The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-11-22
wAR CORRESPONDENTS RISKS.
Julian Ralph Admits That TboIr Lot u
Not without Its Drawbacks.

WIN NONNIo' OFDGNiS NloNo.
Julian Ralph Admits That Tboir lot u
Not without Its Drawbacks.
Julian Ralph confesses in the Cen.
tury that he has been converted from
the opinion that the life OF war cor.
respondent is not a dangerous one.
''Just before | went to the war in
South Africa was asked by thc editor
OF II London magazine to write about
war correspondents and their work.
What j wrote was in criticism of
those OF my occasional comrades who
appear TO fancy 1t a clever thing to
put themselves I'm danger of death on
the battlefield, and who afterward
write about one another's sensational
performances. as IL these reflected
glory upon them and their profession.
| have not changed my mind about the
behavior OF those who try TO share the
experience of the private soldier. thus
bringing themselves to his rank and
necdlessly jeOpardizing their useful
ness to the public in fiat violation of
the trust reposed in them by their em-
ployers. / have since been the com
panion of q man who honestly be.
lieved it his duty TO enter n battle ell
bow to elbow with the private soldiers,
in order, as he said, that he might
know the temper Of the "TOmmies"
and the conditions under which they
were fighting. My opinion remains
the same, not because this brave gen
tloman was disabled in the very first
battle, and had to leave the war; but
because he is Il man apart from those
1 criticise-a born soldier. first of all,
and modest, sober. earnest workman.
who never took or asked for credit be.
yond that which his published reports
gained for him.
But [ believe that in the London
magazine | said It was not necessary
for II war correspondent to incur dan.
ger on the battlefield. | have altered
that opinion. It makes me laugh at
myself when l put side by side the
view l then held and the experience
have since gained.
"To return to the artist who wanted
nothing but II chance to do his duty.
He succeeded at Belmont but at the
battle OF Graspan, after establishing
himself in n nice, safe and command
ing position, he found himself, in half
an hour, amid such n hail of bullets
that It seemed as if all Boerdom hac
singled him out for mark for its con
ccntrated desire FOR slaughter. He lay
still with becoming dignity. and foun6
1.t II .,Is "a al. ~ a
alive, and resolved, with all TIN,
strength of his Will, never again, Will,
he lived. to mix his body up with fly
ing bullets. At Modder River, in some
manner which l have forgotten. he
was suddenly pursued by shells and
flying shrapnel, and made his way Ou'
of that danger only to find himself
under such Mauser fire that the bul
let's came in ropes. 1t was fun TO heat
him talk about the duty of correspond
cnts after this second experience. To
begin with, his was Il round, chubby
face, lit by steady, gray eyes, and he
had II way Of merely mentioning hi'
own experiences, incidentally. with q
gravity too droll 10 be either de
scribed in words or listened to without
merrimeut. He canvnssed the corps
of correspondents at short intervals,
and reported to each one that all the
rest We're resolved with him u.ver to
get under fire again.
"And then came the fight at H.agers'
fontein.
"There was the advance in h.ark and
rainy night, then the grayish threat OF
dawn, then the terrible fusllade from
the Boer trenches at the Highlanders.
only few rifie-lengths away. After
that the panic, the confusion confound
ed, the awful dropping OF scores upon
scores of dead men, the reeling of
ever so many wounded, the stampede
10 the rear, the shouting of the officers
trying to restore order. And. finally,
there was the artist, tousled, mud
stained, brcathless, but stlll with the
same round, cherubic face, and the
same grave, well-considered speech.
He was coming out of the jaws of
death. He had been in the thick of
the fight which, for Il minute or two.
daunted the tigers OF the British
army"