The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1915-08-27
tlons. Sbrude observers are beginning
to estimate the enormous losses in con
nection with the possible supply and de.
mand. &
the War NEWS.

THE WAR NEWS.
Perhaps one Of the most difficult things
for men to do is to look ct things With
unpreiudiced eyes-when they are pre-
jadiced.
Dust now there is and has been for
ia year, . great war going on. Alwest
everybody is looking at the progress Of
that war With q certain amount Of sym
pathy for one side or the other. The
only source of news to most people 10
what they read in the daily and weekly
press.
T As q result Of this phase Of human
nature the spoken criticisms Of the press
news are coloeed very largely by the
prejudices Of the readers.
OF course, under the circumstances
which surround the transmission Of news,
there is room for criticism all right.
Practically al war news comes through
England and France and is "cepsored"
by them. Much Of the news is suppress
ed, on the plea that its publication would
be of benefit to the enemy. Undoubted.
ly some of the news would so be, but .
large part of the suppressed news might
just as we'll be given to the world first
as last.
But many readers, particularly Of those
whcse q, mpathies are with the Germans,
insist that the news q given are manu.
factured lies purposely given out ;to in.
aencs public sentiment.
In this criticism, after years read
ing of press dispatches we cannot agree.
Allowing for mistakes, and the probable
prejudices and means Of information by
correspondents, the dispatches on the
whole give a very fair idea of what is go.
ing on. In fact, while it might be pos
sible to distort the first news, it would
bs Of no permanent benefit to lie about
it as later the truth is sure to be known.
In this war business, even if the dis.
patches say something wrong, the map
will always tell the truth, IN the long
run.
But from strictly newspaper point of
view, there as been only the desire of the
editors to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth as they are,
able to get it. That is the Newspaper of
it. That is the true newspaper instinct,
What the reporter want, what the editor
wants, what people want is the news,
and ali of it.
The only real note of prejudice shown
by the daily papers is by headlines and
editorial 3matter. 1t is easy almost any
day to fine something in the dispatches
that ls more favorable to one s1de than
the other, and the big scare headings
can be set accordingly, but the reader
will find that the dispatches themselves
are practically identical in any half dozen
dailies that he may pick up on that day.
They all publish what they can get.
The point Of viex does make differ
ence in the way that the story is told,
but after all the main facts will show for
themselves, no matter how prejudlced
the reporter.
There has never been any doubt all
through the war of the general progress
Of the different armies for any consider.
able length of time. There have been
differing accounts OF battles and Of many
other incidents, some Of which have not
yet been settled. But we have oil learn.
cd to discount the numbers Of prisoners
taken on both sides, and the effect Of
merely local successes.
We are getting the news pretty we'll,
in spite Of censors, and the fact that the
earlier news comes through English and
French sources.