"OUR WAR CORRESPONDENT"

NZ Truth, Issue 539, 16 October 1915, Page 4

"OUR WAR CORRESPONDENT"

WHAT'S BECOME OF MALCOLM ROSS?

Parliament haw adjourned without any miponsible Minister of the Crown, from the Premier down to Dr. Pomarc, KlvlrtK lo an inU-reHtvd community anything In tbo Khupo of ii Htnilghtforward und Muccltut history of the ciri-.umHtunco.s loudlng up to the uppohitment of New JieulancVs oHlciul tvii.r cprroKpondcnl, a Kcntlemun of the numu ot Mulcolm Ross. It is perfectly mn> that the Premier ha« had ample opportunltUiH of klvlhk *th« fucts. but for uomc unknown reiiHon whenever the subject ha« br-en broached m ParIhnnent repJlcu which cloud ihe Insuc. and iniikos confusion worms confounded, hnve been sfiven. and twhody m^c-imm uny the wlrtor. This paper, for Inntunce, i« not going the length of hukKOMtini; ilmt there la a poljtlcal scundal attached to the appointment In <iiu-tfifon. bul. conslderhiK the evtuivc roplicj given, and the unwUlafactory HtuicmentH made, tho conduulon that those Ih something behind the ttppolntmont. which ihoau making th« appointment doMlrc to kwi) «uM>r<!»»ert, «tom» juj*Uft(«d. Porhaps It will xwt be <lonloii ihai >sr. Mulcotm Ho»h. i»h the ofi llcial wur c()ri 4 c«|)ontk»ui, Ims not ju«---i tlrtod bin nppolnimont. und thij> unfor- ! lunait; fnct t.»»d« to nink^ mntt^rn WMr«e for nil concerned. «nd t!o«?« not cncriuraito what "Truth" l» pl«tt«eil to cult a «tn\i)thifurwuril oxplanntUjn.

\Vh«n the dutN-n of the olnelut war correspondent wcr«* published, thin pnpor mudc ll plain that U wa.s no!; (m hinncai and capable jminmlin! whet wa.* required. particularly tut It w««* «(>*<; JflcitUy sot forth that Lbo *uceo»*ful

"candidate" for (ho post was required to do what no cnmptiUmi and honetst journalist, who lived up lv the bum unU noblest tradition* of Juuinuliarn, would dream of doiuif. It umy have been that "Truth" ulmo had the vision of tho near, or It inißht have been wildly tfuc-BHing. when, porceivinjf that Mr. Malcolm Rosa wan In tho running. It vonlured to predict ilini. under tluMasscy CJovcrnmont. Mr, Malcolm Rosk would he firm, und tho rc«t nowhere. Of course, by a grent many It will be Imagined thai "Truth," m ao accurately forec*ißtlnpf whut did happ«n, xvim Hol/od of tho quallflaitlons and general e^miU'totuvv of Air. Malcolm Rohh for the- poHltlou, ftnd dlaregardod the atiilHU-rt of hl« competitors. "Truth" wun not no seized. It knew Mr. Mukulin ItoHM hrn v journnllMt. nnd al«o a little <.f hin Journiilistic capon*. Tho fact that tindvr ihu Maiutoy rt'jflmc ho hud received much consideration, that iho hud. been useful on many occa«lon», | pointed to ihd conclusion that one : quattneatian, vk, of bflnp on good icrm^ with ihv political puny In pow«r, would maud him m Kood «tead. "Truth," Iwwwt-r, wunin t« mtiko it jKTfrclly plain thni it \n not accui>lnfr 1 tho thon Oovi'mmrnt ut overlooking ' t)»t.« chilmrt of oilujra who Houuht lh<» : pojitliun. This p»p«?r Jk*ll»tVcm o»at had ! iho wdHoria! cunimlitoi' recommended I any particular c«ndhiatc« for the punt I that cnndldalc would Iwv* btrn B<-U*ot-I oit, Thecomnnitc* of editor,«t pructh[ally W(i tho Uovtrnment. or a MlniM<-i---i of ihv Crown, to choo*t v l^lw<r*»n Mr Maiooiui liu&i and another, ftnd at the cbaucv» W«r« not even. Inasmuch a*

