Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-07-20
CoRBIN Denies THAT
War NEWS is WITHHELD
Philippines Situation Not Misrepre-
sented by Official Dispatches,
He Declares.
COMPLAINT OF CORRESPONDENTS
Their Charge That the Public Is
NIislcd by Otis Dispatches
Causes Stir in Wash.
ingtOn.

tlOll VI lliC wal MEASUREMENTS lOIIlluI
indictment of General Otis manage
ment of the Philippine campaign
caused a sensation in the departments
here. Secretary Hay had received adj
vices as late as yesterday from civil
as we'll as military sources in the Phil
ippines which led him to declare that
the situation there was certainly inn
proved materially, and that the pros
poets for the future had frightened
very much. With these advices, the
secretary said, General Otis had moth
ing to do, and they were from disin-
terested persons whose opinions must
carry weight. Generally there was
strong Discrimination exhibited by the
officials to discuss the last ''rouna
robin.''
Regarding statements that cable
dispatches received in Washington and
other news had been censured con-
trary to the usual custom, Adjutant
General Corbin said:
eyes, these complaints have been
brought to my notice; word of eNpla-
nation is perhaps due to the country,
no less than the department. The
enormous amount of work the Office
has been called upon to perform has
taxed to the limit the endurance of the
tent as any that can be found amy
where. Complaints We're made by sey-
eral of the assistants and clerks that
our clerks We're being annoyed and
their time taken from legitimate work
by direct application for information
from people in no way connected with
the office or the public service. AS II
matter of protection of the public in
terests and the administration the or
der OF June % was issued.
"1'he censure of the so-called CEN
sored press is without just cause and
evidently made under misapprehen-
sion of facts.
"There has been no information re-
ceived from General Otis that has not
been given to the press promptly ON
the bulletin board in the hall of this
office, and every fair minded represen-
tative of the press will bear witness to
this statement. What would the man
ager Of any one of the complaining pa
pers say if information concerning the
business of the paper was inquired for
of the printers rather than at the bust
ness office Of the paper? This is a case
exactly in point.
The standing instructions of the
president and secretary of war are
that the public shall be given all infor-
nation we receive. This has been done
and will continue to be done. OF
course plans of campaigns that would
be of help to Aguinaldo and other reb-
els have not and will not be promul-
gated, but all facts of events trans
pired have been given i'm fullness."
| The dispatch of the newspaper men
| will be taken up by the cabinet. So
far as can be learned nothing has been
done or decided on concerning the
communication. Officials are excep-
tionally rcticent on the subject, but a
prominent army officer said last night
that General Otis would probably be
left free to act as he thought best.
Nothing, he said has been heard from
General Otis on the subject.
Claim News Is Suppressed.
Manila, July IL (via Hong kong).-
The constantly increasing strictncss
of he censorship of press dispatches
from Manila, which prevented the
cabling to the United States of amy
| thing that did not reflect the official
| view OF important events and con-
| dit;ons resulted in united efforts on
the part Of correspondents here to
secure an abatement of the rigor of
the censorship. The initiative in this
| direction was taken Il month ago and
resulted in framing Il statement which
was presented Sunday. July ., to Otis
..l
With request for permission to tcle-
| graph it to the United States. The
| correspondents also asked that they
be allowed to cable their respective
papers the facts and different
| phases of events as they
transpireti here. The core
| spondcnts had two long interview.
with General Otis, in the course oil
| which they complained that the cvi
| dent purpose of the censorship WAS
not to keep information from the enc
| my. but to keep from tine publ,
| knowledge of he real condition Of al
fairs here. Ii was asserted by the cor
respondents that newspapers printed
| in Manila, which reach the enemy
| quickly. are permitted to publish
statements similar to those which cor
respondents are forbidden to cable L
was made clear to Otis that TIE obicc
| ton was to the system. not to the cen
sor. Otis finally promised greater lib
erty, agreeing TO pass all matter tina
he might consider not detrimental IL
| the interests of the United States Oti.
/ appointed Captain Greene, OF his staff
| censor.
Statement OF Correspondents.
The statement of he correspondent
is as follows:
"rhe undersigned, being all stat
correspondents of American ncwspa
| pers stationed in Manila, unite in ,h,
following Statements:
] "We believe that owing to the off
| cial dispatches from Manila made pub
| lie in Washington, the people Of TIL,
| United States have not received a cor
rect impression of the situation in TIN
Philippines, but that these dispatche
have presented an ultra-optimisti'
view that is not shared by the genera
officers in The field.
| eve believe that the dispatches in
correctly represent the existing condi
tons among the Philippines in rcspcc
| to dissension and decentralization re
| sulting from the American campaign
and to the brigand character of thei
army.