The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-05

compelled to chase all over the veldt
after the men who were appointed to
counsel and assist them" Often when
the censor was found he expressed great
annoyance at being disturbed (as if he
fancied his mere position made him bet
ter or more important than the cor
respondents). Quite as often he said, out
Of the httleness of his mind and tile bulk
of his power, 'I'Il censor nothing more
today Come tomorrow" One censor.
who was thorough gentleman, but had
not the faintest conception either of his
duties or CT the place the press can have
whenever 1t insists upon It's prerogatives.
used to say, after each battle. Il will
not pass anything today. I don't know
about tomorrow. Come tomorrow and 7
will let you know" Fancy men like the
late G. w. Steey ems, Percival Landon,
E. F. Knight, H. A Gwynne and Lionel
James going through the dangers OF par
ticipatiOn in a battle, sitting down to
write what they thought a censor would
pass rather than precisely what they
had seen, then chasing for hours after
Petty Authority in Uniform only TO hear
him say, Il won't look at anything to-
day."
And London on tiptoe, sleepless at
night, burning with impatience-hanging
on the whim of an unknown ear in
khaki
One correspondent with certain army
had so ingratiated himself with the gen
eral and staff that he was allowed to
go hither and thither to see battles under
other, nearby commanders, while the
gest of the correspondents We're obliged
to lie fallOw in camp. One day l heard
that this too favored correspondent was
about to enjoy himself again at our ex-
pense. 1 went to the censor. please
give me a pass to go on the raid that
is about to be made to the south of US"
1 said.
Il am afraid cannot" the censor re-
piled.
Then give me a pass to go to Eng
land, I said.
What do you mean7 You cannot be
in earnest"
II mean that 1 am accredited by the
war Office and sent here to report what
goes on. If cannot do this please pass
me home. 1 am sorry to have reached
this juncture, but I am clear in my mind
l must have a pass for the raid or a
pass to go home"
1t is only fair to say that the kindly
and courteous gentleman who acted as
censor where this took place was great
ly shocked by this startling outbreak.
He took time to consider my request.
i
had right and reason on my side I be-
leVe that he then obtained his first cor
rect view of his own duties and of the
position of a correspondent He was de-
fectiVe as censor, but as a man and a
gentleman other correspondents besides
myself think of him with high respect
In many columns l could not convey
by instance and anecdote, a just Idea Of
the eccentricities and plumbers by which
some censors hampered US and misused
the public.
Once 1 obtained an early view Of a
proclamation by Lord Roberts and copied
1t to cable it home. The censor threw
1t out because the other correspondents
had not yet come along with it, Soon
afterward 1 was first again with another
piece of news
II cannot pass it, the censor said.
isn't 1t true?"
'Oh, yes" he replied, but the others
must all get it before it can co.
In my other relations with him I found
MIN the most just, intelligent and well
disposed of all the censors 1 had dealt
with, but he had only a faint concep-
ton of the aims and requirements of
modern journalism. The above two de-
cis'ons rendered enterprise and liberal
expenditure impotent brought the great
est newspapers on a level with the hum
blest, and made the reporter for any
SAAAoAC eASSOC-ctLlOll CdpdDlG Oh supplying
the whole world with all the news.
UNPLEASANT INCIDENT
Then there was the case Of one censor
at Cape Town, who, whenever a beat
las newspaper men call an item of news
which has been obtained exclusively by
one correspondent was handed to him,
refused to pass it and took 1t to his hotel
TO show to some correspondents who
stopped there. If these gentlemen saw
NV he oh A.
the reputation of the writer that the
news was reliable, they rewrote it and
handed it to the same censor the next
day.
"Ah, yes" he would say, 1--WE heard
of this before. Why some one handed
it in yesterday, but did not believe it
hadn't heard of it, you know" He had
destroyed the original, but he ''passed"
the thefts.
At last came Lord Roberts, who struck
most of the shackles from our arms He
gave us every facility and encourag cement
in our work, dined with the leading
members of the corps, and appointed four
of us to manage the daily newspaper,
"The Friend" which he established. and
which must yet come to be regarded as
the vehicle of a broader view Of the
value and position of the press than any
general in action has ever before taken.
The field marshal left It to us to speak
fer him, the army and Great Britain.
And Lord Stanley, with great breadth
and perfect tact, so used his place that
he appeared to join with Rudyard Kip
ling, Percival Landon, H. A Gwynnt, T.
w. Buxton and myself as a co-editor and
associate rather than as censor.
THE Friend" will ever be looked back
upon a landmark and monument in
journalism not only as the first journal
ever maintained by an army for an army,
III.
of war correspondents.
After that there must be as much Of a
reformation in the character Of the men
sent to report war as there will be IN the
care with which their censors will be
chosen.
nnnnnurnnr rLrrn