[Gutenberg 39881] • War's Brighter Side / The Story of The Friend Newspaper Edited by the Correspondents with Lord Roberts's Forces, March-April, 1900

Not indexed. Not illustrated. Excerpt: *... CHAPTER IX "Oh, How Good 1t Was!" All Ranks join our Corps of Contributors, and the Paper Sparkles Generals, colonels, majors, captains, subalterns, privates, war correspondents who had not connected themselves with our venture, naval officers--all ranks and all sorts, suddenly rushed to our support, in consequence of my wail for help, and The Fr1end took on an interest greater, I truly think, than that of any newspaper then published in the language. Its circulation rose among the thousands where the largest daily distribution had been only 400 copies before the war. We numbered the paper of March 24th " No. 6," though it was in reality the eighth copy we had published, six being the number since we had enlarged it to its final size. I marvel at our success as I look back upon this number. Sir William Nicholson, K.C.B., wrote an appreciation of the character, life, and work of the late Sir William Lockhart; General Sir Henry E. Colvile sent us a double acrostic, which the Dutch ones among our eccentric compositors ruined so far beyond repair that it would not be just to reproduce its mangled remains; Mr. Lionel James, who had come over from the Natal side to further distinguish the staff of the Times, wrote upon the death of our gifted colleague, George W. Steevens. Rudyard Kipling contributed to this number the first of his delicious "Fables for the Staff"; a distinguished officer who shall remain nameless in this connection, contributed an article on " Beards in War "; and Mr. Gwynne began a series of letters entitled " Is the Art of War Revolutionised?" written solely to interest the Army and spur its thinking men to respond. Mr. H. Prevost Battersby, of the London Morning Post, was another distinguished contributor to this number. Mr. Kipling now bec...*