The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-03
Henry Crabb Robinson Was a
War Correspondent
DURING NAPOLEON'S WARS
He Hadn't the Sand of His
Present-Day Successor.


Henry Crabb Robinson, the author writes,
in London, October 1905, of having had
several interviews with the celebrated
American machinist Fulton, who invented
the catenarian and torpedo. and offered to
Bonaparte TO destroy the whole British
fleets by means of explosives Dining with
him one day. Robinson spoke Of the per-
petual peace Of Kant, and FaltJn replied:
Il believe in the perpetual peace, and l
have no doubt war will be put an end 10
by being rendered so murderous that by
common consent it will be ! abandoned. 1
could myself make a machine by means
Of which l could in a few minutes destroy
a hundred thousand men,"
Almost a century has passe1 since Full
ton uttered this prophecy, and notwi1h-
standing the vast Improvements made-in
the large battle-ships, rapid-4ire guns,
automatic machine-guns, smokeless pow
der, field balloons locating positions, aided
by photography, and electricity uni
versaI peace still remains "a fdr-off &c
vine event"
1t Is interesting to follow the subsequent
careers of Fulton and Robinson, both anx-
ious to uphold the lofty and humane IDEAL
of peace.
Robert Fulton, after his failure In France
England and the United States to prove
the certain destructiveness of his subma-
rine boat, which he called a torpedo. de-
voted himself to perfecting the steamboat,
and in 1907 demonstrated its practical
utility.
II
ars, the follower of Kant and believer in
his "plan for an everlasting peace" he
came in that year the first war CORE
spondent In his account " his work.
while filing that position one sees the vast
difference between the methods of the old
time war correspondents and the methods
of today.
In January, 1907. Robinson was sent by
the London Times to Altoona. in Holstein.
His articles, dated From the Banks of the
Elbe,' were published in the Times, from
March to September of that year. Ma
poleon had defeated the Prussians at Jena,
and advanced into Poland. The French
had already taken Hamberg, and Holstein,
a dependency of Denmark. was neutral
ground. In Altoona, its Capital Robinson
was TO stay "as long as it continued to
be secure"
1t was arranged that the correspondent
should receive all the public documents at
the disposal OF the editor of the Ham
burger Correspondence, and also the bene-
fit of important information, which the
censors of the German press did not allow
the Hamburg editor to use; but Robinson
auudes to the difficulty of obtaining re-
liable information, and says: eve are as
often taken in by certain intelligence of
Russian and Prussian victories as you
can be-"
Notwithstanding the apparent neutrality
of Denmark, the post from Altoona to Eng
land was stopped, so his letters were sent,
on the two post-mornings of each week.
through the English Minister, under cover
10 the Foreign Office, and delivered to
the Times.
He writes of the battle OF Friedand,
June "A, 1907, and Of the peace of Tilsit,
July T. The events becoming more dis
astrous, the English Minister was obliged
to leave, and Mr.. Robinson writes: Had I
left Altoona then, I could not have been
accused of cowardice." but ne remained
until warned by a friend that al! English
men were to be arrested.
1t is amusing to read the account Of his
discomforts. given by this first war cor
respondent. He escaped 70 a small Neck
lenburg port, where he secured passage to
Stockholm. Il made my voyage. which
lasted five long days, in poor little vessel
with a cargo of salt fish on board. There
was no passenger but myself. and the
crew consisted of only four or five. IN
Guiding boys. One night we had a storm
and [ was shut I'D alone in the ca0in.
never before felt such entire wreJchei-
ness
From Sweden. September q. 1871, I
set out on my journey TO Got-enburg hav-
ing bought a conveyance, with whip and
I other accomplishments. wh.ch cos he
about G4. The peasants were obliged to
supply horses. and I paid Sd. per nour for
+ each stage of about seven mile1. Sly
! driver was sometimes a man or 5jv and
/ also sometimes a woman or girl" Tn
! September 90 he began his voyage home
wards, and landed at Harwich October Z.
when he writes: Thank God I once mos
touch English land"
The enterprise Of the London Times in
| sending Mr.. Robinson abroad was COM
| n'ended, and his services were 50 salts
| factory that on his return ne was invited
ta remain in the service of me paper as a
sort of faregl editor; 30 translate rom
! the foreign papers. and write on foreign
affairs.
In 1905 the Spanish revolution having
broken out. the Times needed a correspon.
Gen, in Spain, and AIr. Robinson was sent
| lie landed at Corunna July 81 The towr
!
/ news of the surrender of a French army
in the south under Marshal Dupont. NY
| business" says Robinson. was 10 c0lec
news and forward it by every vessel tina
LETT the port and spent the time between
the reception and transmission Of intell
Sence in trauslatiug the public document!
! and writing comments These letters
We're dated shores Of the Bay OF Biscay.'
and ''Corunna." The first appeared Aus
( ust 2. 1879. and the last on January =
INo9 on August l. he writes Of the SUI
/ render Of Duponts army; August ;. Of III
/ fight Of Joseph Napoleon from Madrid
He is enthusiastic in praise Of the forces
81 S1ain. whose cause had his entire sym
pathy.
''On the 18th Of October the first Of
series OF events took place which mari
one of the most memorable periods of n,
| life" on that day English troops wer-
I landed and proceeded into The interior Z,
I join SIR John Moore. ReverseS followed
and in a letter 20 the FINES January S
Z 1879 Mr.. Robinson says: Both Erslfsl
/ and Spanish seem to be seriously alarmed
not for the fate % the country alone. bu
| for the town and themselves. Our streeu
swarm With English officers, but ,he -aIet,
/ and spleudor which first attended thei
/ entrance into Spain have given way u
;n.en and air certainly more congenlal viii
1 the horrid business OF war"