The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-10-12
What the New York Tribune Says.

The New York Tribune comes as
near being the Administration organ
as is consistent with sturdy honesty
and common fairness. 1t is not a
yellow sheet, and never INDUCES in
news fakes and canards, but is ad-
dlcted to the publication of genuine
LEWIS wherever it can lay hands on 1t
aud without regard to possible conse.
quences. For these reasons the re-
markable revelation in It's Washing
ton dispatches of some phases OF the
Philippine situation are all the more
notable and impre sslve. According
10 these Tribune reports, the rtla.
tons between General Gus and Ad-
miral Dewey became so strained in
May last that the latter determined
to sail for home. He did not do so,
however, until he had had an exclt'
ing interview with General Otis, IN
the course of which, according TO
current belief, he calmly used the
expression "'your lying reports to
the Governor General" This IS
given by the Trbune's Washington
correspondent on the authority Of a
letter from zone of the most intelh'
gent and well known naval officers
of high rank on the Aslstic station"
On the same authority is given an
account of another interview between
the two American commanders. ut
which General Otis set forth a plt1
which he had formed, to man the
thirteen little gunboats which he had
recently purchased with native Fir
pino crews and pilots and then set
ting them to watch and catch iillbus-
tiers. No precautions whatever were
to be taken against Filipino incapac.
city or threachery, and Admiral
Dewey promptly declared the whole
fleet would be in the hands Of the
enemy within week. With
equal promptness, the Admiral de
clared that, If the gunboats came out
of the Pasig River, manned 10 the
fashion General OILS proposed. be
would "seize them as menace to
public safety That ended the con
tention and the whole fleet Of gun
boats was turned over to the navy
After Amlral Dewey's departure,
Captain Barker manned the little
guuboats efficiently, ard within a
month "the insurgents were cut Of
from guns .rtridges and money" he
letter from which these pertinent quo
tations are taken gives other revela-
tons of the total inability Of General
Otis to grasp the situation aud meet
it's demands, notably so in refereoce 10
the subject Of clearance to ships
which were likely 10 engage in con-
traband trade between the different
islands. The Admiral, however, was
equal to the occasion. Five days be.
fore he sailed for home, he ordered
his vessels to Disregard the clesrances
given by military authority, and to
stop all trade with ports not sctuall )
lin possession Of our forces" This
radical order was issued by the Ad.
miral entirely on his own responsible
ty; it was deeply resented by Gen
eral Otis, but the latter, in his weak
aud webbing fashion, tamtly sub
mitted to it's operation, and did not
even send protest. to Washington
Such are the revelations made by
the Tribuue's correspondent as 10
the incapacity and deficiency of the
man whom the Government . Wash.
ington persists in keeping in sO-cslled
supreme command at Manila. The
Tribune's Washington correspondent
further says that the communications
made to the President by Professor
Schurman, on bis recent return from
the Philippines, were altogether I'D.
verse to the expediency and safety OF
retaining General Otis in his present
commsnd, and Admiral Dewey is ex.
pected to fully corroborate the neces-
sity for a change.