He left England on 23 April 1898[5] as the first special correspondent of the newspaper[1] to cover the Spanish–American War of 1898 in both Cuba and Puerto Rico.
[6] Atkins covered the Battle of El Caney[6] and accompanied General William Rufus Shafter's army in the Capture of Santiago[7] in Cuba.
Atkins was specially chosen by Charles Prestwich Scott, the then editor of the Manchester Guardian to cover the Second Boer War for his journalistic skills.
Scott who sought to reflect his newspaper as a neutral force in the opposition of the war chose Atkins for his non-imperialistic views.
[8] Atkins became a friend of fellow correspondent Winston Churchill (later Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) whom he described as "slim, slightly reddish-haired, pale, lively, frequently plunging along the deck".