The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-05
WAR NEWS CHOKES
VERA CRUZ CABLES
Thousands Of Words Filed
While Only Two Wires
Reach Mexican Port.
WOES OF CORRESPONDENTS
Many Difficulties In the Way
of Giving Information to
Outside World.
WOES OF CORRESPONDENTS
ny DUDLEY HARMON.

BY III DLEh HANMONs
soee,o, Correspondent Of THE suS with
Rear Admiral BddDer's Fleet.
VERA CRUz. Saturday, April 25.-If the
American newspaper men now in Vera
cruz were to have their way the United
states navy would postpone all Its opera
,ons on the Mexican coast until adequate
cable facilities could be provided.
The correspondents here are satisfied
that the events of this week will rank as
nigh as those OF the war with Spain In
news Importance, and consequently have
been most exasperated by the difficulty OF
Getting their reports communicated to the
outside world. Ard the perverseness of
the situation is that the cable facilities
at Vera Cruz are the best on the coast.
there being absolutely no means OF com
minication from Tampico to the United
states except by radio III Tampico Is
taken BY the feet. as is now expected, the
people at home will receive only the most
resrre accounts OF what takes place
untll full reports ran go forward by mail
The cable az Vera cruz works directly
with Galveston to the north and Mexico
city on the west OF its three available
wires, one Is a through wire from Mexico
city TO Galveston, controlled entirely by
the Huerta Government and without even
a connection at Vera Cruz and conse-
quently closed to the Vera Cruz Office.
Thus only two wires have been available
for the use OF the newspaper men. who
have had to share these limited facilities
with a tremendous amount OF official busi-
ness. personal messages and business COM
munications The influx of refugees from
the interior of Mexico has alone doubled
the business OF the cable office. as every
one OF them rushes to send word to the
states tina. they are safe and well.
1t has been proposed to cut of Mexico
city and take over the through wire for
the use OF Vera Cruz. but the American
authorities are afraid OF doing this as long
as any Americans remain In Mexico CITY,
and very properly 50.
There are about thirty newspaper cor
respondents In Vera Cruz to-day in addi-
ton TO the regulars stationed here. The
result is that at times the cable is fear
fully damned practically all the time. The
more important the news of the moment
and the more anxious every correspondent
10 that il reach his paper promptly the
worse is the jam. for the bigger the story
the more the majority attempt to spread
themselves In reporting it,
At times the cable operators are twelve
hours behind with the press dispatches
that Is, copy filed at in the morning. sup
pcsedly for the early afternoon editions.
sometimes barely gets through in time to
catch the editions Of next mornings pa
per. In addition to the constant jam on
the cable the correspondents have dlf-
ference Of time OF one hour and thirty-five
minutes against them. and transmission
usually requires about two hours. making
total loss Of almost four hours to start
with.
Each incoming warship or passenger
liner has brough; additions to the number
Of correspondents. With the arrival OF
each OF these men the situation regarding
the cable Is made worse for those who pre-
coded them and the late arrivals as well
IN fact. the pressure exerted by the spe-
Gals IS doubly that Of the representatives
If the press associations, as each special
man hopes TO make his showing by writ
ing more at length than the association
representatives
Ever since the first day OF attack. that
is, last Tuesday, the correspondents have
been working under censorship. This
~ hrs, was the greatest impeachment OF all
20 the work of the correspondents. but has
now developed into an aid to efficiency.
The day the attack was made the Mexican
Government had a censor on the cable
Office Capt, William X. Rush of the Utah.
IN chargc OF the first landing forces, seized
the cable station and Immediately closed
Il. making II impossible for several hours
that any messages be sent. Thereby hangs
the story OF how beat was scored for
one press association because Of Capt
Rush's action.
The Mexico city correspondent OF this
association learned from friendly officials
in Mexico city that the Americans had
landed at Vera cruz. this word being sen,
over thr wire while the cable Office re-
NAMED in the possession of the MeXicans
b. the use of a private personal code ht
Vas able to inform his New York Office
OF this fact. the message going over tn,
through wire from Mexico city to Cal
reston over which the Vera Cruz Office
mas no control. The correspondents a
Vera cruz. who had the whole story IL
'Aelr hands were unable to get wor,
'hrougn until Capt. Rush consented late II
ne evening TO the reopenng of the Office.
He assigned Commander Herman q
Stckney Of the Prairie to duty as censo
~ all messages out OF the Vera Cruz office
Commander Stickney also had other dr
les to perform, so remained on board tn
'rairic, whittier all press dispatches ha'
10 be sen, and approved by him and thel
returned TO the cable Office for sending
sometimes this procedure consumed tire
hours, "a delay which drove the CORE
srondents nearly frantic.
Their vigorous and united complaints OF
Wednesday, when n dozen more CORE
spondcpts arrived TO increase the pressur
IN the cable, resulted In Naval Construc
'or Richard y. Gatewood OF Admira
Badgers stan being assigned to the pos
Of cable censor. lie established hlmsel
IN the cable office, which was in Itself
great relief TO the correspondents.
After few hours on the job Mr.. Gate
God shu wed what he could do. He Gale
he correspondents into conference wit
him and notified them that II they did nc
-'on"" their dispatches 10 simplest an
MOST AhhInNlMleh form nOsslble he MOul