The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-07-26
OTIS, TEE oPTIMIsT.

The publication of the correspond
ents' protest against the severity of
the censorship at Manila has placed
another problem before the president
and the solution is now being vari
ously guessed at The correspond
ents only intimated; others are giving
particulars
Gen. Otis, it is established. has
doctored the press dispatches to suit
himself That is bad enough and
without the shadow Of justification
A Washington dispach TO the New
York Tribune, the administrations
staunch friend, discloaes that Gen.
Otis has been exceedingly chary in
giving official Information of affairs.
His consecutive reports were seen
to be non corrcborative." )" His cable
dispatches were few and brief and
..the press reports practically ceased
after the early part of June" the
censor having assumed greater pow
ers. The Tribune's correspondent
goes on to say
The anxiety was increased by the
apparent reluctance of Gen Otis to
give desired information. his grudg-
Jog replies to queries about the men
he would need in the faly and his
stubborn reiteration that 10000 men
would be enough for all purposes
Although that was his statement
six months age and since that time
little or nothing has been gained,
Otis stuck to his original estimate.
The Tribune's dispatch continues:
For four months official kilograms
had come from Gen. Otis ciingiDg to
his belief that the rebellion was over
and only now, when events have
justified none Of the series of rosy
predictions. it is beginning to be
openly admitted that Gen. Otis has
nos known what was going on in the
country under his control and tina. be
has failed to form any adequate idea
OF the Filipino character
Further, it is stated that "Gen.
Otis has permitted four months to
pass without sending a single mail
report to the war department, pre-
ferriDg to confne himself to brief
and generally indefinite cable dis
patches " Evidently the source from
which the president has been recelv-
ing these ultra optimistic views"
which "have not been borne out by
subsequent events is no less a
person than Otis. II in no other
way, Otis VILE attain fame as an op
timist
While the Tribune gives the
Washington view Of Oeis, the Boston
Globe publishes a dispatch cabled
from London by James CreeIman, the
celebrated var correspondent Creel
man describes Otis very particularly,
having spent several months in the
Philippines He starts off with this
declaration
/ have been in the Cuban campaign
as we'll as in the Philippine, and l
can say honestly, without the slight
est prejudice, that Gen. Otis is much
more responsible for the disastrous,
huniliating condition of affairs in the
east than Gen. Shafter was for the
calamities in Cuba, for the war de.
par,ment furnished Gen. Otis with q
perfectly equipped. we'll fed army,
and he had moaths Of dry weather in
which TO fight against an inaperfectly
organized enemy
Creelman says of Otis in his capac.
ity of censor
While the army in the field was
anxiously awaiting orders during the
advance on Malolos, be spent whole
hour reading my dispatch, etriking
out names of officers mentioned for
gailantry, changing descriptive pass
ages, erasing all mention of the part
played by the navy. and even occu-
pying Eve minutes in selecting
single word. This is the same expe
rience which other correspondents
have had during the war. Gen. Otis
has wasted hours of valuable time
during the most critical days in
revising press dispatches, coIoring
them to suit his own views On the
.;nhx &c tba ohorn,o az Talihon ripar