The Star. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1918. THE WAR CORRESPONDENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12405, 24 August 1918, Page 8

The Star. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1918. THE WAR CORRESPONDENT.

It is an extraordinary thing that tno first account of the part the Now Zealand soldiers took in tho British offensive under General Byng should he received from Mr Gordon Gilmour, and not from the official war correspondent, Mr Malcolm Ross. It was known 10 the public that the New Zealanders were concerned, as they were a. part of General Byng’s Army, and it iniaht reasonably be expected that tho official war correspondent would get a chance of cabling his story through.' It was on llmrsday last that wo published a cable message from Mr Ross detailing a lew minor operations in which the New Zealanders were concerned, evidently in preparation for the advance. Tho message was dated August 19, and it conveyed tho nows of the front up to August 18. Yot when tho real advance begins, and our hoys gain all their objectives, the official correspondent is silent, and wo are indebted to Mr Gilmour for tho story of the battle. H is this sort of occurrence which has drawn protest after protest from New Zealand editors, who have been forced to the conclusion that the game is not worth the candle as far as messages from Mr Ross aro concerned. He is being consistently “beaten” by other correspondents, and when his messages do come to hand they have deprcci itcd in what is known as “ news value.” Representations have been made to those iu authority—the New Zealand Government employs and pays Mr Ross —but the same old process is repeated every time there is anything worth telling. We cannot lay the blame on the shoulders of Mr Ross, who is x sound and energetic pressman. He has to contend with many difficulties, not tho least of which is the irritating delay of bis messages. The Government, however, should have enough influence to see that ho is given a fair field, even if it cannot command any favours for him. The present position is entirely unsatisfactory. "We get stories of the fighting from var.mts sources, but few of them deal specifically with the New Zealanders. Mr Gilmour, a smart young pressman, a New Zealander himself, and the representative of an Australian and New Zealand news agency, gets his messages through fairly promptly. Mr Malcolm Ross should have at least equal facilities, and as he cannot persuade the authorities the Government should do it for him.