The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-08-25
THE CRITICS OF OTIS.

Under the above caption Harper's
Weekly, of a recent date, treated the
matter of increasing the army in the
Philippines in a very interesting and
extended article The attitude of
Harper's Weekly last winter will be
remembered by many readers and it's
position now is the result of more
thorough understanding of the situation
and patriotic desire to see its country
and flag maintained in honor. "The
state of affairs in the Philippines,
says Harper's, "has aroused a good
deal of excited talk which is inspired
by moro or less indefinite and hazy
state of affairs. And this indefiniteness
and uncertainty has been created by
the opponents and critics of the admin
istration and of General Otis. 1t is
easy, however, to reach definite
opinion on established facts, and when
is taken, the conclusion is inevitable
that the war against Aguinaldo has
been waged with all the effectiveness
permitted by military conditions due
to the inefficiency of congress. x X
If congress had done it's duty and in
creased the regular army to 100000 or
100000 men General Otis might at
least have had sufficient number of
troops long before this, and he and the
country would not now be facing the
necessity of a new campaign, to be
opened at the end of the rainy season.
After complimenting the splendid 10y
atty of the volunteers and regular army
and the brilliant success of our arms
the Weekly makes the following clos
ing comment:
The president has done the best he
could with the means that congress put
into his hands. If any mistake has
been made as to the number of troops
required to put down the natives. it
lies at the door Of congress, and is due
to its refusal to increase the regular
army to 100000 men at the outbreak
of the war with Spain. AT to the gen
eral officers and the army under them.
there is not the slightest evidence that
they have not accomplished all that
" % PoSSlDlC. AocN VI ol OllC6IS nave
added to distinction already won in
Cuba, while other officers, like Wheat
on, Hale, Macarthur, Hall, Funston,
kobbee, have written their names
high on the roll of Americans who have
achieved honor on the field of battle.
The Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado
regiments have done splendid service,
while the regulars, in every action,
have confirmed the confidence which
the country learned to feel in them
after the truth was told of the charges
at San Juan Hill and at Ell Caney-
General Otis, however, has been made
to bear the brunt of the criticism of
the campaign, which is still pushed
with unusual energy, if we bear in
mind the climate conditions in the east
of the present season. Without going
into minor questions that are raised by
the critics, it seems to us clear that
General Otis has been singularly
successful, when we consider the means
at his disposal. The army under him
has gained a large number of brilliant
victories, and has not suffered a single
defeat, and the municipal administrat-
ion of Manila is confessed to be excell-
ent. What General Otis lacked was
neither industry, skill, nor tact. The
one important occasion where diplom-
acy was demanded of him was when
Aguinaldo's pretended peace commiss-
ion came into our lines for the purpose
of negotiating terms. Even the gen
erals critics confess that he was not
deceived for moment by the willy
natives. He understood that they were
fighting for time, and especially for "a
cessation of our advance until the rainy
season should call halt. General
Otis was not only not deceived, but he
blocked the game of the ingenious
Aguinaldo and his emissaries. What
ground, then. is there for his removal,
when the only charge that can be
brought against him is that he has not
had men enough-a charge that is
as foolish, when he is the object of it,
as when it is levelled against the pres
ident? X X
Some doubt was expressed as to the
ability of the country to secure men for
service in the Philippines, but that
doubt has been long ago set at rest by
the rapidity with which the new regi-
ments are filling up. The truth is that
the people are behind the presidents
determination to conquer this insur-
rection, and the anti-imperialist who
favors surrender is not likely to meet
with much sympathy or to advance his
cause.