The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-07-21
CENSOR IS DENOUNCED
News from Manila Surprises the
War Department at the
National Capital
PROTEST OF VAR CORRESPONDENTS

Gen. Otis Charged with Fa!sifying the
News Sent from Manila, with Coucealin ;
the Truth and Refusing 10 Let The Spe-
Gals Tell It-What Gen. Corbin Says
Some Interesting CORES qondence Re.
gardins the Number of Men Wanted an
the Philippines.
Washington, July l8.-The publica
ton of the war correspondents lorna!
Indictment of General Otis manage
ment of the Philippine campaign caused
a sensation il the departments here.
This indictment was addressed to Cen
erai Otis: charged MIN with rlisrepre-
senting the facts ana untruthfuLy stat
ing the situation III his dispatches;
while ne refused 10 permit the COGre-
spOndents to telegraph the truth. The
Indictment wound up as f0EOWs;
Specihcation8 Prohibition OF hOspi-
tai reports, suppression 81 full reports
Of field operations IN the event Of
failure, number Of heat prostrations III
the field, systematic inflammation Of
naval operations ana suppression OF
complete reports Of the situation, It
was signed by eleven correspondents
at Manila and whereabouts, including
the correspondent Ct the Associated
Press.
Secretary Hay had received adVices
as late as Yesterday from civil as wei!
as military sources in the Philippine:
which led him to say that the situation
there was certainly improved material.
ly, and that the prospects for the fill
ture had frightened very much With
these adViccs the secretary said, Gen
eral Otis had nothing 10 do, and they
were from disinterested persons whose
opinions must carry weight. Generally
there was strong disinclinatiOn eX-
hibitcd by the officials to discuss the
matter General Miles. who was act
ing as secretary OF war in the absence
of Secretary Alger and Assistant Sec
rotary Meiklcjohn, would not comment
upon the dispatch
Application to Clerks for News.
Regarding statements that cable dis
patches received in Washington and
other news regarding the war had been
censored contrary to the usual custom
Adjutant General Corbin yesterday
said; Eyes, these complaints have been
brought to my notice, and q word OF
explanation is perhaps due the country,
no less than the department. The
enormous amount of work the office
has been called upon to perform has
taxed to the limit the endurance of the
clerks. Complaints were made by sew
eral Of the assistants and clerks that
our clerks were being annoyed and
their time taken from legitimate work
by direct application for information
from people in no way connected with
the office or the public service. AS
matter of protection of the public in
terests and good administration the
order of June % was issued.
News Is Always Promptly Given Out.
The censure of the so-called censored
press is without just cause. and evil
IDENTIFY made under misrepresentation Of
facts. There has been no information
received from General Otis that has
not been given to the press promptly
on the bulletin board in the hall of this
Office; every fairminded representative
OF the press will bear witness to this
statement What would the manager
of any of the complaining papers
say if information concerning the bust
ness of the paper was inquired for Of
the printers rather than at the business
office of the papers? This is case
exactly in point