At this moment, too, we are anxiously awaiting news of some decisive blow in the great battle of the Aisne. More than a week ago I met a war correspondent from the front—or from as near to the front as any War correspondent could geb—and he brought me the confidential news—news which I hope will have proved itself reliabl> long before this letter appears in Upon. your columns—that our troops from India were due at Marecilles on September 24, and that the most: elaborate and careful arrangements had been made for bringing them into touch with the enemy in an incredibly short time after—their arrival in port. Of course, from the journalistic point of view the news was absolutely useless. Even had his information been as firm as Holy Writ, patriotian and the fear of the Censor would have each been sufficient to prevent him from publishing a word of it.
The Censorship.
The Censorship is severer than ever. The word has gone forth that no newspaper correspondent, must go within twenty miles of the firing line, and that none must publish any description of an action which is less than five days old. It is a terrible handicap for them in their endeavours to get ahead of one another; but we who are thirsting for news must bow cheerfully to the decision of those who Know best what is necessary to ensure the full success of our arms.
And at least we have the consolation that those who have been entrusted with the duty of compiling the official reports are doing their work remarkably well.
No professional war correspondent could have given us a more lucid or a more unaffectedly _impressive account of the recent fighting than that which appears in all the papers this morning, lightened as it is with such touches of human interest as the soldiers' reference to the German Howitzer shells with their thick black smoke as " Coal
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.