The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-25
DREYFUS TRIAL REPORTING
soME EXPERIENCES or THE Army OF
CONFECTIONERY AT RENNRs.

a
How WeIl-Laid Plans to Rush the Nows OF
the Verdict to the Telegraph once
Fnilod-An Immense Amount of Copy
Was Handled Under the Circumstances.
RENNEs. Sept lit is for the pleasure OF
writing something from Rennes which shall
Include nothing about Dreyfus and his cause
that am sending this letter. For five long
weeks the three hundred newspaper men as
sembled here from all parts OF the world whore
apublic press exists have seen. heard. thought.
dreamed. discussed. writton-nothlng but Drey-
fus. TWO or three tines. while driving or
cycling within a few miles OF the Breton cap
ital. have come across intelligent. contented
peasants who had never heard the name Drey-
fus. and envied and congratulated them. In
nm hour or two shall leave Rennes. never, l
hope. to return. but before l go want to tell
the readers OF THE Sun what nice town It is
and describe for them two or three odd incl
dents which have added touch OF comedy to
the serious business Of our mission hsre.
As for Rennes, most guide books tell us that
1t is the cleanest II not the healthiest city in
Europe Ones eyesight tends to confirm the
claim. They even skim the surface OF the
almost staEnant river In the centre OF the town
every morning. Ones nostrils suggest doubts
on the subject and ones experience OF exist
ence In so-called first class hotels yields only
cynical inoreduity. I will not dwell upon the
matter beyond remarking that scarcely any OF
those whose duties compelled them to remain
in Rennes during the whole We weeks escaped
one or more sharp attacks OF illness.
As for the people OF Rennes always except
Ing two or three OF the principal hotel keepers)
their visitors have words only Of grateful az
knowledgement Of kindness. courtesy and
most patient forbearance. American readers
will not appreciate the sign ifcance OF the latter
phrase. Here Is a provincial capital. outside
the line OF tourist travel, inhabited by q
sturdy. honest. intensely religious but
narrow-mnded people. They saw their
town almost taken possession OF nve
weeks ago by small army OF foreigners
and jews. They hato each Of these classes
with the ignorant but accumulated hatred Of
generations Moreover. they believed these
Invaders had come for the purpose OF over
throwing Just judgment Any other verdict
than that given yesterday would have been
outrage upon justice In their ignorant eyes And
yet for five weeks, the people OF Rennes toler-
nted the presence OF these unwelcome visitors.
saw their streets and cafes and public insttu-
lions almost mon opolized by them and said no
word OF insult discourtesy or resentment-ex-
cept In their newspapers / prefer to believe
that the newspapers OF Rennes. which in sew
eral instances heaped vile abuse and obscene
invective. especially upon the correspondents
OF the foreign press. represent only the low.
venal minds OF their writer's. who. alas. typify
only too faithfully the degeneration OF journal
ism In France.
1t 10 not often that tho professional side OF q
newspaper correspondents work becomes a
matter OF public interest. but perhaps this
unique experience here at Renues is entitled
to rank as an exception. No previous event in
the worlds history has called together corps
OF chroniclers so represent ative in it's scope.
None. IL should be remembered. came by
Invitation. as at the coronation OF the
Gar or the browning Of the little Queen
OF Holland. Even the Queens Jubilee
in London failed to draw such an international
gathering OF journalistic clans. Papers in
Japan and even in Turkey sent oorrespon dents
to tell this story at Rennes. paper which
had never heard OF in Norway spent 800 day
to give its readers an account OF the trial. and
q single journal In Vienna expended more than
$4,000 in telegraph tolls at urgent" rates
during the five weeks
UEysry disposition to facilitate the work OF
the correspondents was shown by the authori-
ties. We learned after a few days that each
one OF us had been quietly photographed and
full descriptions. with all that could be learned
of our anteeedents. had been sent to Paris in a
special dossier by the omnipresent agents OF
the State; but nobody could object to this
harmless and flattoring attention. Neither
could we ind any fault with the assignment OF
places In the trial hail. which relegated the
foreign correspondents to the seats most dis
tant from the stage. whore the testimony OF
many witnesses was inaudibe. After all. the
case to be heard was primarily a domestic
French affair. and l doubt II in any other
country on earth the same consideration would
have been shown to foreign newspaper men.
whose presence the great majority Of French
men regarded as an intrusion.
Iexplained in one OF my earlier dispatches
= received half a ticket to the LycGe. This was
an immense concession from Col. Jouaust's
first dictum. which was: Assign one ticket
to each group OF ten. That will enable each
man to attend one session In ten. and 1t will be
quite enough for him" Fortunately the
French military idea OF journalistic moods did
not prevail. and the ommittee Of the
.presse Judioiare" was able to induce the
doughty President to take more liberal view
OF the situation. Even the haliticket regula-
ton was modified to some extent. and each
morning admission was granted to as many Of
the Danish ed moiety Of foreign correspondents
as there remained empty seats after tho ticket.
holders had entered. Finally the difficulty In
hearing the evidence was partially overcome
by securing reports OF tho testimony sheet BY
sheet from French reporters noar the witnes,
stand and thus the actual proceedings in the
courtroom were prepared for readers abroad
The authorities of Rennes provided also
preat hail. with a special telegraph office. FOL
The use OF visiting correspondents. The Bours,
du Commerce was transformed into vast ed
torial room. One hundred and fifty writing
tables nailed to the floor to prevent noise anC
confusion; comfortable chairs. pens. ink anc
paper aud courteous attendants were all at tn,
disposal OF French and foreign writer's duriRi
the five weeks.
The problem OF quick communication will
the outside world was ever-present diff
Guilty from the first day OF the trial until tn
last. There were available six telegraph ant
four telephone wires from Renncs to Paris. tw
wires to Brest. the landing place OF tn
French Gable Company's lines to Amer
lea. and ono wire to Havre wher
tbe Commercial Company's cables touch