Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-08-22
WON''T REMOVE OTIS.
Official Denial of Rumor> That Change
Was Contemplated.
STATEMENT BY WAR OFFICE
The Commanding General VIII Have
Thirty Thousand Troops In the
Field by the End of the
Rainy season.

New York, Aug. 22.-The Washington
correspondent of The Commercial Adver
tiser says: The question as to whether
General Otis will be superseded in COM
mand of the American troops in the
Philippines has been decided in the mega
tive. Secretary Root is authority for the
statement that there will be no change.
and he was SO provoked by the inquiry
that he announced that he would refuse
hereafter to answer any questions on this
point. The reason for asking informa-
tion was the publication in a Chicago
paper of a purpose to send General Miles
to the Philippines in October. A New
York paper has stated with equal posi-
tiveness that General Merritt is to be
sent to the Philippines. The war de-
partment officially puts an end to these
rumors.
An argument for sending General
Miles to the Philippines is that he could
go there as he did to Santiago when
General Shafter was fighting the Span
iards. Miles did not take command in
Cuba. because Shafter was his selection
for the expedition which resulted so sue
cessfuly. His purpose in going to the
front was to aid Shafter with advice, if
1t We're needed.
The conditions which existed in Cuba
do not exist in the Philippines. The
Cuban campaign was war against
Spain. The Philippine campaign is for
the establishment of United States au-
thorty by the suppression of insurrec-
ton. There is no war in the Philippines.
Otis is the governor general there in SUI
preme command. Should General Miles
or Merritt be sent to the Philippines
he could only take command by becom-
ing governor general.
Not His Fault.
1t is said at the war department that
Otis has been successful In driving the
insurgents from every stronghold where
they have made a stand. His inability
to follow up this advantage by protect.
ing the inha bitants of the captured towns
with garrison is not his fault 1t is
true he insisted that he could put down
the rebellion with 10000 men. He has
never had that number of soldiers in ef-
fective fighting trim. He could not use
the volunteers as garrison, for the rea'
son that their terms of enlistment had
expired. He will have no SUI conditions
to handicap him in the future.
When all the troops intended for the
Philippines reach Luzon, by the end Of
the rainy season. there will be twice 30
600 soldiers in the field. Half of this
number will be stationed in the towns
captured to protect the natives from the
insurgents. 1t is the policy of the ad-
ministration to give the friendly Fill
pinos every opportunity for the forma
tion Of local self governments.
While these peaceful plans are being
carried out Aguinado will be driven
from one place to another until he is
forced to the sea or the mountains. The
full line of railway communications
throughout the inhabited portion Of LII
zon will be under the control of the
United States forces.
Scouting parties will be kept on active
iuty IN all directions to keep the enemy
as far away as possible. In this way the
insurgents will be shut off from every
source of supply and they will become
mere outlaws, incapable of doing harm.
1t is expected that SO comprehensive a
campaign will force the Tagals to sur.
render. They must discover the hope.
lessness Of trying to cope with power
that will not recognize marauders and
aSSaSSinS