Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-07-20
SAID TO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED
CRITICISMS REPLIED TO AND COP.
PERHEADs ROASTED.
Mr.. Plat Explains Why AguinaIdo
Has Not Been Brought to Time
Before-Congress Held Re-
sponsible - McKinIey's
Stupendous Task.

L
out tonight long statement on the wa,
IN the Philippines which it is said was in
spired by President Mckinley The state
ment is as follows:
Il purpose herein to answer certain crit
lclsms which are being directed at the CON
duct OF the war in the Philippines. / dc
not refer to the criticisms of those who, ii
the name of liberty and philanthropy, ars
advocating policy of national cowardics
and dishonor. To make an end of the re-
bellion, to bring about a condition of or.
der and peace in the Philippines, is moi
their object. On the contrary, nothing is
clearer than the fact that they want thei,
countrys arms to be defeated. Every little
difficulty, every little disaster is to them q
source of immoderate satisfaction, and the
character of the work they are doing ap.
pears in Aguinaldo's latest proclamation
where he tells the Filipinos that some
states of the American Union have already
risen IN our favor. To argue with these
people would be like coddllng copperhead
But there are other critics, who, ell
tirely convinced of our duty and response
pility in the Philippines, are apprehensive
lest the government has not appreciated
the size of its undertaking.
They forget the history of the matter
from congress and Of good faith to Spain,
by which the government has been embar-
rassed- They are inquiring why General
Otis has not had a larger army at his
back. They want to know why there was
not sufficient force present in the island
of LuZon to crush the rebellion upon its
first appearance And, stirred by sensa-
uonal newspaper stories and by the recent
round robin of the offended correspond
ents, they are asking whether the situation
is even as good as had been reported,
whether the government has not allowed it.
self to be misled and whether the military
force now being enlisted will surely be
great enough for the task in hand. These
are the inquiries to which I purpose to
submit an answer.
1t should be borne in mind, in the first
place, that the governments means of in
formation concerning what has occurred in
the Philippines are not confined to General
Otis. The navy department has its agents
there. The president is directly represent
ed by Mr.. Denby, who was for fourteen
years our minister to China, and by Pro-
fessor Worcester, who resided in the Phil
ippines for four or five years, and who
knows the native character and habits
The Philippines campaign is receiving the
presidents constant personal attention. He
is in direct cable communication with Ma
Mia and receives daily reports from all
sources.
THE possibility of his being misled about
the facts in the case is scarcely worth con-
sidering. The precise fact as he obtains
it, not only from General Otis, but from
each of dozen or more of his official in
formants, is that for a distance of fifty
miles north of Manila and of twenty miles
south of Manila and eastward into Laguna
province, our armies hold the territory;
that insurgents are scattered beyond our
lines in bands of from fifty to 500, their
only considerable force consisting of about
1900 men, who are encamped in Northern
Pampanga. The southern army of the in
surgents, possibly 1000 strong, is badly de-
moralized by recent defeats. The presi-
dents advices report to him that in a num-
ber of cities within the American lines
local governments have been formed which
are discharging their functions competently
and to the satisfaction of the people, that
the mass of the people desire peace and
American projections; that they no longer
nee on the approach of our troops, but
heartily welcome them; that the popula-
tion within the American lines is dense and
grows larger all the while and that land
cultivation Is going on extensively.
THE president is advised, and on this
point his information comes unanimously
from all the able men whose official obli-
CATION is to keep the government accurate
ly informed, that the only hope of the in
surgents lies in the efforts they are max
ing TO convince the people that change
OF government is about to occur in the
United States favorable to the insurgent
cause; that there Is general. opposition
among the American people to the prose-
cution of the war and fixed purpose on
the part of the political party about to
come into power to withdraw the American
army and to organize the government of
Aguinaldo. This idea is being assiduously
cultivated by the insurgent leaders and It
SO far serves their purpose as to enable
them to maintain their forces in fairly
strong array.
There can be no question of the SUBJ
stantial truth and accuracy of this infor-
nation. 1t comes from too many different
sources, and from sources too high and
honorable In character to admit of doubt,
ence of General Otis unimaginative blue
pencil with their sensational stories can
stand against the official representatives
of the presidents civil and military ad-
visers.
Nor is it an especially optimistic view
of the situation. 1t shows, indeed, that a
great work has yet to be done, and leads
pack to the question why more has not
been already accomplished, and the ques-
ZION fN,l.. whether w the the preparations now going
of force sufficiently powerful for the
work that remains.
II is perfectly easy to explain why the
government did not have a great army a
Manila when the Filipinos made their first
attack. 1t did not because 1t could not. 1t
was restrained by two circumstances-good
faith with Spain and the laws of congress
under which the army had been created It
must be remembered that the American
people were not thinking of the Philippines
When they went to war with Spain. They
were concerned with the affairs of Cuba
The period of actual war, moreover, was
short. Its three great events-the destruc-
ton of the Spanish fleet in Manila bay, the
campaign on land and sea at Santiago and
the occupation of Porto Rico-came swift
~, one after another. and the French am
bassador had appeared at the White House
with proposal to end the war almost be-
fore the army had been equipped to take
the field. Now at that time, in July, 1898
We had sent to the Philippines nearly 10000
men. Commodore Dewey had advised the
government that 5000 would be sufficient.
1T was General Miles opinion that 1900
acting upon his own wise Judgment, had
dispatched 10000. The only work then ex-
pected of them was to fight and defeat the
Spaniards at Manila and at the time when
peace protocol the American army stood
confronting the Spanish intrenchments.
1T became Immediately necessary for our
but the president was not to be forced into
inconsiderate action. AS to Cuba and
Porto Rico he had made up his mind, and
the French ambassador was informed that
a treaty of peace could be negotiated on
the basis of the surrender of Cuba to US
and to the Cuban people and upon the
cession of Porto Rico and Guam, and as for
the Philippines, the president said that we
would take and hold the bay, harbor and
city of Manila, pending the conclusion OF
the treaty. and that the treaty should de-
termine the control. disposition and gov
ernment of the Philippines
'In agreeing to this arrangement as the
basis of a peace conference Spain made it
her duty to withdraw her forces from the
city of Manila and give room for ours. But