AN EMINENT WAR CORRESPONDENT.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1202, 10 January 1878, Page 3

AN EMINENT WAR CORRESPONDENT.

The London correspondent of the " South Australian Register " gives the following interesting particulars respecting Mr Forbes, the war correspondent of the " Daily News " and "The Argus" : —" ' Lucky fellow, Forbes,' is a very common remark in Fleet street. Eight years ago he was little better than a liner, and was best known by his G-lengarry cap, which he only discarded after his introduction to the Crown Prince of Germany. While he was proprietor and factotum of the " London Scotsman " he was to be seen at all hours and on all days of the week attending all sorts of meetings. He attributes his success in the field to his comprehensive training as a man of all work ; but besides his power of writing—in which his American colleague, Mr MacQ-ahan, has quite equalled him—he possesses genuine military instinct. He has an intuitive knowledge of military positions and their value. When an operation is going on he can perceive what is being aimed at, and can describe it from the beginning 'with certainty as to its object. There was a joke in circulation about him at Berlin, representing a German correspondent ingeniously asking him how he managed to describe engagments before they had been fought out. ' Mein Hen*,' said he, ' I draws up one little plan, goot, takes it the Russian general, and says to him, ' Now, General, this is one good plan ; you fight him out. I have one telegram—sehr brilliante—all ready to expediren, given you ein grand success. The general likes my plan —so. He wins his grand success, and mein depecte appears morgen or über rnorgen—so.' [ am not sure but in sober earnest Forbes can write up a little beforehand. Wherever he means to go he is always there in time, and has hiß ground well studied before he has to describe it. His extensive acquaintance among military men all over Europe and the facility ho has for getting introduction to the highest quarters smooth his way for him. But his laurels in the present campaign have eclipsed all the other feathers in his cap. He has been interviewed by two sovereigns over it—the Queen and the Czar. His account of the •econd failure at Plevna was published officially in Russia in lieu of an order of the lay. In returning from the Schipka Pass to 'he Danube, his horse having been knocked up in a race with the Imperial aide-de-camp, an Imperial carriage was lent him to proceed to Sietova."