The Red Cloud chief., 1899-07-21
C0L0RED ALL MANILA NEWS.
Correspondents Protest to Otis
Against the Censorship.
OTIS PROMISES MORE LIBERTY
Reports OF American Revsrses and of
Heat Prostration, Suppressed
representations OF OHfcers' Feeling
About the 1n,urreotion's strength

MANILA. July III, via Hong Kong. -
The constantly increasing strictness
of the censorship OF press dispatches
from Manils, which has prevented the
cabling TO the United States of any
thing that did not reflect official views
OF important events and conditions,
has resulted in a united effort upon
the part of correspondents here to Sc
cure an abatement of the rigor of the
censorship.
The initiative in this direction was
taken n month ago, and resulted in
the framing OF a statement which was
presented on Sunday, July 0, to Major
General Otis, commanding the mill.
tary forces of the United States in the
Philippine Islands, with request for
permission to telegraph it to the
United States. The correspondents
also asked that they be allowed to ca
BILE to their papers tho facts and the
different phases of events rs they took
place there.
The correspondents had two long in :
terviews with General Otis, in the
course of which they complained that
the evident purpose Of the censorship
was not to keep information from the
enemy, but to keep from the public
knowledge Of the real condition Of af-
fairs here
1t was also asserted by the CORE.
spondents that newspapers printed in
Manila, which reached the enemy
quickly, are permitted to publish
statements similar to those which cor
respondents are forbidden to cable.
II was made clear to General Otis that
the objection was to the system and
not to the censor.
General Otis finally promised greater
liberality, agreeing to pass all matter
that he might consider not detrimen-
tai to the interests of the United
States Captain Green of his staff was
appointed censor. The statement of
the correspondents Is as follows:
1.-THE undersigned, being all staff
correspondents Of American news
papers stationed in Manila, unite in
the following statement:
1--WE believe that, owing to official
dispatches from Manila made public
in Washington, the people OF the
United states have not received cor
rect impression of the situation in
the Philippines, but that these dis
patches have presented an ultra-opti-
mistic view that is not shared by the
general officers in the field.
I'VE believe that the dispat ches
represent the existing conditions
among the Philippines in respect to
dissension ind Generalization result.
ing from the American campaign and
to the brigand character of their
army.
1--WE believe the dispatches err in
the declaration that the situation is
well in hand and the assumption that
the insurrection can be speedily ended
without greatly increased force.
I'VE think the tenacity OF the Fill
pino purpose has been underesl imat ted
and that the statements are unfound-
ed that volunteers are willing to en-
gage in further services.
"The censorship has compelled us
to participate In this misrepresenta-
tion by excising or altering uncontro-
verted statements Of facts upon the
plea, as General Otis stated, that they
would alarm the people at home or
have the people of the United States
by the ears
Specifications: Probation of re-
ports; suppression of full reports of
field operations in the event of fail
ure; numbers Of heat prostrations in
the field; systematic minimization of
naval operations and suppression of
complete reports Of the situation.
The dispatch is signed oy John I.
McCutcheon of the Chicago Record,
Oscar X. Davis OF the New York Sun,
John +. Bass of the New York Her.
aid, Robert NJ. Collins aud John p.
Dunning of the Associated Press and
six other correspondents.