depart
! ment of the army. On informing the au-
| thorities of the Times office of his un-
pleasant position, he received letter
TO the effect that the government had
| ordered that facilities should be afforded
him in the field. He Immediately pro-
ceeded TO interview Lord Raglan. COM
mander OF the army. II sent in my
card" he writes. Lord Raglan was
very much engaged: but i was received
by Col. Steele, who listened to my re-
quest for transport and rations with an
expression on his face half of annoy
ance, half of amusement and in the end
informed me most courteously that there
was not the smallest chance of my oh
tanning what / desired" Throughout the
campaign, therefore, Sir Howard Rus
sell had TO victual and clothe himself
and forage his horse as best he could
from other sources. A ham cost him 95
turkey the same figure, a little pot OF
marmelade shillings, pair of boots
Sc. But the difficulty with him was not
the high price of provisions and clothing,
but their meager and uncertain supply.
and as he tells us himself. he presented
a strange and rather ludicrous figure,
mounted on a iddle-headed, ewe-necked
horse, dressed in all sorts of odds and
ends. including a commiSSariat oflcer
cap. with a broad gold band, a rifleman
patrol Jacket and breeches. and Butcher
boots with huge brass spurs, as he rode
here and there, as he pleased, over the
fields of battle.
But the position of war correspondent
has since been entirely changed. He is
now recognized by the war office. thanks
to the pressue of public opinion. an
essential accompaniment to an army in
the field. He is regularly attached to
the Army with which he is acting; he
takes rank as an officer for the purpose
of drawing food for himself and a SER
want and forage for one horse, from the
commissariat department; he is bound
TO obey the orders of superior officers;
he is under military law, and. finally, ev-
erything he writes for mis- newspaper IS
controlled by a vigorous military censor
ship. The change is perhaps for the
better, so far as the personal comfort
Of the war correspondent Is concerned
though he always supplies his provisions
and his transport from his own resourc-
es. and, when he is compelled by cir
cumstances TO fall back on the Army
commissariat department, pays for what
he receives-but II undoubtedly has also
immensely restricted his freedom of ac-
ton in the held, his zeal energy and
enterprise in the interests of his news
paper and his independence in describing
the scenes and incidents which come UNI
der his notice in the progress of the
campaign.
Here is a copy OF the English rules for
newspaper correspondents at the seat of
war:
"First-All newspaper correspondents
accompanying the army In the field must
be furnished with a license granted I'M
der the authority of the commander-in-
chief at home. In this license the paper
or papers for which the correspondent is
agent will be stated.
''Second-A correspondent may not
write for papers other than those mem
toned in his license. II he desires 10 do
so he must get leave. and the permission
must be duly registered on his license.
''Third-iicenses will not be granted
to those whom II is considered undesira-
BILE to have as correspondents in the
field.
"Fourth-An correspondents In the field
will be under the mutiny act during their
stay with the Army.
"Fifth-Correspondent Will not he al
lowed to go to the outposts without spe-
cial permission, TO be granted IN writing
each time correspondent may wish to
visit them.
'Sixth-The use Of any cipher is forbid
den to correspondents. French and Ger
man are the only foreign languages per-
mitted.
"Seventh-A stan officer Will be named
to act as press censor. He Will register
licenses granted under the authority or
the cOmmander-in-chief at home and VIII
grant licenses to local correspondents
not accompanying the army in the field.
Those licenses Will be issued under SINH
lar conditions to those granted the cor
respondents accompanying the army. He
viii also grant passes. when necessary,
TO all correspondents at the seat of war
He will be the channel of communica-
ton between the general officer COM
handing in the field and the correspond
ents. Each newspaper having acorres-
pendent in the field or at the seat of
war will send him copy of every issue
of tie paper, so that he may. by exam
lining their contents. be assured that the
press rules in the field are strictly ad-
hered to.
"Eighth-The press censor will have the
IF ipc
lions from correspondents to their news
papers must be sent through him: and he
may detain or alter the communications.
should he deem them injurious to the
interests of the army.
Ninth-The general officer command
ing will. through his staff officer give &C
much information as he may consider
advisable and consistent with his duty to
correspondents. The press censor Will
hN an hour when correspondents may call
upon him daily for information. and he
will be authorized to tell them every
thing that can be published with safety
TO the army
'Tenth-The military authorities will,
facilitate SO far as they can the dispatch
OF the messages of correspondents
EleVenth-Should the means of COM
munication at the disposal of the general
offlcer commanding in the field nor he
sufhcfent to convey the messages of cor
respondents, the latter may, under his
sanction, arrange for a special means of
transmitting their messages. 1t is how
ever, to be clearly understood that such
arrangements are to be entirely under
the control of the press censor.
Twelfth-The general officer command
ing in the field has the power to revoke
at any time any license granted under
the authority of the commander-in-chief
at home, or under his own authority.
should he consider ii advisable in the in
terests of the Army to do so.
"Thrteenth-Editors of newsnaners