grzine,
38nse,
THE HONG KONG
WHAT TO BELIEVE IN WAR NEWS.
BY
H. Belloc..
& map.
TELEGRAPH.
EXTRA
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1915,
A TERRIBLE REVENGE.
For Germans Holsting, Dead Officer on Bayonets,
to the
CONTEMPORARY OPINION.
Facts to be Faced.
The following leading article was clipped from the Globe of March 23..
changed." That reply has been the rallying cry for all those who have concerned themselves sape- cially with the morality of the population, with the result that our law on the subject of legiti macy now differa from that of other civilized almost every country, and even from that obtaining in the northern part of our own ialind. Whether in consequence English morality is noticeably superior to Scottish, we shall not attempt to determice, but it will be admitted that no general conclusions drawn from the experience of normal times can apply to those in which we now find ourselves.
It is difficult to discuse" this subject without offence, but it is absolutely necessary that it should be faced. There is at this mo mont an enormous, an altogether unprecedented, amount of in- oipient motherbood among the of the population, and, as
man to distinguish in his news of
Our troops succeeded in cross-are of litle service and my al- The war what is true from whating the Bzon river at such and most be neglected. Bat the Gar- is falee, and so arrive at a sound such a village and established man onea are numerous, extended opinion? After some months of themselves upon the right back." and precise, and it is our par atudy in connection with my work | In such a case the reader will be tisalar basiness to judge them so. upon the three campaigus, I may wise to believe the German comicurately if we are, to auderstood be able to suggest certain waye munique sad to takait for granted the wor, for when, or if, they tell in which such a position should that while the Russians have re the truth it is from them that we be approached.
pelled certain other attempts of learn what would otherwise be The "Petit Marseillain" pub-
Whea in the Middle Ages the In the first place, the bases of the enemy to cross, this attempt bidden.
lishes a grim story of the war in first serious effort was made to all sound opinion are the official has succeeded. But if the Ger- Well, in my judgment, these the Vorges narrated by an officer reform the English law which commaniques r
read with the aid of mans go on to say, "The Rus- official German commaniques are of the Onasseura Alpins,
forbide the legitimising of children A French lieutenant set out in born out of wedlock by the sabe' Biage retired after suffering losses in the main remarkably exact, When I say "the official com which cannot have been less than and I believe it is possible to say the dawn to locate the enemy'sequent marriage of the patents, Now if during the course of a muniques" I do not mean those of 20,000," that is not news at all. why they are so exot. The Gar-telephone station. Leaving his the Barons of England returned The following article by Mc. H. Belloc appeared in Pearson's Ma- great war men coms quite to male- the British Government alone, It is obviously oppipoture. man General Staff makes war in own trench, he crawled forward the famous answer, "Nolumus
judge its very nature, the task of nor even of the Allies alone, but of
The various governments tasuta purely mechanical fashion. It unaccompanied as far as the leges Anglim mutari We other day there came a the Government would be strain all the belligerents. You must reading the communiques have ac- gravely exaggerates, as do all approaches
Garman will not have the laws of England message to London from Italy, ed some time or other in the impartially the communiques of quired certain babite in them modera North, Germans, the oal-lines. He was allowed to come solemnly delivered in printer's future to breaking point, Fuleo the Austro-Hungarian and of the which are worth noting if one is valable element in human office, up to them and was shot dead. ink and repeated in nearly every news, to readily credited, does German governments together attempting to get at an accurate. It is obvious that if you get When the light grew stronger the newspator, that the town of Cra- not leave, people merely in with those of the British govern view of the war, and these habite reputation for exactitude, your Germans hoisted the corpse on cow was invested, that the bom-sufficiently informed, conscious ment and its Allies, or you will
may be briefly described as falsehood, where it pays you to their bayonets for his comrades bardment had begun, and that of their ignorance, and merely certainly miss the truth. By follows:
tell the falsoboad, will be the to 800. grumbling because they cannot which statement I do not mean that The British Government pub more likely to work. The re Without.an order or a word of part of the city was in flames,
Cincow is the key of Silesia, learn more, it bag the positive each government is equally alishes, short notes of advances markable general accuracy of the boy kind the entira French com and Silesia in the Lancashire of effect of putting them into the parale, atill lose equally full in made or of positions maintained, official German communiques pony leaped from its tronobes and Prussia. The successful invest-wrong frame of mind, of making its relation; but that, unless you but very rarely refers to the los cannot be due to any other obrushed forward. The attack was ment of Cracow would certainly them support what they should compare all the statements of this ing of ground. It pablishes casual joo. It cannot be due to a mere so sudden and impetuous that the bring the war to its last phase, not support, and neglect what eart, you will have most imperfectty lists, which are, of course, not love of trash, for the same govern- wire entanglements were broken And that phase, one bringing rapid they should not neglect.
