HC Deb 29 March 1898 vol 55 cc1244-5
MR. J. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State far Foreign Affairs whether he can explain how it is that the Times correspondent in Pekin has been able on several occasions recently to publish facts of the utmost public importance several days before the Foreign Office had obtained any information in reference to them?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. G. N. CURZON,) Lancashire, S.W., Southport

I am not sure that this question should not rather have been addressed to the editor of the Times than to me. At the same time I think the explanation asked for is not far to seek. It is the business of Her Majesty's representatives abroad to report to us facts of which they have official cognisance, and to obtain confirmation of them before they telegraph. I hesitate to say what the functions of the modern journalist may be; but I imagine that they do not exclude the intelligent anticipation of facts even before they occur, and in this somewhat unequal competition I think the House will see that the journalist whose main duty is speed is likely sometimes to get the advantage over the diplomatist whose main object is accuracy.