The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1899-07-22
Round Robin Of Correspondents
Only Emphasizes Deductions
Already Made.
Feeling Has For Some Time Ex.
listed That Otis Was Not the
Right Man.
Lawton, Wheeler, Young ard
Schwan Sent Specially to
Help Him Out.

New YORK. July ia special to
The Tribune from Washiny.o,t says:
What every army officer III Washing
ton has long feared. but for obvious
reasons dreaded to discuss in public and
what civilians were beginning. unwil-
lingly in most instances, to believe. is
precisely confirmed by the remarkable
cable dispatch from Hong Kong. which
will take rank as O war paper with the
celebrated Santiago round robin uf last
summer.
In the war department for more than
month the feeling existing among the
higher officials that General Otis was
misplaced in command at Manila had
been growing irrepressible. His con.
secutive official reports were seen to he
non-corroborative, anG even the pr:'si.
dent was no longer unaware OF tho dis.
trustful sentiment affecting soldiers in
Manila. or on duty here. or p.ssii:.;
through Washington to join commands
!. elsewhere. The government was conl-
PEELED to depend for later news of Ill.
Philippine situation wholly on tha bri {
cabled reports of the general. it IL .e,n !.
been noticeable that the press ,,.,.
patches. which had been fuller tia :,
those to the authorities here in the
earlier campaign,
Had Practically Csaaod to Csna la
since the early part OF June. tt,. in
ference being that the correspondent
had been driven from the field by th-
rainy season. The anxiety was in.
/, creased by the apparent reluctance NJ
General Otis to give desired infora.s.
) ton, his grudging replies to quec. ~
about the men he would need in u. ;,
fall, and his stubborn rsiteration tAa,
81. .O0J mon would bs enough fnr sli
purposes That was his estimate six
months ago. yet for the succeeding four
months his force aggregated over 40.-
so0U and hardly an inch or ground was
gained from the insurgents after Mar /.
For four months Official telsgrAns ila |
come from General Otis. clinging 10
his belief that the rebellion was over.
and only now. when events have justi.9
fed none Of the series Of rosy predic-
tions, is it beginning to be openly ad-.
mitted that General Otis has not known
what was going on in the country ns:-
der his control. and that he has failet
to form any adequate idea of the Fili-
! pino character At last it is beginning
to be realized among the civil authori-
ties. as it had already become pro-
found conviction among military men
experienced in Indian control in the
West that the war in Luzon might no.
have begun. and in any event would
have been quickly ended, had General
Merritt remained in command. or had
General Otis come home last summer.
Not Much Of q Field Reputation.
There is no disposition in the army to
declare unqualifiedly that General Otis
lis incapable of doing some things in
Manila better than many other officers
near the top Of the army list. His abii-
ity rs an administrator is widely recoS-
nized. He is unusually systematic
about his Office affairs and has enjoyed
an enviable reputation for discretion.
particularly in his dealings with trans
gressors Of civil and military law He
has long been authority on drill regula-
tions, and his interest in the efficiency
Of the army Organization was shown in
his establishment Of the cavalry school
But since the Civil War his field SER
vice was never noticeable. and his
friends are reticent about it, For that
reason, Generals Lawton, Young,
wheeler and Schwan, as well as others.
have been sent to him, as expressly
h1p a S,kS
Edef that General Otis might be relieved
|of much of the responsibility in the ac-
ltual campaign, to devote more time in
administering affairs in the rest Of the
Eslands.
Onicials Were Astounded.
The revelations now made about the
censorship astound the leading officials
there. When complaints were recently
|made about the way dispatches were
Ibeing stopped and mangled at Manila,
The war department was satisfied with
Ian explanation from General Otis that
fgreat liberty was being allowed, with
aonly such restrictions as prevented adj
1vance information Of military opera
tions from becoming known to the
lenemy.
The president has frequently re-
Narked to visitors who broached the
eubject that he was anxious to have the
fullest knowledge Of Philippine affairs
sseminated, and that he was disposed
Sto have the widest latitude commen-
}}1r rate with military necessity given to
American correspondents throughout
6G iG1anG18 When the lataaf I7iac1 c1nsnres