The evening times., 1899-07-28
SEVERE COMMENTS ON OTIS.
Returning Volunteers Express Com
tempt for His Generalship.

Returning volunteers Express Con-
tempt for His Generalship.
San Francisco July 2S.-The transport
Morgan City, which arrived here from Ma
! Mia on Monday, carried lis sick and
| wounded soldiers from the First South
Dakota Regiment alone. This was but
small percentage of the total number of
| the sick of the regiment, for the men who
| returned report that there are not 200
| able-bodied soldiers left among their fell
lows.
The cause of this condition appears to
| have been that General Otis, who is ac-
| cused OF showing favoritism toward GER
! tain regiments and keeping them as
guards OF honor around the headquarters
! in Manila, or on patrol duty on the streets,
| kept the South Dakotans on the firing Inc
almost without single let-up from the
| beginning of the fighting.
The men have spent night after night In.
| rain soaked clothing in the trenches.
Their fare has been Of the commone=t Or
der compared with that supplied to regi-
| ments not always SO far toward the front.
| The result was a breaking down OF nearly
all of the men. Aften undergoing hard
ships of this kind for months they fell
easy victims of disease.
|
South Dakota regiment probably than in
any other that went to Manila. Col. Frost,
who was regular army officer before his
| appointment by Governor Lee, is very un-
popular. He is an extremist as a marti-
net. While the regiment was in camp here
for weeks before proceeding to Manila the
men complained that their only fare was
corned beef and beans, with no fresh meats
or ordinary iuxuries OF the table to vary
it. In letters to relatives at home the men
charged that some one in the regiment was
getting rich at their expense through the
Commissary Department.
Now comes scathing letter to Senator
Pettigrew from Surgeon Major R. C.
| Warne, of the First South Dakota, of
which the following is an excerpt:
| Many of the men have attempted to ap-
ply for their return home and discharge
through military channels, but Colonel
| Frost has held them up. Today the colo
mel called the company commanders to-
gether and told them they were towards
| to allow their men to ask to be sent home;
| that they were towards to allow their men
to go on the sick list. For the good of all
concerned Frost should be sent back to his
own regiment. He is a low, contemplate
cur, looking only to his own interest
Selfish in the thought only for his own
good.
He would gladly sacrifice every man In
the regiment for few dollars in his own
pocket or little glory for Frost. He has
no interest in our State. and has no inter-
est in our men except TO use them both
for his own selfish advancement
Continuing. the major denounces the war
In the Philippines and declares that the
| Administration made stupendous error
when 1t first began to attempt to conquer
the islands. He declares that instead of
the insurgents it was the American Gov
ernment that displayed treachery in max
ing promises to the natives that IL evident
ly did not intend to keep. The South Da-
kotans who returned on the Morgan City
are unanimous in denouncing General Otis.
Here are few interviews:
Corporal o. T. Craig: There can't be
any question about the incompetency of
Otis. He is the most thoroughly despIsed
man in the Philippines, from all a person
might be able to judge by the remarks
in the camps, remember when one SOL
dier came into the hospital at Manila with
one of his eyes shot out Someone asked
him how it happened. He said he lost his
eye because he strained it too much trying
to find Otis on the firing line
| Peter Nelson: Its about time they got
someone in charge who would give the
men a chance to improve their opportuni-
ties to put an end TO the whole business.
Every time the troops got good chance
| 10 10 ASulUdiuO up OllS WOulu lIuLneuldIely
recall them II Hale or Lawton only had
command for month they'd make things
hum and people would see what sort OF
person Otis is''
Charles Bartlett: I'VE often had the mig
gers going. but Otis always stopped us
just when it was the best thing in the
world for Aguinaldo- If Otis had wanted
10 put an end to the thing he might have
done it long ago It's einch now that il
We don't get a better man it will take
many years to end it,
| Carl Anthony: "No, l didn't hear any COM
pliments handed out to Otis. 1t would be a
funny thing il We were TO praise the man
who insisted on keeping US on the firing
line until We came very near being shot all
to pieces. We need better commander
There are no two ways about that
Fred G. Brunger: Il never saw Otis or
the firing line, and / am pretty sure he was
never there. If We had had proper kind
of general at the head of 1t, We might have
accomplished something"
Sergt Antoine Zurich: "otis is positively
the worst that ever happened. Every time
We began to do something worth doing. he
ordered US to fall back. The result is thai
all our campaigning has resulted in nothing
but a long death roll. Hale is my ideal
commander. He was always right up a,
the 'front.'
Sergt Richard: Every soldier in the
American army is down on Otis. If we
were given a good general to direct the
troops the trouble could soon be ended.
| o. NJ. Oben, of Company III, Fifty-irsi
Iowa. said that he wanted no more of Otis
He is too utterly incapable as a COM
!, | mander.
Private C. B. Shaughnessy, of Compan,
| E, Twentieth Kansas, said that the wors
reports that have reached the United State:
regarding General Otis conduct are tams
J compared to the truth. We could have had
the Filipinos thoroughly whipped long age
had there been a competent officer in com,
mand of the Americans.
KiplinG's View of Our Girls.