New-York tribune., 1899-12-30
PREPAREDNESS FOR WAR.
THE VIEWS THEREON OF YOUNG MAN
WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO.
The Tribune has received the following Letters

WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO.
Tho Tribune has received the following letter:
New York Tribune.
Having n sear1 war of to the
said paper In gathering news ana ora ~ ponr. and
Of tho manneuyers Of war between 'he Doe'' "
Nv tt' reasons for asking for this position are as
First am young man 20 years OF age
Scond Good Morl Ctacter c,on.
Third Don't Drink or Smoke or Ci.em ~. emu,t,o-v tac-
Fourth. Also know quite a bit ABOUT military '"'-
Fifth NV Father IS a school Commissioner ana
the supt Of a very lar ge Ider-down Factoryi, r,der
Sixth Also am first class nc of refcnence YOU
Seventh Can give you any sort ol iSiN'N'
EiGbtb an good Bugueler and know all the
calls used In Artillery and Cavalry. .,o,s ord
Nneth Can pass all Physical I, 'ig iti
am five feet and eleven inches tall ana "e's" i''
Tenth Am a good rife shot .,ou aro can dc.
Eleventh Have vivid Imagination anu can Uo
scribe every detar OF a Battle. ,. ,o-oor
Twelfth Have knowledge OF mli1arE "a y cha ba abIe
10 prepare for the same,
remain .,
A decent regard for the opinions Of mankind re-
ouIres that The Tribune should declare its reasons
Co. docl,rirg tbla temUtIng offer. These reasons
NAV we'll be given in connection with certai"
thoughts suggested by this letter
First-The young nan Is too young man.
war correspondent Is not usually made Directly
out Of schoolboy. Let him read The Lgh' lha'
Failed" and he will And out something.
Second-It IS dangerous for so young man u
take a good moral character to war with hlm'
Many bad men go to on both sides. and 1t IS no
place for children.
Thrd-If he doesn't smoke drink or chew what
does he expect to do? 1t often happens in war
that rum and tobacco the only subsistence 10
be had and sometimes those are scarce
Fourth-"Qulte a bit" is not enough to kno"
about military tactics. War correspondents must
know absolutely all about military tactics anu
they always do. Governments send out ignorant
and Incapable generals, but the newspapers never
send ont n correspondent who would rank beloW
field marshal. n he got his deserts. LORD kitchener
does not like to have correspondents around Tor
tho very reason that they always exposing MS
Ignorance Of military affairs. That Is just what
they ought 20 do. OF course. and just what tney
arc there for but general IL In position 10
make things uncomfortable for a correspondent II
ne chooses
Fifth-The news that the writer Of this letter
,s tho son OF n school commissioner recalls that
",be ernith's colt and the shoemaker's balrn are
ave the worst shod" The connection which the
writer Intended between "Tder-down Factory
and II war IL not clear. but Il IS 70 he feared that
the boy Is too much accustomed TO beds OF ease.
II he hnd been accustomed to sleeping In four
Inches Of water The Tribune would pause oe'oie
declining his services
| Slxth-There is no harm in being good horse-
hack rider but It would be useful II the
/ correspondent were expert Mt dropping from walls
and riding under piles OF coal in freight cars
sevcnth-Tho writer's spelling Is reference
enough. No other is needed.
Eighth-It was not necessary for the writer TO
saw that he was n good "bugueler." II Is clear
/ enough that he can blow his horn. II know
ing all the artillery calls would enable the youth
/ TO call some artillery TO the aid OF the British. II
! might do the British some good, but II would De
OF no especial service to The Tribune.
Ninth and Tenth-It must be admitted that the
/ writer is well grown boy and that good rifle
! shooting does no harm. though no good
Eleventh-The vivid imagination IS fatal. What
/ Tho Tribune wants from the seat Of war IS news.
not the product OF vivid imagination. The writer
had better simply come to New-York and write
war bulletins FOR some OF the other papers. He Is
Just the boy they want
Twelfth-Whose military career Is II OF which
tho boy has n knowledge? The Tribune itself has
n knowledge Of General Buller's military career,
and II has confidence in Lord Robertss future
Finally. ms a simple reason. unclasced and un-
! numbered The Trib Inc does not feel dissatlsned
! with It's war correspondence Just as II STANDS
But The Tribune is glad to get the letter. for 1t
| dlscloses that somebody is circulating false re-
! ports about IT, Nobody in this office has ever
heard Of that advertisement licitng the services
! OF n war correspondent. II any person is caught
circulating a report that there ever was SUCH an
advertisement he will be dealt with TO the full eN-
| tent OF the law There is no need OF any such
advertisement. even II correspondent were
wanted All the members OF the regular stan are
DYING n 20 and the most Of them are trained and
| experenced war correspondents. As for outsiders
every morning when the tanitor relieves the night
watchman he finds the passages Of the building
blocked with applicants for the place. and some
times he has to turn the hose on them And then
again. II would be too expensive 10 employ the
ta.ta NO
IN nav the telegraph tolls on so many capital
| lottc