Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-17
WAR REPORTERS.
A Plea That Their Presence Would
Prevent Barbarities.

From the London News.
OF the wounded japanese who fall into
Russia's hands, and the unwounded as
well-excepting those who are caught play
ing the SPY can speak with confidence
and say that they are we'll treated. I had
an Asiatic servant for while who had
been a bearer in the fighting line, and
though he was not in any way overburden-
ed with love for the Russians. he bore tes-
timony to their unfailing kindness to their
enemies when the latter fell into their
hands.
Most of us can remember how mischief
makers on the continental press tried dur
ing the Boer war to make the world believe
that we illtreated the, enemy's wounded,
holding us up to the .seorn and contempt of
humanity. We all of ss kneR at the time
that this was false We have proved it
false to the whole world since, but we have
not yet forgotten our ttraducers 1t will do
us no harm to fernembes this as the present
war goes on. l know that the strictest or
ders have been given by officers of the
highest rank to the troops to deal kindly
with the wounded after an action. That
many terrible deeds will be done in hot
blood on both sides there can be but small
room to doubt. When men get to the cross
ing of bayonets all that is devlish in their
blood is apt to come uppermost. AT that
stage man is no better than a tiger, and
many tigerish deeds may be expected. But
in cold blood l do not believe that the
Russians will lay rough hands upon the
fallen
To explain just what mean, let me say
that should not care to be in the enemy's
trenches when a regiment of the Highland
Brigade or the Grenadiers or the Dublin
Fusiliers stormed in with the bayonet. At
the same time, l do not think I should
have an atom of fear of. what might happen
later if l lay in those trenches among the
wounded. 80
Yet it must be admitted that one of the
great safeguards of civilization has been re-
moved since the war correspondents of the
world have been prevented from going into
the firing line to see for themselves what
happens. AT present the world has to take
a generals word for it that he did not at
any time behave like a ;fiend to helpless
foes, and ex parte evidence is never of a
thoroughly satisfactory character. Com
manders complain that cabed news NAV
upset their plans. Well, stop the cables:
but let the letters go: let one man from
each journal of repute lock on and chronicle
the thlngS TO be seen, and many q deed
or unnecessary savagery will be prevented
by the mere presence OF the pressman for
no nation can afford to stand before the
world devoid of honor, of chivalry or of
mercy.
In the interests of the wounded men who
fall IN battle l think this point should be
taken up by the whole worlds press for
the exclusion of the war correspondent
from the field of battle is a step backward
toward darkness, not from mere news
gatherers point of view, but in the inter-
ests of humanity The press that only de-
slfes cable news to Increase it's circulation
may very well be dismissed, either on the
score or humanity or utility, but the I'M
emotional press that is content, as of old
time, with dlspassfonate letters, should not
&c kept from the scene when events that
are likely to affect the world at large are
impending.