The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-12
War Correspondents of
 Early English Papers

The war correspondent, as we know
 Sim, is comparatively modern in- novation, and there are indications that he has already passed his golden age and is declining in importance. Military Correspondents of a sort, how
 ever, there have been since the found- ing of the Fourth Estate. In the early
 days of journalism these scribes were
 usually soldiers, who volunteered to
 contribute to the news sheets ac-
 counts of battles in which they had iparticipated.
 It was 294 years ago today that Nathaniel Butter issued the first num-
 ber of his London. Weekly News,
 which contained the first war cor respondence ever printed in the Eng fish language. This was during the period of the Thirty Years War, which began in 1918 and ended in 164s. Butter proposed to "continue weekly by Gods assistance" to pro- vide his readers with news from the best and most certain intelligence" :" Much of the space in the little paper ! was devoted to war news. The publi- cation appeared weekly when import
 ant events were taking place on the continent, but during a truce, or when winter put an end to military opera tions, the paper was often suspended. Scores of other news sheets were pub
 lished in London during that period.
 but few of them made any pretense
 to regular appeafance, but were print ed only when tidings of, importance
 had come to hand.
 The war correspondence of this i period was written in what seems to
 us a very quaint style. One soldier
 correspondent concluded his report of affairs in the warning nations with this somewhat lengthy sentence:
 ''In this manner stands the affaires of Europe, which I cannot compare
 better than to a wounded man, newly
 drest, and in great danger of life. so that until his second opening. and ! taking the aire, the surgion himselfe
 cannot tell what will become of him:
 but if you, gentle Reader, affect to
 understand (by Way of indulgencie and desire of his ll-doing) <the state
 of his health & body, vii myselfe att i tend the next dressing. & according to the effect of the surgery certifie you, what hope there is of recovery, that is to say. if ever these commanders take the field; those threatening arm les meet one another; these prepared Horces make any encounter; and these martial affairs come to deciding, I will come toward you W ith honest in- formation, and not hide my talent in ia napkin, but acquaint you with as much as falls to my p core portion to know"
 Another military correspondent of ,1622 concludes his epistle in this wise:
 "Now, courteous Reader, having heard the truth of the matter. moder- ate your griefs. and do not discourage a young brave warrior. by lamenting for some small loss by him sustained seeing also that commonly the Issues of battailes and warlike actions are variable and fnconstant. and that many times 1t happeneth, that those that the one day have the worst, the next day have the better hand"
 Another soldier. thus ends his com mun1eation:
 And thus, sir, end q long letter, wherein have dilated the discourse. by attempting to give the reasons of each motion, and to describe the per- sons and places. to give light to the storissI which you shall do well toI ksep by you. for it will make you