, 1899-09-21
WASHINGTON NEWS.

General Otis. 1t is reported at the war
Department, however. that Genefai
Otis command will Dc only nominal.
He has outlined IL campaign with the
advice and approval of the War De
partment officials and the President.
but Generals Lawton II Macarthur
will be intrusted with carrying 1t into
execution with little Interference from
General Otis. They will be told what
is expected of them and be permitted
TO execute their orders in their W
way, being held responsible only for
the results obtained.
The friends of General Otis are be
coming hopeful that they Will succeed
in having him retained in his present
command. Last week they were
deeply discouraged, and one. n high
official of the war department, openly
admitted that he believed "porular
clamor' would result in his frieL6s re-
call and the assignment of General
Miles or General Merritt to Manila.
The prediction is now being confident
ly made by Genera Otis admirers
that he will be permitted to demon
strate what he can do with II lnrger
army before being censured for his
failure to make more progress during
the last campaign. The President has
repeatedly expressed his confidence in
General Otis. and Secretary Root has
commended his reports for clearness
and conciseness. But the latter official
has been inclined to the suggestion
that an officer of high rank. the major
general commanding the army being
preferable, should be placed mt the
head of the fighting forces. Secretary
Root has viewed the situation from an
unprecedented standpoint, and his rec
concentrations were placed upon Gen
l,eral Otis ability as n soldier. He has
taken the broad ground that where the
army is there also should be the
ranking officers. He is opposed to the
proposition to permit the major general
| commanding TO remain ut his desk
performing routine work. another ma
jor general acting as military governor
of Cuba, and the third as commander
of h department of the east, while
the army is in the Philippines under
the command of n brigadier general,
which is General Otis rank in the
regular army.
In an interview w. Il. Merriam, di-
rector OF the census, said in reference
to Ii appointment of the enumer
ators: Our next great undertaking
and any branch of n work which must
reach every nook and corner, farm and
cabin in the United States is greats
that of selecting about 5000 enumer-
ators for taking the twelfth census.
We are trying s~trenuously to prepare
for n complete and reasonably perfect
census. The burden of the work of
gathering the materials for it. however.
will fall on the enumerators. I'm any
important line of private business pre-
liminary training is required of those
charged with conducting its details.
Lawyers and doctors study before they
practice their professions. and mechan-
les are required to serve thorough ap-
prenticeships before asking for jour
neymen's work or wages. So. in my
view. those who desire to act as cen
IL enumerators should take up the
study of census laws. schedules and
statistics. thus f~amiliarizing them
selves. as far as possible. with the de-
will be prepared on the LIST of June
next, like n great and well-drilled
army, to begin their labors understand
ingly and tremendously from ocean to
ocean, without after that day requir.
ing further orders or Instructions
While l shall not undertake to select
enumerators without consulting with
the proper census supervisor rs to the
qualifications and experience of appli.
cants. / would like to suggest that all
candidates adopt the ourse | have in.
! Dictated and thus help to insure at the
threshold of the twentieth century the
most perfect census in the history OF
the republic