The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-18
FIRST WAR CORRESPONDENT.
Henry Crabb Robinsan and The Napo-
lconic Wnrs--Fiight from Mccklen-
burg The Dream OF Universal

Henry Crabb Robinsan and the Napo.
lconic Wnrs--Fiisht from MccRlen-
burg = The Dream OF Universal
Peace. fA4G
In those delightful volumes. 1.-THE
Dairy, Reminiscences and Correspond
cnce OF Henry Crabb .Robinson." the
arlhor writes. In London. October, 1905.
OF having had several interviews with
the celebrated American machinist Full
ton, who invented the catenarian and
torpedo. and offered 10 Boaaparte to
destroy the whole English lieet bymcans
OF explosives" Dining with him one
day Robinson spoke OF the perpetual
peace OF Kant. and Fulton replied: II
brlieve In the perpetual peace. and I
have no doubt war will be put IN end to
by being rendered so murder0us that
by common consent 1t will be aban-
doned. could myself make machine
by means OF which l could In II few
minutes destroy a hundred thousand
men,
Almost century has passed since
Fulton uttered this prophecy. and not
withs,anding the vast improvements
made--in the large battleships, rapid
fire guns. automatic machine guns.
smokeless power. field balloons locating
position. aided by photography and
electrici,y--a universal peace still re-
mains "a far-ofr divine event" II
It is interesting TO follow the subse-
quent careers OF Fulton and Robinson,
both anxious to uphold the lofty and
humane Ideal OF peace.
France England and the United States
to prove the certain destructiveness Of
his submarine boat. which he called 4
torpedo. devoted himself to perfecting
the steamboat. and In 1907 demon
strated It's practical utility.
Robinson. the friend OF poets and
scholars. the follower OF Kant and be-
lever In his plan for an everlasting
peace" became in that year the first
war correspondent. In his account OF
his work. while filling that position, one
sees the vast difference between the
methods OF the eld-time correspondent
and the methods OF to-day.
In January. 1907, Robinson was sent
by the London Times to Altoona. In Hol-
stein His articles. dated From the
Banks Of the Eibe." were published In
the Times, from March to September
of that year. Napoleon had defeated
the Prussians at lena. and advanced
into Poland. The French had already
taken Hamburg. and Hoistein, a de-
tendency OF Denmark, WAS neutral
ground. In Altoona, its capital, Robin
son was to stay '.as long as 1t contin-
ued to be secure"
1t was arranged that the correspond
ent should receive all the public docu-
ments at the disposal OF the editor OF
the. Hamburger Correspondence. and
also the benefit. OF important informa-
ton. which the censors of the German
press did not allow the Hamburg editor
to use: but Robinson alludes 10 the DIFF
ficulty OF obtaining reliable information
aud says: I'VE are as often taken in by
certain intelligence OF Russian and
Prussian victories as YOU can be-"
Notwithstanding the apparent neu-
trality of Denmark. the post from Al
iona to England was stopped. so the
letters We're sent. on the two post morn
inEs OF each week. through the English
minister. under cover to the foreign Of
flee and delivered 10 the Times.
He writes of the battle of'Friedland.
June H. 1907, and of the peace OF Tilslt,
July. The events becoming more disas-
trous. the English minister was obliged
nd Nr pnhingnn NyritpS.
Had left Altoona then ! could not
have been accused OF cowardice.' but
he remained until warned by a friend
that all EnglIshmen wer 10 be arrested
Ii Is amusing To read the account o.
his discomforts. Eite. by this FIRST war
Correspondent. He escaped 10 Il small
Mecklenburc port, where he secured
passage 10 Stockholm. II made my voy-
age. which lasted iive long days. in
poor little vessel with . cargo of salt
fish on board. There was no passenger
but myself, and the crew consisted o.
only FOUR or FIVE. including boys. One
night we had a storm. and l was shut
ur alone In the cabin. never before
felt such entire Indebtedness
From Sweden. September q, 1857 !
set out on my journey 10 Gutenberg;
having bought II conveyance. With whip
and other Accomplishments. which cost
ma about 81. The peasants are Obliged
..iu supply horses. and paid 30. per hour
for each stage ~ about seven miles. Ny
driver WAS sometimes q man VI ao@,
but sometimes also a woman or girl.
. On September 30 he began his voyage
hOmewa:is. ana landed at.Harwich 0c-
;nber : when he writes: Thank God |
once more touea English land.
The enterprise Of the London Times in
sending Mr.. Robinson abroad was conf
| mended. ard his services were so salts
factory that on his return he was in
vited to remain In the service Of the pa
per as 4 sort OF foreign editor; 10 trans
late from the foreign papers, aud write
on foreign affairs.
I In 1908 the Spanish revolution having
broken out, the Times needed cores
| p0ndent In Spain. and Mr.. Robinson
was sent. He landed nj Corunna. july
81. The town was in g:ea; disorder en-
cited by the joyful news of the surren-
der OF French army in the south IN
der Marshal Dupont. My business.
says Robinson, was to collect news and
forward 1t by every vessel that left the
pO!.. and spent the time between the
I'm nd tpnpSp,tg ~ in. 4tll-