The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-21
Outlay of Money and Effort Has
Been Immense, but the Results
Have Been Very Small.

nave been very Sllldll.
NEW YORK, March 20.-To the modern
newspaper, educated in the matter of war
correspondence by the Spanish-American
war and the South African conflict, the
problem of covering the field of the Oriental
struggle has presented difficulties which
seem almost impossible of surrounding.
Hosts of special correspondents have been
sent to the far East. Men are there who
have had their training in actual warfare;
of whose alertness. intelligence and re-
sourcefulness there can be no doubt who
are privileged to spend all the money need
ed to achieve the desired results; yet the
return in the matter of news has been alto
gether out of proportion to the cost of the
undertaking.
On occasions there is much talk of the
lingo press" here and abroad and there
is an opinion prevailing in the minds of
many that the newspapers welcome war,
regarding 1t as something beneficial to
themselves.
On the contrary, newspapers regard all
wars as detrimental to their interests.
Without exception the great London papers
suffered heavily as result of the recent
war in South Africa. Calculations were per-
haps increased. but advertising dropped at
alarming rate, and the cost of producing
a paper multiplied. 1t is so now. The cost
of reporting the events of the war between
Russia and Japan falls heavily upon many
papers which are not we'll prepared to stand
such a drain upon resources. All of the
great daily papers find their expenses in
creasing in an abnormal manner, and not
one has yet discovered a way of turning the
war to its own actual benefit.
Newspaper men know the arduous labor
that falls to the lot of the war correspond
ent. There is certain glamour, which soon
wears off, that surrounds the man who goes
into the field to tell the horrors of war. 1t
is a service which is seldom shirked, but
which is regarded hardship the equal of
which can be found nowhere else in the
world.
When the United States went to war with
Spain the newspapers of the world found
theater of hostilities that for their purposes
were ideal. Gables were fairly numerous,
and cabling stations could be reached with
out great risk. Between the American navy
and the correspondents affoat and between
the American army and the correspondents
in the field a spirit of comradeship existed.
The newspaper dispatch boats were organ
lied into squadrons and fleets, and they pa
troled the West Indian waters as thorough
ly and as carefully as did the warships that
were sent out in search of Admiral Ger
vera s fleet. The officers of the navy did all
that was in their power TO make the work
of the correspondents as easy and as sue
cessful possible, and on the other hand
the newspapers lauded the deeds of the
American seamen. There were press censor
ships established. but they counted for little
In South Africa the conditions were
trife more disheartening. At first the cor
respondents were permitted to send news
freely. but as the war went on the censor
IL Oh,
ener the privileges of the press were greatly
restricted.
REPORTING PRESENT WAR.
No other war between great nations of
the world has been treated with the view
point of the newspaper along broader lines
than have been adopted for reporting the
struggle now going on between Russia and
Japan In the newspaper offices of the
world ii had been believed for some months
that war was inevitable. Such preparations
as could be made in advance were made
But when the final blow was struck the
preparations of many journals were found
TO be inadequate.
Never before has struggle of this mag
nitude been carried on in the far East and
never before have the newspapers been
compelled to make use TO so great an ex-
tent of the lines of ocean cable that stretch
around the earth.
Several months ago war correspondents
began to flock toward China. Manchuria
Korea and Japan. In addition several of
the best-equipped newspaper men were sent
TO st. Petersburg, there TO watch the Dip
lOmatic developments. Finally every capt.
tai of Importance i'm Europe has been and
is being watched by trained correspond
ents, almost every one of whom is capable
of interpreting such moves as may be made
by the powers that are concerned only in
directly in the war.
AT every strategic point where it is pos
Sible TO place a trained newspaper man
there one is 10 be found. Yet the COM
batants are so engrossed in their own af
fairs that they have not found time TO care
for their newspaper visitors. There has
been here tolerance rather than the COM
raderie that was known in the Caribbean
sea. Fleets of newspaper dispatch boats
fororn craft is caught flying for cable
port il is held up and stern warning is
given that it is within the danger zone.
The Japanese and the Russian censors
are thorough in their work. They know
their business, and he is indeed shrewd
correspondent who can outwit one of them.
Armies have taken to the field in Asia
without correspondents TO watch them and
naval battles have been fought with no
one there to make report TO the public of
the deeds of bravery to sum up the re-
suits achieved. Left TO their own resources
| the newspaper correspondents have been
| compelled TO struggle and fight even harder
| than have the soldiers. Their woes have
been added 10 by the vagarieS OF the CEN
| sors at the best possible points of cabling.
| AS much of the news : possible has been
| sent TO Europe and America, but no one
better than the correspondents themselves
| recognizes tho fact that there have been
| failures. For the outlay OF cash and con-
sidering the great preparations made 10
/ cover the war. the news that has come from
beyond the Pacific has been a disappoint-
| ment
This war between Japan and Russia is
having a paralyzing. rather than stimu-
/ lating effect. Newspapers sell more copies
! but the cost of making the ueWSpaDer In