Mr. Malcolm Ross possessed what is popularly termed "a political pull," he got the Job. * * * Since put to the test of proving what his qualifications are said to say he is, Mr. Malcolm Ross has had many strange vicissitudes. One of his first "dispatches" was a long rigmarole about the meeting of a father and mother with their wounded son somewhere m Egypt. It is hardly worth while recording that the father and mother and son were Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Ross and their soldier boy. It was a more or less pathetic little story, but of no particular interest outside the family circle of the Rosses. We learned that father and mother and son separated after this, and from that ] more or less historic dispersal of a literary family, Mr. Ross's troubles began. Incidentally, it might be observed at this stage, that "Truth," no doubt wildly guessing at the time, surmised [ that Mr. Malcolm Ross, as a journalist, did not usually display great literary ability, when another very capable literary person named Mrs, Malcolm | Rosa was not at his side. Indeed, we formed the opinion that it was to be regretted that the conditions of the I engagement of Mr. Malcolm Ross, as official war correspondent, did not permit Mrs. Malcolm Ross to assist her talented husband. Unfortunate us it is, "Truth" m this war correspondent business seems to have been unpleasantly prophetic. After the description of the | family gathering and the dispersal, we got some sort ;of story from Mr. Ross, jnr.. and "Truth" wishes to observe that m this instance the son eclipsed the father m the role of descriptive writer. Thrown on his own resources, Mr. Malcolm Robs next charmed New Zealand readers by Informing expectant mothers and fathers, yearning to learn of their sons' duty and devotion to Empire, that the celebrated lawn tennis champion, Anthony Wilding, of Christchurch, had "fallen, mortally wounded, at the Dardanelles. ■ Unhappily, the champion, tennis player died mortally wounded fighting for the British Empire m either France or Belgium, Since that rather inaccurate statement of fact, Mr. Malcolm Ross has been treated "very unfairly." *.'"■ * * .- ' Mr. Malcolm Ross, still drawing a big salary and larger expenses, has been heard of but little. Some editors In New Zealand have refused to touch his "dispatches/ The military officials seem to have entered into an unholy sort of .conspiracy to prevent him getting near the front, while the censor, whoever he is, whenever the opportunity has presented itself, has drawn a thick blue pencil through some very interesting narratives, and Mr. Malcolm Ross has become, generally speaking, a sort of journalistic nightmare to everybody, particularly the Masseyites. Indeed, if what has been stated is only half true, Mr. Mai- j colm Ross has been the victim of very cruel circumstances. All and sundry, particularly nasty people m authority, have not shown any disposition to take Mr. Malcolm Ross at his own value, or at the valuation of anybody else, not even the Massey Ministry of Maoriland. This is somewhat strange, too, bearing m mind the very curious fact that accredited newspaper correspondents like Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, of London, and Captain Bean, of Australia, have had every facility, every opportunity, and every Inducement to write war news and write It brilliantly. Why the set on poor Mr. Rosa? Why this discrimination between Australia und New Zealand, to New Zealand's detriment? The blue pencil of the censor supplies the reason. * * * Mr. Malcolm Ross, however, has been getting m some good work. In Parliament on Monday last, Mr. Massey, In j referring to our ill-starred war correspondent, read a short paragraph from an article which recently appeared m tho London "Times" weekly edition. It was headed "A Night Attack," and was from the well-.known English Press representative, Mr. E. Ashmend j Hartlett. Mr. Burtlett said thut he waa i indebted to Mr. Malcolm Ross, the New | Zealand official representative, for the details regarding the fight by the New Zealunders on August 0, 7. and 8. The point he was making, nald Mr. Massey, was that apparently, as they had been instructed, Mr. Ross was not expected to send any communications of value, I and on account of that he had evidently supplied Mr. Ashmead Eartlett with i some ot the very Interesting* informaI tion which was later cabled out to New Zealand. And this 1h fume! Our war | correspondent, so reduced, so situated, | unable to get his dispatches past the I censor, was compelled .to give his JournuliHtlc "scoops" to another. Mr. Ross, by the way! has not been noted for his generosity In that direction. Worse, however remains. Mr. Musuey, proceeding, said: Tho last odlclul communication they had received from Mr. Rosh was to ihe effect thut he, along with <>thor war correspondents, was bolrtg kept on an iHlnud. and only allowed on tho mainland oeaslonally. Members: What, Interned? Mr. MaKHuy: Practically that. . The urth'h'H wrilUm by him lint KtihmlitC'd to tho censors, and when thoy reueh 'New Zealand are of lilllo vului'. I thought members jihotiid know of ihftsc tliflleuhlea placed In the way of Mr. Horns. Dlflk-ultk'ti' "Truth" is surprised at the Hlinpltally of Mr. M;in>u\v. Malcolm Rush him bftm muzzled, for mtlUury or other reasuns. Mr. Mu.snoy nayi* our war eorroßuondeut la practically interned. Poor fellow. Why not Interee«l<s on hi* behalf und liavo him aenl home. It would be a allicht unvlnK to tho taxpayers.