Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-18
GETS ALL The NEWS
Adiutant General Denies that Events in
Philippines Are Kept Secret.
CLERKS OF WAR OFFICE HAVE BURDENS
Employees Have No Time to Give out
Information which May lie Found
Elsewhere - Complaint of
the Correspondents.


WASHINGTON, July 1L-Regarding state
n ents that cable dispatches received in
Washington and other news regarding the
war had been censored contrary to the usual
Adjutant General Corbin today
said:
Eyes. these complaints have been brought
to my notice, so a word of explanation Is
due the country, not less than the depart
ment. The enormous amount of work the
office has been called upon to perform has
to the limit the endurance of the
clerks, who, by the way, are as competent
as any that can be found anywhere. Com
plants were made by several of the assist
ants and clerks that our clerks were being
annoyed and their time taken from legiti-
mate work by direct application for informa-
tion from people in no way connected with
the Office or the public service, AS a mat
ter OF protection of the public interests and
good administration the order of June 20
was issued.
THE censure of the so-called censored
press Is without just cause and evidently
made under misapprehension. There has
been no information received from General
Otis that has not been given to the press
DIbluplly VII lle U Odl III thO q
of this office; every fair-minded representa-
tive Of the press will bear witness to this
statement. What would the manager of
any one of the complaining papers say If
information concerning the business was in
CURED for of the printers rather than at the
business office OF the paper? This is a case
exactly in point.
The standing instructions of the presi-
dent and secretary of war are that the pub
lie shall be given all information we re-
ceive: this has been done and will continue
to be done. OF course, plans Of campaigns
that would be Of help to Aguinaldo and other
rebels have not and will not be promulgated,
but all facts of events transpired have been
given in fullness."
Rigor of the Censorship
MANILA, July 11.-(Via Hong Kong, July
17.)-The constantly increasing strictness of
the censorship of press dispatches from
Manila, which has prevented the cabling to
the United States of anything that did not
reflect official views of important events and
conditions, resulted in a united effort on the
part of the correspondents here to secure an
abatement of The rigor Of the censorship.
The initiative in this direction was taken a
month ago and resulted in the framing of a
statement which was presented on Sunday,
July 9, to Major General Otis, commanding
the military forces of the United States in
the Philippines islands, with a request for
permission to telegraph it to the United
States.
The correspondents also asked that they
be allowed to cable to their respective papers
all facts and the different phases of events
as they transpired here. The correspond
ents had two long interviews with General
Otis, in the course of which they complained
that the evident purpose Of the censorship
was not to keep information from the en-
envy, but to keep from the public a knowl-
edge Of the real conditions of affairs here.
1t was also asserted by the correspondents
that newspapers printed in Manila which
reach the enemy quickly are permitted to
publish statements similar to those which
correspondents are forbidden to cable. 1t
was made clear to General Otis that the
objection was to the system and not to the
censor.
General Otis finally promised greater lib
erality, agreeing to pass all matter that he
might consider not detrimental to the inter-
ests of the United States. General Otis ap-
pointed Captain Green of his staff censor.
The. statement of the correspondents Is as
follows:
= wv Aiuhs
The undersigned. being all staff corre-
spondents of American newspapers sta
toned in Manila. unite in the following
statement:
We believe that. owing to official dis
patches from Manila made public in Wash
ington, the people of the United States have
not received a correct impression of the
situation in the Philippines. but that these
dispatches have presented an ultra -optimis.
fin yieu TINT Ia mt shared NV tho ponara
officers in the field.
We believe that the dispatches incorrectly
represent the existing conditions among the
Philippines in respect to dissension and
generalization resulting from the American
campaign and to the brigand character OF
the army.
We believe the dispatches err in the dec
~laration that the situation Is well in hand
and the assumption that the insurrectior
can be speedily ended without a greatly in.
creased force.
We think the tenacity of the Filipino pur.
pose has been underestimate and that the
statements are unfounded that volunteers
are willing TO engage in further service.
The censorship has compelled us to par
ticipate in this Misrepresentation by excis,
ing or altering uncontroverted statements o.
facts on the plea, as General Otis stated
that "they would alarm the people a
home" or "have the people of the United
States by the ears"
Specifications: Prohibition of reports
suppression OF full reports OF field opera
lions in the event OF failure: number O
heat prostrations in the field; systematic
intimidation of naval operations and sup
preston of complete reports of the situa
tion.
Signed: John T. McCutcheon, Harr,
Armstrong, Chicago Record; Oscar X
Davis. p. G.. Mcdonnell. New York Sun
Robert NJ. Collins. John p. Dunning. L
Jones. the Associated Press; John F. Bass