Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-29
"NEWS FROM THE FRONT. :"
The War Correspondent in the Bal
kan Conflict.

| From the New York Sun.
| The late Matthew Arnold once INDUCED
| in this stroke of satire at the expense Oh
| great man: "Dr. Russell OF the Times
was preparing to mount his war nurse.
You know the sort Of thing-he mas de-
scrfbed it himself over and over again.
Bismarck at his horses head; the crown
prince holding his stirrup, and the Ola
King of Prussia hosting Russell into the
saddle" Mr. William Maxwell, one or
the guild in this modern day OF illusions
shattered and hopes frustrated, tells the
story over again in the Nineteenth Gen.
tury to contrast the glory that was with
the humility that is. The war corre-
spondent, and there remain some battle
SCARED veterans who have memories, Is
passing. "For the first time since 1904,
saws Mr.. Maxwell, fresh from futility IN
the Balkans, "a war is In progress from
which newspaper correspondents are ex-
cluded.'' He is brave enough to JUSTIFY
the exclusion. Russell was not TIED 10
the end of telegraph wire ana oea
scribed battles In his most deliberate
English after they were fought: Inc
enemy could not profit by his observa-
lions. A campaign might be over When
they get into type Today the ae a an.
Is for news "hot from the WIRE, and I'M
less the correspondents reports were un-
sympathetically censored he would De
menace to any army that permitted nm
to go near the front. In the Balkah war
the correspondents, the great nero OF
them, have had to cool their heels at
the rear An exception was made in the
case of Lieut. Hermenegild Wagner by
the Bulgarans for obvious reasons.
The Turks have allowed experienced
correspondents a certain latitude; 1t was
rendered abortive by the censor, how
ever The war has not been reported on
either side, and the truth about 1t whl
probably never be told. Long ago II
est for the outside world. Even the gen
eral STATS of the great powers would
like to know more about the operations
than they have learned.
With no intention to let correspondents
see any real fighting. the Bulgarian au-
thorities, fearful of adverse public opin-
ion in the European press, issued permits
to- all applicants, amateurs and pretend
ers as we'll as veterans. Later about
dozen experienced men were sent on from
headquarters at Stara Zagora to join the
army at the front. The censors took
care of them. All dispatches were re-
duced to fnnocuous commonplace and
sometimes the remnants were not put
on the wire at all. But to mislead the
Turks the Bulgarian press agent was in
cited to telegraph such fictions as the
desperate combat at Kirk Kilisseh. which
Mr.. Maxwell says was never defended at
all. The capture OF 10000 Turks with
hundreds of cannon was a shameless IN
vention, for which headquarters was re-
sponsible. Mr.. Maxwell tried to get the
truth through. and when he asked the
censor why he permitted the informed cor
respondents to send what you know to
be les the reply was:
I'VE accept no responsibility for the
news Of correspondents. We are here
getting abroad that might help our enemy.
1t is no part of our duty to stop lies that
may help to demoralize the enemy
The plight of the correspondents held
at Stara Zagora would have touched a
heart of stone. They were being beaten"
by the press agent at the front. while
headquarters was lying to them unblush-
ingly Often their news of slaughter and
capitulation had no basis OF fact, and
again the battles they fought had not
even begun. The Bulgarians did not want
these correspondents near the front, as
was quite natural, but added outrage to
injury by deceiving them. In justifca-
ton OF the restraint Mr.. Maxwell is fair
enough to say:
''The army that would have given any
sort of liberty to the horde OF men who
claimed to be correspondents would have
been mad. and have gone to certain dis
aster and Disgrace
The Turks did not exercise SO much re-
straint on the correspondents. and ex-
perenceS with the army in defeat and
rout, and plague stricken and desperate,
have been reported faithfully. But that
is about all. Whether the profession Of
war correspondents has future depends
upon the attitude of military authorities
that have to deal with the question from
time to time. 1t is evident that only ex-
perenced and responsible men need apply,
and those finally accepted will have to
submit to restriction Of their movements
and to rigid censorship. The Japanese
solved the problem with intelligence, firm
ness, and yet with consideration, as Mr.
William Maxwell testifies gratefully.