The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-08
He LAUDS DEWEY,
CONDEMNS OTIS
MacQueen's High Opinion of
Our Admiral.
FULFILLED HIS PLEDGES
FILIPINOS SATISFIED WHILE HE
WAS IN COMMAND.
THE "DEVILMENI" BEGUN BY MERRITT
IF Dewey Had Been Commission of One We
Could have Got AgunaIdo.' Custom
House Scandals, Autonomy
Under America Wing.
Under Americas S Wing.
(New York World.)

New YORK World.)
Somervile, Mass, Oct 1.-The Rev
Peter MacQueen, who spent several
months in the Philippines among the
leading American officers and civil Off
cials and with the Filipinos, today gave
to The World correspondent Il detailed
report of his Investigations and the con-
clusions which he has formed.
Mr.. MacQueen has been interviewed
frequently since his return from the
Philippines, but claims that his views
have been nearly always misrepresented.
This is the first statement that he has
given out
"The people Of this country" he says,
started in at Manila with sincere
purpose to do justice to the Filipinos.
"As long as Admiral Dewey was i'll
full charge every pledge was fulfilled,
the Filipinos were universally satisfied.
With the coming of General Merritt the
deyilment began.
This General is described to me by
the best men of our land as "a naughty
martinez He it was who sent his in
ferior officers to negotiate with AgUinal-
do, and then, when Aguinaldo came for
the fulfilment of agreements made by
the officers thus sent, Gen. Merritt
haughtily said that he had had no deal
ings with the insurgents.
FIRST POINT OF FRICTION.
"Gen. Merritt thrust aside the Filipino
generals and placed Col. Du Boce, Of
| the First Californias in the insurgent
| trenches nearest the sea, i'll front of Ma
Mia. Col Du Boce told me that was
| the first point of friction.
when war began Aguinaldo besought
| Gen. Otis for Gods sake to have con-
ference and stop the slaughter. Otis re-
| fused.
BE it said on our side, the Filipinos
were very insolent. No other soldiers in
the world would have stood so much.
Our army, mostly of volunteers, was
| one of the best fighting machines that
ever went into battle They were brave,
| they were Just, they were magnanimous.
But they would pick up things in houses
and churches just to have for keepsakes.
So the Fiipinos got the idea when we
| took most of the things out of their
houses that we were inveterate thieves.
"When Gen. Lawton arrived in Luzon
everybody expected him to assume en-
| tire command Of the army. If this had
| been done, there is no manner of doubt
| in any fair mind that the war would
have ended pretty quickly.
OTIS MAKES ALL HIS ENEMIES.
Gen. Otis has the unfortunate ability
of making everybody he meets has
enemy. Lawton does not criticise him,
| but any one can see that he is veXed
and embarrassed by the pettiness of the
palace.
THE Peace Commissioners were very
estimable men, but they came too late.
| They were not trained diplomats.
IF Dewey, with his marvellous ge-
MUS for saying and doing the right
| things, had been Il commission of one,
we could have got Aguinaldo.
.As it was Otis was too busy, DENLY
was too old, Worcester was too much
after bugs and pictures, Dewey was too
tired, and Schurmann was too credulous
Il went with an army of loo men,
one of whose avowed objects was to dis
tribute peace proclamations. We killed
$50 Hiipinos wounded 800, and distrib-
uted one proclamation, but that was to
a blind man who could not read.
"The generals of the Filipinos are
young men. Revolutions build their
nests in young brains. In strategy Pho
del Pillar and Luna have shown them
selves equal to our best men. In diplo-
macy Paterno is clearly ahead of any
one but Dewey.
CENSORSHIP TOO STRICT.
'"rhe press censorship was far too
strict. Bass, Collins, McCutcheon and
all the others who signed the round robin
can vouch were careful honest men.
The whole American public has been
mulcted of news by this SILLY censor
ship. Aguinaldo gets his news directly
from the palace. This is cheaper than
by wire from America, and more relia-
ble
'"Ihe custom-house is a seething abon-
ination and scum. / always lost every
thing l had coming through it. 1t is
run by military incompetents. One chief
ran it Il few months, and then tried to
start a bank. People say they are not
honest. | know they are not polite.
'"rhe Filipinos like their own priests,
but hate Spanish friars as the gates of
hell Everybody | met among the ma
tives was n good Catholic. | often met
our American priests on the field. They
seemed to be hard-worn,ng men and
took great care OF the wounded and the