New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-19
THE FUTURE OF WAR CORRESPONDENTS

THE RI II RE Or WAX tOhhESfOADEHi >.
Whatever may be said OF the present East
Asian war, ana whatever may be its result, It
has thus far been an unprecedeutedly bad one
for the special war correspondent Never be-
fore perhaps, was there SO Iyompt and numer-
Gus a gathering Of those adventurous scribes,
or so earnest an effort their part 10 get 70
the forefront ana thrill the world with news
sent from amid the crash Of shot and shell.
Never before, certainly. were enterprisng inten-
tons so completely baffled. Russ and Jap, so
bitterly opposed in most other things, agreed
in saying 10 the correspondents Thus far shalt
thou 90, and nc further; and the thus far
was generally among the tombs Of Afoukdep or
the tea gardens Of Toxic. Now and then cor
respondent has witnessed actual fighting But
of the old style correspondence. forecasticg the
movements OF the armies and announcing in
advance the plan Of campaign, there has been
not a line. This war is being run for the sake
of military advantage, and not for the sake OF
copy" Nor is there any indication of a change.
The censorship seems likely to be maintained
in full rigidity all through the war. Nor is
even that all. There are those who are saying,
with show Of reason, that thus a precedent
will be established for the suppression of the
special correspondent in ali future wars.
1t may be So From one point Of view there
are reasons why It should be The fact is
that in modern conditions OF warfare the war
correspondent may easily become a practical
spy. Indeed, il is not easy for him to avoid
doing so. In old times he might accompany
headquarters, learn the plans of campaign
write about them as fully as he pleased, and
send the matter to his paper without harm
By the time his letter could get to the enemy
through the slow process of the mails the plans
he had disclosed were executed. But now the
telegraph and cable have changed all that A
correspondent at Feng Wang Cheng, let us say,
might send news TO his paper in London or
New-York of General Kurokis plan Of advance
against General Kuropatkin, and IT might be
published in that paper and be transmitted 10
Kuropatkin at LAO Yang within an hour. or
long before the movement IT disclosed had
begun. Such sending out of news would be
fatal betrayal OF military secrets. such as every
prudent commander is bound to prevent. Nor
IS that all. The wireless telegraph has added
a new peril to the situation. 1t has practically
placed the special correspondent In one camp
IN direct communication with the enemys camp
No wonder commanding generals on both sides
are insisting that the correspondents, at least
with very few exceptions, shall keep so far to
the rear that they will not know what is going
TO happen until it has actually happened
There are, however, some serious objections
to such censorship, and there would be some
grave difficulties In the way OF enforcing it in
conducted under blanket would give rise to
suspicious and accusations Of inhumanity and
OF violations of the rules of warfare It would
be said that the generals kept correspondents
out of camp because there were things going
on which they did not dare to let the world
know. Moreover, while people in Russia and
Japan may acQuiesce in such secrecy 1t is not diff
rcult to imagine what outcry would be raised
against ii in most other countries-in coun-
tries In which the people have been accustomed
to fuller knowledge of public affairs. The
cry would be raised that the life of the Father
land was hanging in the balance. and yet the
sovereign people were not permitted TO know
what was going on. 1t would be a strong GOV
eminent. indeed, in popular'r governed coun-
try that coul1 str~l a"a.,isf sach c'amcr. Pep
haps The corrgs 5.is.ciiis LAY COLI" to realize
that The solution OF the problem ana the H.
| termination OF their future are in their own
| hands If they VIII diD9eetly restrain them
selves from playing even lnvoluntarily the parts
| VI s1ics am rasrplo.s. and confne themselves