evidence; just se you would have complete till very long after the meal deliberately circulates to its dora, and all the Germans in the Unfortunately, public authori very imperfect evidence in a court events wherein the casualties own provincial press and to trench were bayoneted, the bodies victory to the Allies,
But Oracow was not. invested;ty, which possesses and rightfully of law if you only listened to the were incurred. It supplements certain neutrale, stories which of 210 of the enemy being found no que had bombarded it. The exercisce so much power in the prosecution and refused to listen the short cammusiques, and this cannot in the nature of things be in it later.-Central News. whole thing was, fantastic non-way of censorship that is, in the to the defence. Now, these official by a mers or less expanded nar- true. Nor is this inaccuracy the way of limiting information has communiques have certain things rative written by an official de- result either of haste or Of mach for one particular lule power to correct false in in common by whatever govern puted for that purpose and giving stupidity, it is very intelligent
chosen in order to deceive, al. newspaper report," which had formation. The Censor receives a ment they are issued. There are accounts, often graphic, necessari and obviously deliberate. nothing to distinguish it from message, saying that at the excertain features in them which ly of no military value, that is, When, therefore, a German though the figures may be so other telegrams and news, and pense of heavy, los General So- you will always find although for following the campaign. For communique tells
untrash curate. For instance, under the which millions of people must and-30'a brigade, composed of the they come from natures as differ if these narratives were of that that untruth "is deliberate title prisoners," the Germans Doxnehires and the Blankshires, ent as those of a Prassion staff kind the object of the osasorship and upon an effective scale, include all wounded men picked Every one of the readers of rapelled the enemy upon such officer and a Servian patriot,
would be defeated.
aud we have to obsider what up, all civilians which in this these lines will be able to recall and such a front, but that 300 Thear common features we may
objet it bas, if we are to under- singular war are carried away into other instances of the same kind. men are missing from the brigade tabulate thus: "
atand the news. We may take captivity, and, probably, when it masses I have before me as I write exat the end of the action. If he
it that the object is nearly always is to their interest to swell the in so many other cases, the war tract after extract of that sort. Ia allows this piecs of uewa to go
domestic and political. Romam number of osptured, they include compels us to set aside all pre- one, Roulera has been retaken through at all he must even so
ber that these official Germen certain numbers of the dead. In conceived ideas and prejudices in another, Lille is reoccupied; refuse to allow any mention of
falsehoods, countersigned by the the same way they will talk of and address ourselves simply to in another (a much earlier one), the names of heregiments, cftheir
General Staff and the Gorern the capture of Verdan, and not the practical needs of the time, It the Germone are at Pont Oise. strength, of the place where they
ment, are as rare as they are infrequently include such of their is terrible to think that in the next were fighting, and the numbere
solid. They do not slip in. They own pieces as a re-advance has re- generation there will be thousands who should be able to speak with of those who are missing.
are not vague or led up to by discovered upon the field. doubtful phrases.
pride of the father who lought and bled for England in the greatest of her wars, but who," it the law remains unaltered, will only be able to refer to their origin with shame. It is even more ter- rible to think of the expectant mothers to whom will come no joy, but only black despair, when they bear a child to the man at the front, the meo, their men, who will gladly marry them if they come back sile and sound. No one can be les desirons thm our selves of a;ing anything which could weaken the sanctity of marriage, but there is a human 88 well as an ecclesiastical point of view, and in this matter we do not fear to ask even for the favourable consideration of the Church.
have read and believed..
Sometimes there accounts ap- pear in long and detailed descrip tions proceeding from the pens of men who are fairly well known in Fleet Street, and who have the courage to sign their names.
Why must the Ceneor rot thus? Because this information would be of the utmost value to the enemy. The enemy, remem There has, perhaps, never been ber, does not ever quite know a great public ocession in regard what is in front of him. Indeed, to which it was more necessary the whole of military history cua that men should form a sound sista in the story of men who ara judgment, and yet there has cer-successful because they can gauge tainly not been one in our time better than other men the force прод
which the materials for such which they have to meet. a judgment have been more con- Now if you let him know that fosed.
on Fuah-and-sach an occasion the The importance of a sound force that he met upon sucb-and- public judgment upon the pro-such a front was a brigade of in- gress of the war is not always faniry, and if you let him know clearly appreciated. It depends its composition, and if you do this apon truths which many men kind of thing with regard to the have forgotten, and upon certain army in general, you end by let- political forces which, in the ting him know two things which ordinary rush and tumble of pre- be particularly wants to know, fessional politics, are quite for and which it is all your duty to gotten. Let me recall those prevent him knowing. You let truths and those forces,
him know the size of the force in front of him, and you let him know its composition.
