The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-18
NOT UNEXPECTED
Officials Have Been Prepared For the
Late News From Manila.

~
Tribune from Washington says:
What every army officer in Washing
ton has long feared but for obvious
reasons declined to discuss in public,
and what civilians were beginning, IN
willingly in most instances to believe is
precisely confirmed by the remarkable
cable dispatch from HOnk Kong, which
will take rank as a war paper with the
celebrated Santiago round robin of last
summer.
In the war department for more than
a month the feeling existing among the
higher officials that General Otis was
misplaced in command at Manila has
been growing irrepressible. His cOnSe-
cutiVe official reports We're seen to be
n-cOrrOborative, and even the presi-
dent was no longer unaware of the dis
trustful sentiment affecting soldiers in
Manila or on duty here or passing
through Washington to join commands
elsewhere.
The government was compelled to de-
pend for later news of the Philippine
situation wholly on the brief cabled re-
ports from the general sit having been
noticeable that the press dispatches.
which had been so full and satisfactory
to the authorities here earlier in the
campaign, had practically ceased to
come since the early part of June, the
Inference being that the correspondents
had been driven from the field by the
rainy season. The anxiety was increaS-
ed by the apparent reluctance of Gen
eral Otis to give desired informa ton,
MS SruQSln2 repneS TO queries ABOUT the
men he would need in the fall and his
stubborn reiteratiOn that 30000 men
would be enough for all purposes. That
was his estimate six months ago; yet
for the succeeding four months his force
aggregated over 10000, and hardly an
inch of ground was gained from the
insurgents after May l.
For four months official kilograms had
come from General Otis, clinging to his
belief that the rebellion was over, and
only now. when events have justified
none of the series of rosy predictions, is
it beginning to be openly admitted that
General Otis has not known what was
going on in the country under his con-
troll and that he has failed to form any
adequate idea of the Filipino character.
At last 1T is beginning to be realized
among the civil authorities, as it had
already become a profound conviction
among military men experienced in In
dian control in the west, that the war
in Luzon might not have begun. and in
any event would have been quickly end
ed had General Merritt remained in
command or had General Otis come
home last summer.
There is no disposition in the army
to declare unQualifiedly that General
Otis is incapa bic of doing some things in
Manila better than many other officers
near the top of the army list. His abil
ity as an administrator is widely recog-
niZed. He is unusually systematic about
his office affairs and has enjoyed an en-
viable reputation for discretion, partic-
SOrS of civil and military law. He has
long been an authority on drill regula-
tfOns and his interest in the efficiency
of the army organization was shown
in his eSta blishment of the cavalry
school But since the civil war his field
service was never noticeable and his
friends are reticent about 1t. For that
reason Generals Lawton, Young. Wheel
er and SchWan, as we'll as Others have
been sent to him, as expressly stated by
the war department in order that Gen
eral Otis might be relieved of much of
the responsibility in the actual cam
paign. to devote more time in admins
tering affairs in the rest of the islands. -
The revelations now made about the
censorship aStOund the leading officials
here. When complaints were recently
made about the dispatches that were
being stopped and mangled at Manila.
the war department was satisfied with
an explanation from General Otis that
great liberty was being allowed, with
only such restrictions as prevented ad-
vance information of military opera tionS
from becoming known to the enemy.
The president has frequently rena rx-
ed to visitors who brOached the subject
that he was anxious to have the fullest
knowledge of Philippine affairs dissem-
mated and that he was disposed to have
the widest latitude commensurate with
military necessity given to the Ameri-
can correspondents throughout the ISL
ands. When the latest disclosures re-
garding the petty annOyances cores
pOndentS have met are officially sub
stantiated as in all prOba ability they
speedily Will be, orders from Washing
ton will undoubtedly cause their abate-
ment.
It is the impression that the gist, if
not the entire subject matter, of the
correspondents complaint will be sent
by cable to General Otis by the war de-
partment and that he will be asked for
his version Of the specifications they
charge. Should the rejOinder simply
deny the very serious charges in the
(Continued on Sixth Pare9