6 AUGUST 1870, Page 1
It will be seen that we attach more credit to
Prussian than to French telegrams from the seat of war, and we do so for these reasons. The Prussian Government has very little reason to deceive its people, which fights the better for defeat ; while the French Government is obliged to break any shock to Paris. Moreover, the Prussian Government has allowed correspondents to accompany the Army, and therefore draws its bulletins under a certainty of future correction, while the French Generals have history all to themselves. Neither side, probably, would stick at a false bulletin ; but the Prussians would only resort to such devices when a direct and immediate military end was to be secured. Only experience, however, can test the comparative truthfulness of the bulletins.
