The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-03
WAR CORRESPONDENTS RISKS
About Equal to That of the Fighting
Soldiers.

| Soldiers.
| Just before I went to the war in
South Africa I was asked by the edi-
| tor of a London magazine to write
about war correspondents and their
work. What I wrote was in criticism
of those of my occasional comrades,
who appear to fancy it clever thing
to put themselves in danger of death
on the battlefield, and who afterward
write about one another's sensational
performances, as If these reflected glo-
ry 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
needlessly jeopardizing their usefulness
to the public, in fat violation of the
trust reposed in them by their employ
ers. / have since been the companion
of a man who honestly believed it his
duty to enter battle elbow to elbow
with the private soldiers. in order, as
he said, that he might know the tenn
per Of the "Tommies" and the condi-
tons under which they were fighting.
My opinion remains the same, not be-
cause this brave gentleman was disa-
bled in the very first battle and had to
leave the war, but because he is a man
apart from those criticise--a born SOL
der first Of all, and modest, sober,
earnest workman, who never took or
asked for credit beyond that which his
buplshed reports gained for him.
But ] believe that in London maya
zines I said it was not necessary for a
war correspondent to- incur danger on
the battlefield. ! have altered that
opinion. 1T makes me laugh at myself,
when I put side by side the view I
then held and the experience | have
since gained.
To return to the artist who wanted
nothing but a chance to do his duty.
He succeeded at Belmont but at the
battle of Graspan after establishing
himself in nice, safe and command
ing position, he found himself, in half
an hour amid such a hail of bullets
that it seemed as if all Boerdom had
singled him out for a mark for it's con-
centrated desire for slaughter. He lay
still with becoming dignity, and found
llliiStll cllNc at lllG SHl VI TIE USnl--
alive, and resolved with all the
strength of his will, never again, while
he lived, to mix his body up with fly
ing bullets. AT Modder river, in some |
manner which [ have forgotten, he
was suddenly pursued by shells and |
flying shrapnel, and made his way out |
of that danger, only to find himself |
under such Mauser fire that the bullets |
came in ropes. 1t was fun to hear
him talk about the duty of correspon-
dents after this second experience. To |
begin with, his was a round, chubby
face, lit by steady, gray eyes, and he
had way of merely mentioning his
own experiences, incidentally, with a
gravity too droll to be either described
N words or listened to without merri-
ment. He canvassed the corps of COR
at short intervals, and re-
ported to each one that all the rest
were resolved with him never to get
lnder fire again.
And then came the fight at Magers-
onten.
There was the advance in black and
Amy night, then the gravish threat of
lawn, then the hellish fusillade from
he Boer trenches at the Highlanders,
'nly a few rifie-lengths away. After
nat the panic, the confusion con-
ounded, the awful dropping of scores
pon scores of dead men, the reeling of
yer so many wounded, the stampede
the rear, the shouting of the officers
rying to restore order. And, finally. !
here was the artist, tousled, mud
tanned, GREATNESS, but still with the
anne round, cAelubic face, and the ,
anie grave, well-considered speech. ,
lie was coming out of the jaws of
cath. He had been in the thick of the :
ell which, for a minute or two, daunt-
1 the tigers of the British army.-Ju-
an Ralph in the Century.