The evening times., 1899-08-11
In the Matter OF OTIS.


According to some Administration jour
mails, the President will not disturb General
otis, but will give him a chance to see
what he can do with fifty thousand men.
Mr. Mckinley is quoted as saying that in nc
case will the Governor General be relieved
OF command except at his own request.
1t is well known that the leading friends
of the Administration, outside of the Cabi
net circle. are worried over this story,
but probably without much reason. There
is a saving clause in the Mckinley prophe-
cy. If public opinion cannot be placat-
ed otherwise Otis will ask to be re-
! lieved. Vice President Hobart may not
be able TO go over TO Manila and arrange
the matter. but some other intermediary
can be found.
There is DENLY. for instancei He has
great influence with Otis. We saw that
last spring when he induced the general 10
| suspend hostilitiss while he and the school
masters let in the mNtineers and lectured
them on Church and State" and perform
ed dances. domestic and imported, with the
charming Malay ladies. DENLY could get
Otis TO resign. as easily as Hobart managed
Alger. But We must admit that he would
| not like the task He and the other have
managed TO get things fixed so comfortably
in Manila. for themselves and whoever in
Washington may be in their confidence
that any change in the status quo would
| be inconyenient, not TO say destructive The
Administration programme for the future
is a great state mystery, but there are rea-
l 80 sar ha
ippines may be concerned, Otis and DENLY
have been carrying it out to the eminent
qualification of whom it may concern on
the inside
On this theory the rock-rooted pull of
the Governor General is comprehensive.
Faithful in other things, the minor fact of
his military incompetence is not to be
counted against him if his pastors and
masters can help it. But will they BE- able
to sustain him? That is a question which
will develop its own answer before long.
The American people, as We have fire.
quently been called upon to remark, are
patient and slow 10 anger; but a majority
of them have passed the swearing point
on the subject of Otis His persistent dec
laratons that he could clean up all Luzon
with thirty thousand men-which were so
obviously idiotic in the face of what the
other generals in the Philippines repeat
edly asserted, that We refused TO believe
he made them-have thoroughly satisfied
the public that he does not know his busi-
ness. His incomprehensible tactics. in or
dering his forces to retreat at times when
! they had the rebels at advantage, thereby
| forfeiting the confidence of the troops, and
leading them TO regard their devotion and
sacrifices as useless, has long marked him
for removal. We might mention other
grievances which his fel,ow-countrymen
have against the discredited man at Ma
nila His absence from the theatre of wal
is as necessary to success as is the pres
ence of an adequate fighting force and a
real commanding general.
In view of these and other important
considerations, we have little doubt that
General Otis will ask to be relieved. and
| that shortly In fact he owes il to him
self TO take such action. His health is 50
roor that he is unacquainted with any part
OF the country he is pacifying, outside OF
his palace gates. He is so unable to move
about that he has never yet been within
telescopic range OF a firing line in Luzon,
as far as We have been able TO learn. The
Administration should think OF these things
and not subject so good man TO the perils
of even vice-regai existence in the trop-
les. There are honorable and remunera-
tive employments in plenty, to one OF
which he might be assigned For instance
he might take his turn at the papers in the
Carter case, after Griggs gets through with
| them.
On the whole, we have abiding faith that
through the great. benevolent. and assimi-
lating diplomacy of the Commander-n-
Chief, there will be another Governor Cen
eral in the Philippines before the opening
/ of the autumn campaign.