The times., 1899-05-25
THURSDAY, MAY 25. 1899,
differences Only Technical.

II is with considerable satisfaction We
mention editorially a matter which the
depaItm yesterday gave out with cheer
ful confidence. AT the War and State
offices, not to speak of the White House,
it was confided TO members of the press
that all the talk about any serious mis-
understanding between General Otis and
his meddling civilian colleagues, Prof.
Schurman, AIger Relief DENLY. and wor-
cester. was based only upon strictly tech
nical difference. This is encouraging but
not quite satisfactory.
The statement was allowed to trickle
10 the public on the strength of an alleged
dispatch from Prof Schurman. in which he
is represented to have assured Secretary
Hay that, far from intending to impinge
upon the military powers of Otis, he was
and is only too glad to give that officer
any assistance in his power. consistent
with his instructions and whatever may be
the necessities OF the situation they
would naturally occur TO his colleague,
DENLY. Read between the lines. there is
internal evidence in the Administration
story that there has been serious friction,
ard this view has been corroborated dur
ing several days b. remarks and conf
dences emanating from the War Depart
ment and more or less relating to the
protests which Otis has been sending home.
What the nature OF these protests is it
might be sindelicate for us TO speak OF,
since the official explanation of the Schur-
man-Denby obstruction is withheld. But
military persons of staff station and re-
nown have been heard to say that the
plans OF Otis have been nearly. if not
quite. wrecked by the interference OF the
civilian Commissioners at Manila They,
it is alleged, have wasted time in tentative
discussions with barefooted Tagai ennis
saries on such subjects as the higher
education" the advantages of the boss
system in party politics" the availability
Of commissions as q means to the produc
tion Of whitewash," how church and state
might be divided, with benefit TO the
dividing syndicate" and such like topics,
interesting but hardly germane to the main
object OF their mission, which has been
asserted to be the suppression of the Tagal
mutiny. Not to waste space on people Of
the DENLY stripe. the selections sent to
Manila 10 handicap Otis seem to have
acted as If the great, II not the sole. pur-
pose OF the Administration had been to ex-
tend the period of hostilities beyond the
rainy season. How such an idea could have
entered the head Of anyone in authority
IS beyond our comprehension. It is in
conceivable that a diplomatist like DENLY.
for instance. could have either personal
or representative interest in the continu-
alton OF hostillues. the cessation of which
would iniure the business of any class of
patriots. be it OF the timed or refrigerated
variety,
Yet the net result Is that the rainy sea-
son is On and hard fighting has reopened.
oyenzhine and LaWton again are shedding
lustre On American arms. and the wet
weather campaign Of the Governor Cen
eral. imposed upon him by civilian med
ding. has been ineUgurated.
In all the foregoing. We do not mean
even 10 iusinuate that the differences be
tween General Otis and Denby-whose out
er manifestation is Schurman-are not
strictly technical We do suspect that the
technieality consists in the impossibility
OF assimilating civilian pottering with a
condition of military necessity, involving
the health, lives. and success of an army
engaged in n fight in a difficult country
against superior numbers and better arms.