WAR CORRESPONDENT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2390, 20 February 1915, Page 4

WAR CORRESPONDENT

TO REPRESENT DOMINION PRBSS AN' OFFICIAL STATEMENT Tho following official statement by the Government is issued for publicationImmediately after the out-break of war with Germany, tho Government received applications from gentlemen, connected with tho Press in various parts ■ of the Dominion for appointment as war correspondent with the New Zealand troops. Further, the Government re* ceived an intimation from the proprietors of some newspapors that those proprietors proposed to combine together to send a correspondent selected by them. After the departure of the advance guard of tho Expedition to Samoa, the Government received an intimation from the Imperial authorities that it was desired that no oorreßpohdent should actually accompany tho New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, but at the same time it was intimated that one correspondent at the seat of war would be allowed to New Zealand, such correspondent to have the approval of the Imperial Government. The High Commissioner suggested the nomination of Mr. Soholefleld, who iB the correspondent in -London of one section'- of the New Zealand Presa Mr. Scholofield's name would have been approved but that it appeared that, as he represented ono section of the Prbfls, he Was not free to aot as a correspondent whose dispatches would published in all papers in New Zealand. It is unnecessary to refer to the communications with the Press which resulted in. its being manifest that Mr. .Soholefleld could not act, but the'further effect of thati correspondence was to demonstrate the difficulty of obtaining irt London the services of a qualified Press correspondent who was not specially associated with one or other sootion. of the Now Zealand Press. Towards , the end if October representations were made to the Imperial Government, and inquiries made whether, undor tile circumstances, it would hot be possible to authorise, two correspondents 'for New Zealand. The 1 Im-' perial authorities were unable to iccedo to : this request.' ' . . It then b6came' manifest tha't if a special correspondent was to be appointed it would be necessary to ssttd"4" competent gentleman direct ,from New Zealand, and the Government entered into communication with the Press, Association and with some leading jour-' lialists on the subject. Ab it appeared still pfobablo that the New Zealand Press might agree to appoint such a: person, and to provide for his remuneration if. the Government submitted his name for approval with their recommendation to tlie Imporial authorities, negotiations wero again initiated by tho gentleman who had been named bj a section of the New Zealand Press as one whom they had selected to go from New Zoaland early in August. The Government indicated that it was prepared to provide: part of the expenses of a correspondent so to be . nominated and chosen by tho New Zealand Press..

Recently it became plain that -such negotiations would lead to nothing, and therefore it'has become necessary for the Government to decide •to send -an official correspondent. The Government has wished to avoid that course, for it. is obviously desirable that ■ a'' correspondent of the Press should be appoint-, ed by the Press and should be subject to the direction of some . organisation of the Press;.and it is in general not part of- the business of -.tho-,,-Government.--officials to provide or to supervise the publication-of matter, of the:kind. More-: over, the newspaper proprietors are necessarily better qualified to'choose a .parson for the duty, and to define methods by which news of the kind desired by the public can be best provided. The principal difficulty was to provide a method for dissemination of news and of dispatches receivedfrom such a correspondent. It is only since a generous offer of co-operation was received from the directors of the United Press Association that the Government has been onabled to see its way clear to arrange for publication.' The Press Association has notified the Government that it is willing npon receipt in New Zealand of dispatches from the war correspondent to distribute such dispatches for publication to the whole of the Press of New Zealand. The Government Understands that. the. Press Association has not limited its.offer 'todistribute, by restricting it to newspapers which ; subscribe to the association, and has therefore agreed to undertake a very onerous service. Naturally the Government desires that every newspaper shall have the opportunity of publishing thei dispatches. It is, however, hoped that distribution to the J daily papers may. prove sufficient, and that the tri-weekly and weekly papers will consent to reprint the subject matter from the columns of , their daily contemporaries. _ Application will immediately be publicly invited for appointment as official New Zealand War Correspondent, to be idispatched to England by the New Zealand Government, after approval of' his name by the Imperial authorities. Experience in journalism will be a necessary qualification.- Knowledgo of languages, though not essential, will' be considered to .give priority where other 1 qualifications are equal. Government hope -to have assistance from journalists .in the . final selection, and also in the definition- of the duties of the correspondent. It is intended to of-' fer'a salary of between £400 and £500 per annum, frith very liberal travelling allowances when on the Continent of Europe, and a small travelling allowance when ' in' • England or' at sea. It is proposed that the correspondent, unless he is in Egypt, shall send'his dispatches by letter to the High Commissioner in London. He will also be permitted to telegraph to tho High Commissioner, but riot himself to cable news to New Zealand. The' High Commissioner will cable any extracts from the dispatches which he deems to be of sufficient public interest, and will send tho dispatches regularly-by post to New Zealand. Immediately upon receipt of the dispatches in New Zealand, they will lie forwarded t othe Press Association, and thence distributed as above explained, by post, to the newspaper Press, so far as the censorship will al-J low.

The last, thing which the men who have volunteered for service abroad desire is that the official correspondent should have as his iduty the provision for publication of grievances or scandals or complaints. : His function will be to record the history of tbo part taken by the New Zealand Forces in the great strugglo in which they are about to take part. In pursuance, therefore, of the above, applications from newspapers who wish to recoivo the 'otters should be forwarded to the manager of the Press Association Wollingt n.