WAR REPORTERS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1716, 18 January 1905, Page 14

WAR REPORTERS

A PLEA THAT THEIR PRESENCE WOULD PREVENT BARBARITIES. (Landora “Daily News.”) Of the wounded Japanese who fall into Russia’s hands, and the unwounded as well—excepting those who are caught playing the spy—l can speak with confidence, and say that they are well treated. I had an Asiatic servant for a while who had been a hearer in the fighting line, and though he was not in any way overburdened with love for the Russians, he bore testimony to their unfailing kindness to their enemies when the latter fell into their hands. Most of us can remember bow misdhiefmakers on the Continental press tried during the Boer war to make the world believe that we ill-treated the enemy’s wounded, holding us up to the scorn and contempt of humanity. We have proved it false to the whole world since, but we have not yet forgotten our traducers. -It will do us no harm to remember this as the present war goes on. I know that the strictest orders have been given by officers of the highest rank to the troops to deal kindly with the wound®! after an action. That many terrible deeds will be done in hot blood on both sides there can he but email room to doubt. When men get to the crossing of bayonets all that is devilish in their blood is apt to come uppermost. At that stage a man is no better than a tiger, and many tigerish deeds may he expected. But in cold blood Ido not believe that the Russians will lay rough hands upon the fallen.

To explain just what I mean, let me say that I should not cane to be in the enemy’s trenches when a regiment of the Highland Brigade or the Grenadiers or the Dublin Fusiliers stormed in with the bayonet. At the same time, I do not think I should have an atom of tear of what might happen later if I lay in those trenches among the wounded. Yet it must be admitted that one of the great safeguards of civilisation has been removed since the war correspondents of the world have been prevented from going into the firing line to see lor themselves what happens. At present the world has to take a general’s word for it that he did not at any time behave like a fiend to helpless foes, and ex parte evidence is never of a thorou 6hjy satisfactory character. Commanders complain that cabled news may upset their plans. Well, stop the cables; but let the Letters go; let one man from each journal of repute look on and chronicle the things to be seen, and many a deed of unnecessary savagery will he prevented by the mere presense of the pressmen, for no nation can afford to stand before the world devoid of honour, of chivalry or of mercy.

In the interests of the wounded oxen who fall in battle I think this pornt should be taken up by the whole world’s press, for the exclusion of the war correspondent- from the field of battle is a step backi/ard toward darkness, not from a me'-.e news-gatherer's point of view, but in the interests of humanity. The press that only desires cable news to increase it® circulation may very well be dismissed, either on the score of humanity or utility, but the unemotional priests that is content, as of old time, with dispassionate letters, should not be kept from the scene when events that are likely to effect the world at large are impending