The truths are there that no government can effectively exer- gise its power save upon the basis
(8) Places named as occupied by the forces of the Government in question are really occupied. To invent the occupation of a town or point not in one's own banda would serve no purpɔ90.
It would not deceive the enemy and it would not long support opinion at home. Thus, when Lodz was reported occupied by the Germans in the middle of Decembar, all caraful students of the war knew perfectly well
that the news was true.
[
16
The Belgiso verament at the beginning of the war allowed very fall accounts to go through and permitted the presence of correspondents at the front itself. That phase is now over and doos not immediately concern ns.
The French Government is by far the most reticent. It occasion ally mentions the captare of a colour, but it publishes no casus!
It may be added in conclusion ty lists, no account of the field Let me take two of them. that while German communiques guns taken by French troops, and Scarborough was officially des rarely wander into conjecture, only now and thea hints at the oribel as a fortified port, like when they do they are idiotic, and number of prisoners. It ie, Sheerness or Cherbourg. That exactly the same reason has made however, minutely accurate and takes one's breath away. Bat German diplomats wholly mis- (b) Nambers, when they are quot even detailed in helping us to monstrous as it is, it is not chil- understand the mind of Europe ed in connection with a really locate the fluctuations of the dish, because it was intended to immediately before the war. A a certainable fact, and with ra front, and by the aid of the French give to the public that read it at German induction apon some gard to a precies and concrete communiques we can follow the home a certain effect which was, thing other than material elements is worthlese, and you see it circumstance, are nearly alwaye war upon the map better than by in fact, produced. reliable; though their siguito the aid of any other. In its en Sɔ successfully was that effect nowhere more than in the careful ance differs, as I shall show in trol of the Press the French produced that a competent milit bat often useless, though mo a moment, vary greatly accord General Saff is absolute. Thereary critic in the German Prase, aumental, work of German bis ing to the way they are treated. has been nothing like it before, writing the day after, had already torians, who will accumulate a Thus, if a government esya, and it has been perfectly access got the idea that Scarborough mass of facts greater in number in auoh-and-such a place or ful. You will see whole colamas was the most important naval than those of the eoholare of any on such-and-such a day we took eat out of the newspapers in base upon the East Coast, We other nation, and then will draw 3,000 prisoners," it is presum-France and left blank, ao certain must remember when we rand conclusion quite shamefully ably telling the truth, for she are the military authorities of that such things that very faw edaost absurd; conolusions which, dar enemy who has lost those pri- country that the most vigorous ed men out of a thousand in ouring the last fo y years, have
The War Office has rightly soners knows it as well as they censorship is vital to modern war. 07a country could give the names uenelly bean followed by the do. But estimates of what has There is lastly to be noted in con- of the fried naval bases upon, dons of our own universities. decided to recognise the position happened in the way of num- nection with the French com- say the Adriatic, or even the At-
There is one last element for of the "namarried wife" in the bere, where the government is musiques, especially after the lantic coast of France.
the formation of a sound opinion matter of separation allowance. aning the estimate can have po first two months of the campaign, Another example of the same on the war which must be men- May we not expect that excep Similar ressone make the Can or hide from the enemy the num-
direct knowledge, are quite a remarkable frankness with re-thing in a rather different line is tioned at the end of this, and that tional legislation should provide another matter. These are gard to the occasional giving of the illumination of Berlin, the is the private evidence which for the status of the child? Many of public opinion, government ber of men missing. The coemy,
only gathered from prisoners ground by their own troops. The giving of a holiday to the school occasionally but rarely comes of these unions are as permanent can exeroise its power over a so- knows if he has taken in prisoners quered province in spite of public wounded and uewounted 250
o from spice, and are often theory is that the enemy will children and the official proclama- through. Here there is no guide as any which have been made ridiculously wrong.
know this in any case, as the tion of a great and decisive but that of one's own experience with the blessing of the Church. opinion, but it cannot work, save men, and, for all he knows, that (0) All official communiques of position is secure, details of the victory in Poland during the in travel, or that of one's own or the sanction of the Registry for a short time and at an encrmis, excepting the dead, your total ous cost in friction, counter to the 1998; but if you pablish the fact
whatever government conceal sort, though adverse, lead strength course of the second battle for knowledge of the newspaper or Once, but many will never be. opinion of those with whom it is that you have lost a thousand men,
reverses, save in miner points. to the general narrative. In all Warsaw, en aotion which had al- the authority printing it. The legalised at all if the stain of They are wise to do this bathie it must be remembered, of ready lasted a fortnight, which occasions apon which each evid illegitimacy cannot be removed concerned as citizens and suf- be is accurately informed of a porters. By which I do not mean weakness in your present die-
cause there is no need to tell course, that the French Govern- was destined to last for many ence is available are very infre- from the child. We say nothing that party politicians cannot set position, which he otherwise
the enemy more than he may ment, and, at this moment, the more days, and which remained quent, but when they do come the against the general principle of know of his own sacosse. Re-French Army, is far more power at that time utterly undecided.
