The evening times., 1899-09-08
An Explanation Why the Round
Robin Was Prevented.
The General in Command Considers
the Representatives of the Press
AmenabIc To Military Orders-His
Desire TO Make American News
papers His Orgnns-A Statement.


the action of the correspondents in pre-
pairing and issuing the celebrated round
robin" inspired by the press censorship.
The editor of the Pittsburg Post is
one of the directors of the Associated
Press, and it was his opinion that some
matters contained in the private letter
should be published.
Many Appeals Made.
This letter in part is as follows:
THE censorship enforced during the war
and before the beginning of ii. was, ac-
cor6ing to newspaper men who had worked
| in Japan Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Rus
sia in war times, and in Cuba under the
Weyler regime and during our war SO
much more stringent than any hitherto at
| tempted that We were astonished that the
American authorities should counenance it,
and were confident public opinion would be
overwhelmingly against it, if its methods
| and purposes became known.
For long time we submitted to the CEN
sorship because of appeals TO our patriot
! ism and a feeling that we might be ac-
cused of lack thereof if We made any
! trouble for the American authorities here.
4 but Rlel bP0STdl OtlS uOWH III
/ frank admission that it was not intended
/ so much TO prevent the newspapers from
| giving information and assistance to the
enemy (the legitimate function, and, ac-
/ cording to our view. the only legitimate
/ one of a censorship, but to keep the
knowledge of conditions here from the pub
! lie at home. and when the censor had re-
peatedly told US in ruling out plain state
ments of undisputed facts, My instruc-
3 - L. hs,Nry has h1NTr
the Administration, We concluded that
protest wasjustifiable.
| ''Otis had gained the idea from the long
| submission by the newspaper men 10 his
dictation that it was a part of the duty
of the governor general to direct the news
paper correspondents as he did his officers
Much of the censorship was conducted by
: him personally, the censor sending cor
respondent to the general with any des-
patches about which he had doubts.
In this way the entire American press
was made the personal organ of Otis; We
were compelled TO send nothing but the Of
1icial version of all events and conditions
even when the official view conroverted
the opinions of the great mass of the Of
ficers in the field and of Intelligent resi-
dents, and was a Justification OF events
which passed before our eyes.
In this way every fight became a glorious
American victory, even though everyone in
the army knew it TO have been substan-
TALLY a failure, and We were drilled into
writing, quite mechanically, wholly ridic-
ulous estimates of the numbers of Filpinos
killed.
Work Becoming Farcical.
"All agreed that their work was being
made farce, the papers were wasting
money in keeping them hare, that Otis
might as well detail some of his clerks
TO do the work. Each had his own idea
OF what should be done. On comparing
notes We found that we b d among US
learned the views of all The American
generals and most of the other promi-
nent men in Manila whose opinions were
worth considering, and that there was a
practical unsnimity of opinions of the sit
uation. The despatch prepared was an
epitome of these opinions. The pressure
upon us to tell the truth from army
officers of high rank and men OF all c,ass-
es had been something tremendous, and
we have been accused of cowardice and
all sorts of things Before> taking any
steps we concluded TO talk with Otis. and
he made vague promises of greater liber-
ality.
Then followed a month Of history repeat
ing itself Before the movement on Anti
polo. Taypay, and Morong we were told
that il must inevitably result in the capt
ure and destruction of Pillars army of two
or three thousand men; then the same pre-
dictions were made of the movement TO the
south in Cayite Province; next the collapse
was about TO come through the surrender
of General Tries, who would bring over his
army.
About the middle of June | wrote con-
servative review to the effect that every
one here was convinced that it would be
| impossible to end the war during the rainy
season and for some time thereafter, unless
heavy re-enforcements were sent
The censor's comment Il made note of
iD was OF course, We all know that We
are in terrible mess out here, but we
| don't want the people to get excited about
it. If you fellows will only keep quiet now
we will pull through in time without any
! fuss at home
He took the review to General Otis, who
! said:
- Tell Collins that if he will hold that
for week or ten days he Will thank me
Off not letting him send it
when went to see him he repeated the
same old story about the insurrection 60
ing to pieces, and hinted so portentously
about having wonderful things up his s,eeye
that | almost believed him. The other
men had practically the same experience.
so. after waiting for the Generals pre-
dictions to materialize. We decided to send
the statement we had framed without
! changing it, as the conditions had not
changed.
THE views were the views of Lawton
Macarthur. Funston, Wheaton, ct al, and
we could not be accused of prejudice
against the Administration. The at
! tempt to hold the newspapers by
the throat was so unusual that un-
| usual action seemed to be justified
| and demanded. AS a matter of form
| we took the message to the censor. His
comment was practically the same that
| he had made on my message. He did not
| question the accuracy of the statement of
| conditions but said: This is just the sort
of matter the censorship is intended to sup
press
How the Committee Was Treated.
Mr.. Collins then alludes to a committee
consisting Of himself and three other cor
respondents, being chosen to call upon
General Otis, and says:
when we were ushered into Otis room
he said with some anger:
Gentlemen, you have served an extra
ordinary paper upon me. You accuse me
of falsehood. This constitutes a conspira-
cy against the Government / will have
you tried by a general ourt-martial and
let you choose the judges
I'VE knew from experience with threats
to put you off the island that there was
nothing TO be frightened about, and also
knew that all officers who would be on a
court-martial would know we told the
truth. Three hours of exceedingly plain
talk followed.
:.