THE WAR CORRESPONDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1915, Page 6

THE WAR CORRESPONDENT.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, December 11. Tlie Prime Minister stated to-day tliat New Zealand's official war correspondent, Mr. Malcolm Uoss, liad been authorised to send cable messages to the Government regularly relating to the doings of our troops. The arrangement lias been made tli rough Lieutenant-Col-onel Rhodes, and it is hoped that Mr. Ross will be able to despateli a weekly message that will give some first-hand information regarding the work of the New Zcalanders in the field. It is generally recognised that up to the present time New Zealand has not received very good value for the money spent on the official war correspondent, but Mr. Koss does not appear to deserve all tiie blame for what lias happened. The New Zealand Government mismanaged the war correspondent business rather badly. The official Australian correspondent, Mr. C. li. W. Bean, was selected in good time, given a captain's commission, and sent to join the Australian forces in Egypt before the Gallipoli campaign began. lie was attached to the stafi' and had an assured status. The Massey Government, on the other hand, delayed until the troops had got into the firing line, and then sent Mr. Ross to Gallipoli in a civilian capacity, to .find a footing for himself and deal with censors and other ollicial personages as best bo might, lie was handicapped from the start, f