evidence is far more valuable than the English law, nor do we ask thus in peace, and appa as-would not suspect."
verses not actually denied. fal than any newspapers propriot- According to fairly reliable ac- any official communique. Let me that legitimisation by subag rent important matters. I mean that All this action of the Censor is no kind of government has ever as wise as it in nccessary, but in
They are omitted. Witness all or or other capitalist, and it is counts of what was passiog in quote as an example the letters marriage should be made the been able to act thas in a crisis. the face of false news he is in an
omission of Lemberg from well for any nation at war to be Berlin at the moment, the Govern from Hungary which appeared to universal rule. It could not we Austrian or German communi- able to say that It is also wise to keep the mass other phaition. In the first place,
ment was under some necessity the Morning Post upon various believe, do any real harm to the quee and, until somewhat late, of people in ignorance of disastere it is difficult for him to judge it
The Russian Government is ao of acting thus because the begin- occasions during the autumn and national morality if the Scottish that may be immediately repaired, (unless, of course, it concerns our
Tannenberg ia Bassian, of curate and, if anything, a little ning of popular, anrest had ap early winter. They were quite system were adopted for these
invaluable.
couples in which the man is oa Metz in French official accounts, too terse in what it communicates peared. But whatever the cause, or of follies or even vices in own partioalar forces). In the Those are the three points to the public, but its censorship my point is that these German Lastly, ons might add for those active service, and it would bring government which may beredress second place, it may not concern which all the official communiques is fer, less strict than that of the inaccuracies when they occur, who have the leisure and the endless comfort to thousands of od before they become dangerous matters which the enemy can have in common and by bearing Franch or even the English. Thus which is rarely, are easily distin confidence, the use of the foreign women whose error is condoned It is always absolutely wise to possibly ignore. For instance, in them well in mind we can often during the fighting round Lodz guishable. They stand out from press capecially the French and in the minds of almost all, by the prevent the enemy in time of war this example of the supposed in. frame an accurate piolure, in spite in defence of Warsaw at the by the rest of the sober narrative by the German. It is biassed, as is social upheaval brought about by from learning things which would vestment of Orscow. The Rus- of the apparent contradiction and ginning of December, correspond. their conspicuous nonsense. They our own, and often belated in the warmt be an aid to him. That is the sians were certainly approaching confusion which the reading of ente from Petrograd were allowed do not disturb the judgment of news, The Gorman Press in reason why a strict censorship in the place. The news might con several communiques one after to telegraph the most flambuoyant careful reader. They should not particular suffers from the caloal- War Names for Horses. time of war is not only useful but ceivably be true. If it were true, the other produces,
The King has given the name. descriptions of an immediately prevent our continuing to collate ated policy of the Government of ementially and drastically noses the enemy would already be amp. For instance, the Ge mins are approaching German retreat most closely Gorman statements the German Empire, which at of Neuve Choy Sunstar ra mary Bat though public opinion, ly acquainted with it, and it
this
moment believes it to be of yearling filly by Prim even in time of peace, is only in would be of a nature not to aid trying to cross the Baura river ac- which never took place. But, I in detail with those of the Allies,
ording to the Russian com- repeat, the official Russian news if we
if we wish to understand the war, service to stimulate publio con Nao. The name of St. Eloi has part informed, and though in him, but to discourage him. But manique of Saturday. Next is sober and restrained and ac There is one other point which Adence of victory in every possible been given by Mr W. M. Singer time of war it may be very in the news was, in fact, untrue, and, Wednesday the Russian com- curats to a fault.
I have already alluded to briefly, manor. Nevertheless, unless to his chestnut colt by Torpoint and with it you govern. Without being untrue, its publication did munique say#, two attempts to When we turn to the enemy e Rufficiently informed, yet upon it
in which German communiques you do follow fairly regularly the-Lily of tho Valley. Whitby oross the Bzura at such and such communiques, wa, note fitar that may mislead, on that is in the press of all the belligerent nations, Raid is the name given by Lord Now how are we to counter places were repelled while the the Austro Hungarians are rare, way they handle statistics. The you will obtain bat na imperfect Lonsdale, to his yearling colt by
Beaseless Whitbyatoads. danger? How is the plain German communication says, insuficient, and confused, They actual wording of news is often view of the war as a whole.
it or against it in time of war you cannot govern,
not a little harm.
this