New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-07
rRr NEWS I'VE nLDN,p PRINT

An esteemed correspondent asks Us If The
Tribune is printing as much war news now
ad&Es rs some other papers, and half reproach-
fully says he doesn't believe we arc. To tell the
truth. we don't believe we are, either or course.
thar seems like 4 sad confession TO make.
for in former times we had n reputation for
-cttiu. the pace in such matters. In our own
Civil War and in the Terrible Year in France
this paper really established new records in
news gathering and publishing In the little
war wIti Spain The Tribune at least held its
own; al there were those who gave II credit
for ge:r.ug straight from II Hung Chang by
far the most important and timely dispatch in
tie whole Boxer war 1t would be lamentable
now TO fall from so high estate. Whether
We have or not in the words Of the young
woman IN The NIikado" "all depends bless
You, It all depends" II all that is printed as
news IS news, then truly we are not print
ing all the news.
For. beyond all doubt or question, some OF
our contemporaries have printed lots Of news"
that haven't. For example. we did not on
March 80 announce that the japanese would
not be au,e 10 cross the Chong-ChOn River be-
fore early in April and then in another column
Of the same paper report that they had already
reached ChonE-Ju. n dozen miles beyond that
river. We did not exploit the engagement at
ChOng-Ju as "A battle Of the greatest impor-
that It was only trning sklrmish between
scouting outposts; but we contentcd ourselves
with making this latter report OF il at the out
set. We die not on March 81 say the ChonS-
III affair was probably the first and last battle
of the war on Coroan soil, on April ] announce
that General kuropatkin would forthwith pro-
coed TO tackle the Japanese in Corea. and on
April 2 declare that General Kuropatkln was
not planning any invasion Of Corea. We did
not think Il necessary on April 3 TO hlaz1n forth
the expert opinion" that the Russians would
make n stand between ChoGg-Ju and the Yalu
and delay the japanese advance, and so we
suffered no embarrassment IN reporting two
days later that the japanese had marched from
Chong-Ju TO the Yalu without opposition. We
did mention on April an "uncOufirmed report"
that the japanese had landed 1880 troops In
Manchuria but We did not exploit Il I'm big type
as "credibly reported" and thus Il did not hurt
bit to print the additional report, two days
later, that there were no japanese at all in
Manchuria. We had no special correspondent"
10 tell US on March % that the japanese would
not land near New Chwang before April 90
and 10 add on March 81 that the japanese ex-
pected TO capture New-Chwang within seven
days. It seemed to Us better 10 wait until the
seven days were up, and then record the fact
that no japanese had landed there vet. We had
no grapevine telegraph TO inform us one day
that the tales OF King Edwards efforts to end
the war were all poppycocl, and the very next
day to assure us that the King had already
taken steps toward mediation. II did not oc-
cur 10 Us to Shrek out on April that news
of n great battle at New-Chwang was hourly
expected, and then have to admit two days later
that there had as yet been no prospect Of any
conflict M all in that region.
Oh, vest 1t is all quite true! There have been
lots Of news" that we haven't printed. Also,
there have been lots Of denials and Contradic-
tons that we haven't had to make. Our friends
have missed some sensational "screamers" in
our columns but then, they have also missed
the evaporation Of learning next day that they
We're nothing but "screamers." And, on the
whole In the deepest depths OF our humiliation.
we venture TO extract some consolation from
the thought that some Of our readers may think
It better-to adapt the words Of our old friend
Josh Billlngs"-not 10 print so much news
than 10 print so much that isn't So