Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-22
WAR CORRESPONDENTS RISKS.
Julian Ralph Admits That Their Lot is No
without Its Drawbacks.

Julian Ralph Admits That Their Lot Is Not
without Its Drawbacks.
Julian Ralph confcsses in the Cen
tury that be has been converted frcm
the opinion that the life of war cor
respondent is not dangerous one
just before went to. the war in
South Africa l was asked by the editor
OF London magazine to write about
war correspondents and their work.
What | wrote was IN criticism OF those
Of my occasional comrades who appear
to fancy it clever thing to put them
selves in danger of death on the battle
field, and who aft'rward write about
one anolher's sensational performances,
as II 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 them
selves to his rank, and reedlessly
ieopardizine their usefulness to tbs
public in fiat violation OF the trust re.
posed in them by their employers. 1
have since been the companion Of Q
man who honestly believed 1t his duty
to enter a battle elbow 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 gentleman was disabled in
the very first hattie. and had TO leave
| the war, but because be is man apart
from those | critioise--a born soldier,
| first Of all, and modest, sober, earnest
workman, who never took or asked for
credit beyond that which his published
| reports gained for him.
But l believe that in the London
| magazine l said it was not necessary
| for war correspondent to incur danger
on the battlefield. have altered that
opinion. 1t 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 chance to do his duty.
He succeeded at Belmont, hut at the
battle of Graspan, after establishing
himself in a nice, safe and command
ing position, he found himself, in half
an hour, amid such hail OF bullets
that it seemed as IL all Roerdom had
singled him out for q mark for its
concentrated desire for slaughter. He
lay still with becoming dignity, and
found himself alive Mt the end Of the
fight-alive, and resolved, with all the
strength of his will, never again, while
he lived, to mix his body up with
flying bullets. At Modder River, in
some manner which have forgotten,
be 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 bullet
came in ropes. It was fun to hear him
talk about the duty Of correspondent!
after this second experience. To begir
with, bis was round, chubby face
lit fy steady, gray eyes, and be had {
way Of merely mentioning his own ex
periences, incidentally, with gravit,
too droll to Ee either described il
words or listened TO without merri
ment. He canvassed the corps OF cor
respondents at short intervals, and re-
ported to each one that all the res
were resolved with him never to ge
under fire again.
And then came the fight at Mayors
fontein. There was the advance il
black and rainy night. then the grayisl
threat Of dawn, then tho hellish fusil
lade from the Boer trenches ut th,
Highlanders, only few rifie-length
away. After that the panic, the con
fusion confounded, the awful droppin,
of scores upon scores of dead men, th
Keeling Of ever 60 many wounded. tn
stampede to the rear, the shouting o
the officers trying to restore order
And, finally, there was the artist
. tousled, mud stained, breathless, bu
still with the same round, oherubi
faoe, and the same grave, well-con
, sidered speech. He was coming out o
the Jaws of death. He had been in tn
thick of the hell which, for minut
, os'tyo, daunted the tigers of the British
alE