The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-13
SCOUT SYSTEM
4 WONDER TO MEXICANS
U. S. Commander Gets Information of Enemy Move
ments by Ailships, Wireless and Telegraph
Correspondents Having a Hard Time.

correspondents attached to Mexican
armies in the past or by the correspond
ents who were A Vera Cruz, let II he
understood that the blame should be
placed upon conditions and not upon the
Young men Who are marooned in the
headquarters amp OF this expedition.
The correspondents with Gen. Perish.
ing iorce are as ambitious q set Of
COPY producers as ever invaded any
country. but they are handicapped in
many directions. In the first place there
is "a censorship the most rigid ever i'm
posed by an American force.
The censorship was no doubt n mill.
tary necessity. n the correspondents
are fndins no fault with that or with
the censors. who have been most courte.
Gus, not to say %leuient, in the matter OF
caiiihg attention to apparent failures on
the part OF some If the correspondents
10 realize the necessity Of suppress,nR
sorne or the matter they had written into
their stories.
Inc trouble WAS not the reason that
much or the matter which might have
been written was not written. Tho
trouble rather lies with nj, si,aI c,ndl-
tons. The correspondents who travelled
WIN any or all of the evolutionary
armies OF Mesic6 or who went to Vera
Cruz when that Mexican port was occu.
pi"d by American forces in April. lglA.
nearly always were where they could
SET up their typewriters in houses in
which they could work in comfort. shel.
tered from the winds and the dus, and
where they had The advantage Of having
light FOR night work.
Nothing like that In this ii,,,e na-
"h'cn Ten. Pershing Is conducting. II
mas been explained In this correspond.
ehce that 1t seems to he the policy ~ the
Americans tai avoid entering any Of the
'""hs or villages which may lie In the
pain OF the expedition. This NAV he
done TO avoid ing the aensibil,.
Ties of the people or 20 safeguard against
the contracting OF disease of any kind
the . germs Of which might he fOund
Iurk'hg IN Inc walls OF the abandoned
Datlvc houses.
All OF this means to the orrespondent
thai he mus, set up his ypewrjter in
tine open and fight wind and dus, and
darkness while trying TO prepare COPY
Icr the millions OF newspaper readers
VINO depend upo him for news of this
npomentous campaign.
Another reason for the dearth OF copy
as compared with former military cam.
paigns Ia Mexico may be found in the
lack or facilities for getting the stuff
fr''n camp to Columbus. where there
are o unibe of telegraph wires to carry
All una reaches that point TO the news
paper offices OF the country. II !s true
there are wirelexs sets and a number OF
"buzzers, as ARMY telegraph instruments
are called. but they are needed for the
transaction OF The business OF the army
and the Government.
The censor has arranged for the car
rage OF 25o wogds " news per day
by wireless. which means that each cor.
respondent may send twenty-five words
each day 10 his paper. That Is all right
for flashes" OF important news. but will
not do much oward relieving the mind
Of the average correspondent OF its bur
den of what he nay he pleased - cal,
interesting dope and which he Is sure
a whole worldful Of readers is waiting.