The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-01

to go on to the cables Nor is this the
worst of it. There are no telegraph
stations in all the Yalu country, where
the chief actions of the war will almost
certainly occur. But in the end. when
letters can be got through, with such
corps of strong writer's and skilled art
lists on the ground, we may expect
many thrilling descriptions Of this war
in words and in pictures.
The war correspondents end is not
the only exciting or difficult part of the
service. The transmission of the re-
ports half way around the world is
no bagatelle The Intelligence that
the average reader peruses each morn
ing at the breakfast table or in his
easy chair of an evening has passed
through thousands of miles of wires
stretched across continents and along
the beds of oceans Such immense dis
tances are only covered by means of
relay stations. where the message is
automatically repeated. These are made
necessary for the reason that the cur
rent grows weak and must therefore be
renewed.
Nor must it be imagined that the
men in the newspaper offices are idle.
Every great daily must organize a spe-
cial war service on the telegraph desk.
Here are experts that study nothing but
the war. They must be familiar with
]
theater Of conflict, the history of the
nations concerned. the causes leading
UP to the struggle, the names of the
generals and the disposition of forces,
military tactics, etc-in short, they
must be such masters of the entire sub
ject that on a hint they can outline an
action and forecast results. They must
think war, read war, dream war.
Because of the great expense. cable
dispatches are sent only in skeleton.
Even then the outlay is something
enormous. For example, the recent
sending of the japanese official state
ment cost over $4,000 These emaseu-
lated messages must be written out in
full by the copy readers on the tele
graph desk.
The sample cablegram herewith given
illustrates the manner in which the dis
patches are skeletonized. In this all
unimportant words are omitted. Some
times two words are run into one, as
'Parthur," Port Arthur; ''smOrning,H
this morning The dispatch which is
here given just as received, describes
the second Port Arthur naval fight in
the present war.
AS sent it consists of only forty three
words. AS elaborated and filled in it
contained over 100:
Thirteenth division destroyers started
Parthur snowstorm boats lost each other
separated only Hayato and Asagari
/ reached Parthur Asagari sighted entrance
I three clock snoring received heavy fire
batteries scouts entered discharged tor
pedo at warship smoking funnel Then
emerged safe returning fire Of enemy
boats.
When this dispatch appeared in print
it read as follows:
On Feb. 13 division of torpedo boat de-
stroyers started for Port Arthur in a
heavy snowstorm. The boats lost sight of
each other and became separated. Only
the Hayatori and Asagirf reached Port
| Arthur. The Asagiri was sighted at the
4 entrance to the harbor at 3 o'clock on the
morning Of the 14th and was received by
a heavy fire from the shore batteries and
1 from scouting torpedo boats. She and
4 the Hayatori entered the harbor and dis
Il charged torpedoes at a warship, from
4 whose funnel smoke was seen ascending.
& Then they emerged safely. returning the
A fire of the enemy's torpedo boats, which
I had meanwhile come out.
Along about II or 1 o'clock at night
is a busy time just now on the average
morning paper 1t is then that the bulk
of the war news comes in On this or
dinarily the first page leaders must be