The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-07-25
NOT MUCH FIGHTING.
r aims Interfere With Cam
paigning on Large Scale.
GARRISONS TEMPORARILY CUT OFF
General Otis Sent Dispatches Saying Cor
respondents Charges Were Untrue.
Admitted That at Times His Reports
Were Too Conservative.

MANILA, July 22.-The unprecedented
rains of the last week convinced OBJ
servers here that military operations on
q large scale or advances covering many
miles will be impossible for long time.
Many miles of the country were flooded
to a depth of three or four feet. The
Paranaque bridge, which was consid-
cred impregnable, was swept away, cut
ting off temporarily the garrisons of
linus and Bacor from communication
with Manila.
In the circumstances it would be i'm.
possible to move wagon trains, as the
trails had become doubtful. Pack mules
will be utilized if 1t should become
possible for soldiers to make marches.
WASHINGTON, July 22.-The war de-
partment issued a statement quoting
certain dispatches from General Otis in
answer to the press correspondents
Ground robin"
The text of the statement was as fol.
lows:
General Otis, in a dispatch under
date of July 20, says that the press cor.
respondents demanded permission to
cable that official reports sent misrepre.
sented conditions. This was denied.
They then demanded the privilege to
send without reservation facts found by
them and their opinions. This was
granted if public interests were not i'm.
perilled. The answer was not satisfac-
tory and they therefore sent by mail to
Hongkong. General Otis says he is not
conscious of sending Misrepresentation
but thinks that his dispatches at times
| have been too conservative. The press
| affair appeared to be a threat. When
the correspondents were asked to be in.
formed wherein General Otis dis.
| patches were misleading, they offered
nothing tangible except that his con
clusions were unwarranted. When told
that they were disregarding military
authority, it was apparent that they
courted martyrdom, which it was un
wise to give them.
"In later dispatch General Otis says
that the charges made by the press cor
respondents are untrue. He adds thai
the most harmonious relations exist be
tween the army and the navy. lie
gives the following extract from a lettel
Just received from leading Filipino a
Tarlac, which is the center of the mail
insurgent army:
"'For some days have been trying tt
leave this band of thieves. Watched 81
closely, impossible to leave. A grea
many of the people here long for Amer
lean troops to advan ;e, for everyone l.
desperate with SO mu n Savdgery CON
mitted by Aguinaldo' army
Captain Barker of the navy, whc
succeeded Admiral Dewey i'll comman'
of the fleet, in sending the report o
commander of the \ orktown to tin
navy department, makes this endorse
ment:
L am pleased to note the cordia
cooperation of army and navy
GAS bearing upon the statement tina
the operations of the navy had beel
minimized, it may be stated chat Gen
eral Otis has repeatedly recognized tn
work of the navy, as for example il
his dispatch of June 10 last, in whiol
he says: "The navy aided greatly o.
shore of bay, landing forces occasion
ally and again under date of July
The army and navy are in hearty &C
cord and the best of feeling prevails.