Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-18
WILL SUSTAIN OTIS
Protest Of the Correspondents to Be
Ignored.
POSITION At THE War DEPARTMENT
No Proof Presented That the
General Has Erred.
SECRETARY LONGS VIEW

The excitement caused by the publica-
ton of the war correspondents formal in
dictment of Gen. Otis management of the
Philippine campaign had almost completely
died out in official circles this afternoon,
and the statement was officially made that
the so-caIled round robin called for no
official action. 1t was explained at the War
Department that 1t must be assumed that
Gen Otis has done right unless there is
some indisputa5le proof to the contrary.
According to army officials, the round
robin" showed merely that the newspaper
men did not approve Of General Otis plan
of campaign, but did not show that he had
made any mistakes. None of the officials
was prepared to believe that General Otis
had deliberately deceived the President as
to actual occurrences in the Philippines.
If 1t could be shown that he has done so
he would be Immediately relieved of his
command and court-martialed.
Secretary Longs View.
A Star reporter had a short cor versation
with Secretary Long just before the latter
went to the cabinet meeting at the White
House this morning in regard to the
round robin newspaper attack on Gen.
Otis management of military affairs in the
Philippines. The Secretary expressed him.
sell emphaticany On several points. He
vas absolutely certain that Gen. Otis had
not held back anything of the least i'm
portance touching the situation in the Phil
IL pines from the President, and he said he
knew that the President had not suppress
ed any information he had received from
Gen. Otis. Secretary Long said 1t was in
credible that Gen. Otis should have de-
ce1ved the President to the true cOndf-
tiou of affairs in the Philippines, and it was
a matter of personal knowledge that the
President had directed that the public be
fully acquainted with all official advtces
from the Philippines. Moreover, it was un-
reasonable to suppose that Gen. Otis would
attempt to misrepresent the situation to the
President or that he would minimize the
resistance OF the insurgents.
No Complaints from the Navy.
Secretary Long said that he had received
no complaints whatever of Gen. OTIS policy
toward the navy in the Philippines. So far
as he was aware Gen. Ous had never at
tempted to interfere with the transmission
of official kilograms to the Navy Depart
meut and It was incomprehensible to him
that any one should nave such idea.
Admiral Watson. in command of the naval
forces. was perfectly free to report all his
operations to the Navy Department tnde
pendently of Gen. Otis ard it was not at
all likely that the latter would attempt to
censor official dispatches to the Navy De
partment.
while General Otis might possibly mini
mize the operations of the naval feet so
far as the press dispatches Were concerned
ii would be practically impossible for him
to control the official reports TO the Navy
Department bearing on such operations,
even in case he was disposed to do So
Taking it altogether, Secretary Long is not
disposed to attach much Importance to
the newspaper round robin, especially in
view of the absence of details
Could Have Mailed Matter.
Other officials say that the newspaper
would have made stronger case
against General Otis if they had supplied
some of the important facts alleged to have
been suppressed.
1t was contended that such information
could have been sent from Hong Kong
just as easily as the round robin"
The Situation Improved.
Secretary Hay received advices as late
as last night from civil as we'll as military
sources in the Philippines which led him to
declare that the situation there was Ger
tainly improved materially, and that the
prospects for the future had frightened
very much With these adViCes the Secre-
tary said, Gen Otis had had nothing to DO
and they were from disinterestet persons
whose opinions must carry weight
1t was explained that these advices
which have given much comfort and en-
coUragement 10 the members of the cab
met 10 whom they were communicate ted had
a bearing rather on the political than on
the military situation. although there is
naturally a very direct connection between
the two at this time. The cOlnmisston or
at least so much Of it remains at Ma
Mia since the departure of President
Schurman and Admiral Dewey has been
unreiaxing in the effort TO restore the con-
hdence OF the natives and aid military
operations by inducing defectioRs among
Agninaldo's followers
Allegiance OF Natives
Some progress has been made, more. IL is
said than the public is acquainted with; for
not only have tho United States authorities
been able 10 secure tho unqualified adhe-
sion Of the ratives of the more important
lsIanos outside Of Luzon in the Philippine
group but even IN that island thev have
steadily encroached upon what was regard
ed as purely tnsurgent territory and are
arranging Tor the establishment of full civil
governments In some of the provinces of
the island wherein AguinaIdo has hereto
fore been strongest. Because this fs 70 he
accomplished by peaceful means and Win
the full assent of the inhabitants of tba
provinces the administration naturally fer
that II mad cause for qualification.
At the War Department..
Generally. there was strong disinclIna-
uon exhibited by the officials to discuss
the round robin" Gen. Miles. who wa
acting as Secretary Of War in the absence
VI SSCtetdiy anger ana Assistant Secre-
tary Meiklejohn, would not comment upon
the dispatch.
AdJutant General Corbin made a state
ment, in which he said The censIre of
the so-called censored press is without tust
cause and evidently made under misap-
prehension of facts. There has been no in
formation received from Gen Otis that ha
not been given TO the press promptly on
the bulletin board in the hall of this Officer
every fair-miuded representative Of the
press viii bear witness to this statement
What would the manager of any one of the
complaining papers say If Information con-
cerning the business of the paper was in
quired for of the printers, rather than al
the business office of the paper2 This is a
case exactly in point.
The standing instructions Of the Presi-
dent and Secretary OF War are that the
public shall be given all Information we
receive: this has been done and will con-
tinue TO be done. OF course. plans of cam
paigns that would be Of help to AguinaIdC
and other rebels have not and will not be
promulgated, but all facts or events tran
spired have been given in fullness'