publishing false or highly colored news is equally confusing. “ The newspapers ," writes Labouchere, “ are still pursuing the
very questionable policy of exaggerating every little affair of the outposts into a victory , and assuring those who read their lucu brations that powerful armies are on the march to raise the
siege." 28 He writes later: " Nothing new has passed at the front since yesterday . I learn from this morning's papers, however, that Moltke is dead, that the Crown Prince is dying of a fever , that Bismarck is anxious to negotiate, but is prevented by the obstinacy of the King, that three hundred Prussians from the
Polish provinces have come over to our side,and that the Bavari an and Wurtemberg troops are in a state ofincipient rebellion .” 29 Despair must indeed come to the historian when he finds both press and government mutually questioning the reports given by the other . Labouchere again writes: “ The Débats and some other journals contain extracts from the English newspapers up to the 22nd ult. I observe that everything that tells against
France is suppressed , and what is published is headed with a notice, that as the source is English the truth is questionable.
Thus does the press, while abusing the Government for keeping back intelligence , fulfill its mission .” 30 A few days later he comments : “ Yesterday morning the Journal Officiel contained
an announcement that the Government knew absolutely nothing of these negotiations (reported by the press as going on at Ver
sailles for peace). The newspapers are, however, not disposed to allow their hopes of peace to be destroyed in this manner , and
they reply that “it being notorious thatnomember of the Govern ment can speak the truth , this official denial proves conclusively the contrary of what it states '.” 31 In time of war accounts given by the press do not always taliy with what other observers note . When a premature announce
ment of the taking of Sebastopol had been made, Dickens wrote to Wills from Boulogne, October 4 , 1854 :“ It is extraordinary to know through the evidence of one's own senses, however, that 28 Diary of the Besieged Resident, p . 43, September 27 , 1870. 29 Ib., p . 103, October 11, 1870. — Labouchere's pages are filled with
illustrations of this point. 30 Ib ., p . 188 , November 8 , 1870.
31 Ib ., P . 193, November 14 , 1870 .
