The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-07-21
The Mask Torn Off.

The Mask Torn Off,
The anti-imperialists have as.
serted ever since the Philippine
fasco began that the American
people we're being kept in igno-
rance of the real conditions in the
islands, that the cold truth had
been suppressed and that mislead-
ing and deceiving dispatches had
been sent out from Manila in order
to quiet the protests and d%enuncia-
tons throughout the country. 1t
has remained for the Associated
press and the special c%orrespon-
dents of various American news
papers to protest against this con
dition, lay bare the deceptive
censorship and intimate what
the real condition is. In a
body these men went to Gen. Otis,
protested against his deceptive and
misleading dispatches bearing on
Philippine operations and insisted
that the censorship be loosened
up until they could give to the
outside world the facts on the real
situation. The statemente of the
correspondents is as follows:
.sThe undersigned being all staff cor
respondents Of American newspapers
stationed in Manila, unite in the fol
lowing statements:
we believe that owing to the Off
cial dispatches from Manila made pub
lie in Washington. the people of the Uni
ted States haze not received a correct impress
sion of,the situation in the Philippines, but
that these dispatches have presented
an ultra-optimistic view that is not
shared by the general officers In the
field.
we believe that the dispatches in
eorrectly represent the existing condi-
lions among the Philippines in respect
TO dissensiOn and decentralization re-
sulting from the American campaign,
and to the brigand character Of their
army.
WE believe the dispatches e,r in the
declaration that the situation is sOslt in
hand, and the assumption that the in
~surrection . be speedily endeo with
out y greatly increased force.
We think the tenacity Of the Filipi-
nos has been underestimatsd, and that
the statements are unfounded that poiuntesrs
are Willing 70 engage in further service.
The censorship has compelled us to
participate in this Misrepresentation by
exercising or altering uncontroyerted
statements OF facts-on the plea, as
Gen. Otis stated, that they would
alarm the people at home or have the
people u the United States by the ears
cf field operations in the event Of
failure; Numbers Of hear prostrations In
thefield; systematic intimidation of
naval operations and suppression Of CON-
plsts reports Of the situation.
fNEZgE 49,
John 7. McCutcheon, Harry Arm
strong, Chicago Record.
"Oscar x, Davis, n. G. Mcdonnell,
New York Sun.
Robert N. Collins, John n. Dunnlng,
z. jones, the Associated Press.
ssJohn r. Bass, Will Dinwiddie, New
York Herald.
I'D s. Keene, scripps-McRae associa-
tion.
1RichArd Little, Chicago Tribune
Notwithstanding a protest Of this
character from the representatives
Of the most influential newspapers
and news agencies existing, Gen.
OTIS has refused TO relinquish his
Spanish censorship and The admin
istration supports him in this re-
fisal Its As Gen. Otis informed.
the newspaper correspondents, the
49,
cldfacts sswould alarm the PEG
Il more disgusting and
Espntsnptible policy was never car
sss II. olt az Any country. ~ i mon
republic. Il IS Spanish.
49, sn andtbsough
asSS5 lcsaiging station has been
eadwood u sscure VOL
Rhilippins ssryice.
~ support