CHAPTERII

chapterii

in1915thewarofficeatlastmovedinthematterofwarcorrespondents.lordkitchener,prejudicedagainstthem,wasbeingbrokendownalittlebythepressureofpublicopinion(mentionedfromtimetotimebymembersofthegovernment),whichdemandedmorenewsoftheirmeninthefieldthanwasgivenbybaldcommuniquésfromgeneralheadquartersandbyan“eye-witness”who,asonepaperhadtheaudacitytosay,wrotenothingbut“eye-wash.”eventheenormous,impregnablestupidityofourhighcommandonallmattersofpsychologywaspenetratedbyavaguenotionthatafew“writingfellows”mightbesentoutwithpermissiontofollowthearmiesinthefield,underthestrictestcensorship,inordertosilencethepopularclamorformorenews.dimlyandnervouslytheyapprehendedthatinordertostimulatetherecruitingofthenewarmynowbeingcalledtothecolorsbyvulgarappealstosentimentandpassion,itmightbewellto“writeup”theglorioussideofwarasitcouldbeseenatthebaseandintheorganizationoftransport,without,ofcourse,anyallusiontodeadordyingmen,totheghastlyfailuresofdistinguishedgenerals,ortothefilthandhorrorofthebattlefields.theycouldnotunderstand,nordidtheyeverunderstand(thesesoldiersoftheoldschool)thatanationwhichwassendingallitssonstothefieldofhonordesiredwithadeepandpoignantcravingtoknowhowthoseboysoftheirswerelivingandhowtheyweredying,andwhatsufferingwastheirs,andwhatchancestheyhadagainsttheirenemy,andhowitwasgoingwiththewarwhichwasabsorbingalltheenergyandwealthofthepeopleathome.

“whydon'ttheytrusttheirleaders?”askedthearmychiefs.“whydon'ttheyleaveittous?”

“wedotrustyou—withsomemisgivings,”thoughtthepeople,“andwedoleaveittoyou—thoughyouseemtobemakingamessofthings—butwewanttoknowwhatwehavearighttoknow,andthatisthelifeandprogressofthiswarinwhichourmenareengaged.wewanttoknowmoreabouttheirheroism,sothatitshallberememberedbytheirpeopleandknownbytheworld;abouttheiragony,sothatwemayshareitinourhearts;andaboutthewayoftheirdeath,sothatourgriefmaybesoftenedbythethoughtoftheircourage.wewillnotstandforthisanonymouswar;andyouarewastingtimebykeepingitsecret,becausetheimaginationofthosewhohavenotjoinedcannotbefiredbycoldlineswhichsay,'thereisnothingtoreportonthewesternfront.'”

inmarchof1915iwentoutwiththefirstbodyofaccreditedwarcorrespondents,andwesawsomeofthebadplaceswhereourmenlivedanddied,andthetraffictothelines,andthemechanismofwarinfixedpositionsaswerethenestablishedafterthebattleofthemarneandthefirstbattleofypres.eventhenitwasonlyanexperimentalvisit.itwasnotuntiljuneofthatyear,afteranadventureonthefrenchfrontinthechampagne,thatireceivedfullcredentialsasawarcorrespondentwiththebritisharmiesonthewesternfront,andjoinedfourothermenwhohadbeenselectedforthisservice,andbeganthatlonginningsasanauthorizedonlookerofwarwhichended,afterlonganddreadfulyears,withthearmyofoccupationbeyondtherhine.