The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-07-22
COMMENTS CT TIE PRESS.
On the Otis Censorship at Manila

The New York Herald says. Are the
American people fools or ignoram
uses that the administration should
treat them as the benighted masses
Of some Asiatic realm are treated by
the reigning despot t-suppressiDg the
truth about the war in the Philip
pines and sending forth gsrbl.d and
false statements for publications.
The question aries, We're the opti-
mlstc dispatches made public in
Washington as coming from Otls
really received from him as issued or
were they excsed or altered before
being given to the pubIclHas OTIS de-
ceIyod Sec. 9 r. Alger by persistent
ly cabling him that the situation was
well in hand; that the rebel forces
wore disintegrating, and that 30, 900
men would suffice to quCll the lnsur
rectiOn? Or mas Ous cabled tue
truth to 5 cretary Alger, and has the
latter suppressed it and given out
the ultraoptomlstlc statements with
Gen Otis name attached Whether
the Secretary of War is being fooled
by his subordinate in the field or is
himself trying to fool the American
people, it is equally evident that he
whether fool or befooling-is not
the man for the vtslly important
place he holds. The utter lack Of
provision in the way Of clothing aud
blankets for the troops now arriving
from the Philippines and exposed to
the pneumonia breeding sea fogs at
San Francisco in their tropical uni
forms is bat one of thousand evi-
dences Of incompetency in the War
Department.
The vital need of the hour is war
VI nistor who ls soldier and pat
riot, who will rescue the War De
partment from the decadence into
which It has sunk under Secretary
Alger. We want man who will
turn the Philippine fssco into cam
psign of action and success, and will
enlist the confidence os the Ameri
can people and command the respect
of Europe. Such a man is Governor
Roosevelt. 1t is not a question or
what Mr.. Mckinley would like or
Mr.. Roosevelt perfer;its question OF
what the country needs and the situa'
tion demands. It's matter of pub
lie duty AID patiotism.
The New York World says: The
situation in the Philippines is un
doubtedly very serious, but no par
of the miserable business has been Sc
disgraceful as the suppression and
"doctoring" of the news by Genera
Otis on the plea that the facts would
"slarm the people at home"
The n. Y. Journal says: We seem
to be living under a round.robin
military administration. When the
imbeclle comma nders selected by a
hero dreading President have
brought our armies to the verge of
ruin, few desperate men at the in
side Of things, unable to endure the
situation any longer, take their lib
erty in their hands aud unite IN tel
ting the truth. Then the admins
tratiou is compelled to do something
II WAS the officers, of whom Colonel
Roosevelt was one, that performed
this service at Santiago. The news
paper correspondents have just done
it at Manila.
The New York Press says: Of how
much light and leading Generel Otis
has deprived the world in the case of
Manila correspondents the world
must be unaware until these gentle
men are more specific. But, how
ever, the Froudes and Macaulays of
the Philippines have suffered from
enforced reticence, they may congrat
ulste themselves on some things
One is that they were not in Ken
lucky with Sherman, in the Soudan
with Kitchener, or, above all, in Vlr-
ginia with Meade. He had a very
ugly way of censorizing after the
facts-"editing the paper next day."
so to speak. He employed drum
corps aud barrel in the course of
it. 1t was cruel, as most of war is.
Manila is not Mulberry street and
wars are not conducted as famous
superintendent was said to conduct
the Police Department of this city,
for the purpose of "giving the boys
good stories"
"The Philadelphia Record says:
"Some real news from the Pnllip.
pines is set forth in the joint state
ments of IL American correspond
ents stationed at Manila, which has
been forwarded via Hongkong
These trained and experienced! !obser
vers Of passing events, who certainly
would not desire to misrepresent
facts, make formal announcement to
the American people that the infor'
nation filtered through the censor
ship at Manila has not reflected cor
rectly the real situation in and
around Manila, whetner III reBaIu "
the results of American operations
or the quality and vigor of Filipino
resistance.
1.-THE absolute and utter failure OF
the spring campaign, the large pro.
portion of men disabled by disease
and the incessant activity of the OPP
posing insurgent forces were features
not to be explained away by official
excuses nor ignored by public apx-
ious for peace and Jealous of nat.
ional honor. 1t can scarcely be
doubted that the truthful reports
which have been withheld from the
American people have all along
been at the service Of the admins
tratiou at Washington. The President
and the War Department oflicialshaye
been kept constantly and accurate
ly informed Of the state of affairs
in and around the Philippine CAPT
AAaE