Imperial Valley press., 1914-06-12
WILL CHECK WAR
CORRESPONDENT
(BY william g. Shepherdl }

Vera Cruz, Mexico, June 1.-(ByI
Mail to New York)-If war comes
il won't be a secret war. There will
be no hidden monstrous things bur-
led in the archives of the War Depart.
'ment away from the sight and know
ledge of the American people. This
much in respect of the question of
publicity, has been decided by Secre-
tary Garrison. The white light of
American journalism is to be con-
stantly fixed on the American army
in the field, and the scrutiny of the
correspondents is not to be limited in
any way. 1t is realized in Washing
ton that more of the possibilities of
war scandal lurk in secrecy than in
full publicity and the general, in a
Mexican campaign, who tries hiding
facts or conditions will find himself
accountable to Washington.
But this doesn't mean that the Amer
lean public is to get its news hot from
the front. In fact, it won't. The
truth is that in the game of war un-
der the newest rules war correspond
ants aren't wanted. War colleges,
great European tacticians, strategy
boards-all the men and organizations
in civilization, who lay down the rules
for warfare, agree that war CORES
pondents ought not to have a place
in the game at all. In the English
army war correspondents have no
standing; they are not given passes
even for the annual maneuvers. The
same is true in Germany and France.
| The vote of army men is unanimous
| that the war correspondent is danger
| Gus, and must be done away with, as
far as possible.
The United States, however, if war
comes with Mexico, is going to try
| 4 new tack. The War Departments
plan is to permit war correspondents
to accompany the army but to place
| them in the rank of officers, subject
to the slightest orders and wishes of
| The commander.
The hob that an observant and un-
! checked war; correspondent can raise
in war time is tremendous, in
these days Of the wireless. The small
est facts which he might send to his
paper in some distant city regarding
The movements or whereabouts of
forces, is sure to be seized upon, when
it is published, by some agent of the
enemy, who will send the news around
the world, if necessary to get it to
the enemy.
The only way to check the war cor
respondents, is by censorship, and so
every word the war correspondent with
| the army writes for the cable, every
letter he writes home, to his mother,
his sweetheart or his managing edi-
tor, will be passed upon by censor.
On the other hand, the new regula-
tions for war correspondents, provide
that they may move about as they
please inside the American lines and
they particularly specify that, after
the war is over and there is no further
need Of keeping facts from the enemy
the correspondent may cut loose and
write as he pleases.
The specifications provide, particu-
larly, that war correspondent may
| entertain whatever opinions he pleases
during warfare and that the specifca-
lions, are not to be taken as meaning
any interference with free thinking
and full and complete note taking.
Incidentally, no correspondent who
starts out with a field army, is to be
permitted to return to the United
States, without special permission of
the war department. This is to pre-
vent any correspondent from yielding
his place at the front in order to get
back to the United States with
story that might aid the enemy.
Grouchy, critical, dyspeptic men,
who are inclined to think that the best
kind of stories is the kind that criti-
cizes and who throw the yellow light
Of bilious fault-fnding instead of the
white light of truth on the activities
in the American camp, aren't wanted
Fellows of this sort will be weeded out
before credentials are given.
jolly optimistic, good natured, heal
thy-minded, sensible, strong bodied
young men, who know that war is
war and that general must win, even
if battle does turn into rough and
tumble fight, in which rules must be
thrown to the winds and everything
done to succeed-they're the kind of
men who make the best war CORES
pondents. They wind up, at the fin
ish, with the best stories, the moss
t,11fh onJ tIo hoct