THE EQUIPMENT OF WAR CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XX, 19 May 1900, Page 932

THE EQUIPMENT OF WAR CORRESPONDENTS.

“The equipment of a war eorrespoudent," says Robert Maehray, in his article on "Tlte Soldiers of the Press." which tippears in the April number of the "Windsor Magazine." "depends a good deal on the nature of the country where the tight is going on. whether the climate is hot or cold, and so forth. In the Russo-Turkish war ’each correspondent had a waggon.’ writes Mr Forbes, ‘a pair of draught horses. saddle horses. a couple of servants, and couriers at discretion. Tite late (1. \V. Steevens, inc one of his books, tells us that in tlie Greco-Turkish war he had ‘one dragoman, one canvass, two saddlehorses. two pack horses. saddle and bridle Turkish style, two pack saddles, brushes and currycomb. halters, hobbles. nose-

bag's. rope, two kitbags, a chair, a table, a fez. a waterproof sheet, towels, knives, folks, spoons, a few yards of waterproof canvas, a bed. a pillow, a quilt, a cartridge belt. water bottle. bucket, quinine, hypermanganate of potassium. fryingpan. teapot, japan ned dishes and plates, cups and mugs, two lanterns, a cheap watch, a thousand cigarettes, champagne, whisky and other liquids, hams and tongues, tea. sugar, cocoa, tinned beef, salmon ami herrings, sardines, salt, biscuits. Worcester sauce, cheese, Eno's Fruit Salt, corned beef,' and a great many other things besides—a sort of miniature edition, in fact, of the Army and

Navy Stores. It is a truly appalling catalogue, but Mr Steevens at the time was in Turkey, where the commissariat was of the most primitive character. The bicycle of the correspondent was first used in this war by Frederick \ illiers and Wilfri d Pol

lock. Mr Charles Williams, who has been a correspondent in eight campaigns. told me that he generally had with him three horses or three camels (the latter in the Soudan) for riding or for carrying baggage, as the case might be, and always two or three

servants. But, indeed, every newspaper man in the field has to be similarly equipped. He is not stinted as to means by his people at home, and is practically given a free hand to procure whatever he thinks desirable for the accomplishment of the ends in view. It used to be alleged that a certain great journal gave carta blanche to its representatives to order special trains or steamers ad libitum, if by doing so the transmission of important news would be facilitated. The statement may not be exactly true, as special trains and steamers are very expensive luxuries; but it is quite conceivable that, emergencies might arise in which a war correspondent would be justified in spending large sums of money in procuring intelligence. Steamers were hired by newspapers in the Cuban war. and were made free use of by American journalists. But. as a rule, the heaviest expenditure is connected with the telegraphing of the despatches themselves, though, of course, this depends on the distance. The telegraph bill of our great daily newspapeis reaches large figures even in times of peace, but during a war their outgoings under this head must lie simply enormous. The expenses incurred

by the war correspondents and their salaries can be but mere trities when compared with the cost of their telegrams.”