The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-11-21
OTIS A FAILURE
Albert P. Taylor Tells Of
Manila Conditions.
a Returned Honoi alan and His
We we on the Chasao sr OF Our
Champaign IN Luxon.

h000iuia on Teceut trunsPoit ho"i
Manila. talks as follows about the de-
fects in General Otis policy:
when I left Manila on the goth OF
October the affairs OF the city and sur
rounding country in general were still
in a peculiar and somewhat chaotic
condition, arising, in my opinion, from
the lack of capability Of General Otis
TO carry into effect, or even TO plan
a vigorous campaign which would re-
suit in an early termination OF the
Philippine insurrrection. In other
words, I would say from my own OBJ
servatiOn, as well as from the state
ments OF some well-known ranking
officers OF the army in Manila, that
General Otis is, in fact, incompetent to
cone with such a two-headed question.
"He is an officer who should merely
be in command of a brigade, not an
army corps. and especially such mag
niflcent organization as the Eighth
Army Corps has proven itself 10 be. In
the regular army he is but Brigadler-
General, being a Major-G General only
by brevet. General Otis is endeavorlng
to bring out OF its chaotic state, the
civil affairs OF an insular dependency
which has been rotting away under
Spanish rule for centuries. This civil
question in itself is one requiring the
constant and able efforts of men school
ed and trained in the administration
% civil and municipal government: the
Custom House and Tax problems have
been met to a small extent, yet. In
tie extension of the American systems
Of revenue collections, the details are
yet far from being worked out under
the Governorship of General Otis. IL
is a vast and knotty problem for even
a body of men to untangle and weave
into proper shape; and yet, here Is but
one man who pretends to be able sin
gle-handed to solve it, and conduct
extensive military operations as well
What has been the result? An UNI
defined and incomplete civil govern
ment established along the lines OF
martial law with its arbitrary limita'
tions, and n deplorablc result Of more
than a years army operations in thu
field.
"On the morning of my arrival In
Manila Bay on the transport siam,
October 9Th, just as We came opposite
Cavite and the memorable scene OF
Dewey's May-day victory, we heard the
loud booming of artillery; with oui
glasses we discovered dense clouds OF
smoke arising just beyond Cavite (now
the United States Navy Yard, ant
surmised that our artillerymen Were
out practicing. Upon arrival at the
decks we learned that General Schwar
had been fighting the insurgents II
severely contested battles at Novelett
and Old Cavite, and had just re-takeI
the towns. Think OF It! Our force
had just re-captured towns which had
been taken eighteen months previous
ly. and around which since the memor-
able 4th of February, of this year, our
brave volunteers had fought and bled
and VIGOROUSLY driven the pugnacious
little brown men from them. Again
the next day all Manila heard the dull
booming OF the guns beyond Cavite
and then the news of another battle,
and so 1t has continued
Three days after my arrival ! drove
out in carrametta towards Caloocan,
La Iona and the famous 'Waterworks,
famous in the annals of the victories
OF the volunteers, and had just reached
La Iona Church where General
Andy" Burt is stationed with the
25th Infantry (colored), when the line
was suddenly attacked from Malabon
on the extreme left NORTH, down to
the Pasig river isouth). General Pic
Pillar had suddenly appeared in force
along our entire front and begun a
well-timed attack. The regulars
swarmed out into position and charged
across the open field through hail of
Mauser bullets TO within 500 yards of
the Filipinos as they stood at the edge
OF the thick forest, and finally drove
them back through the woods by severe
and deadly volleys OF rihe-hrlng, and
splendid shel..sy with the light hel /
guns. This occurred not foriy.fiye
minutes ride from Escolta street, Ma
Mia, Our forces. at that time amount
ing 10 fully 10000 regulars, DO not
command even the towns asd cl.les
which the volunteers captured Ave
months ago. Why does this condition
existY Because General Otis IL 50 tied
np with his clerical duties relating ~
the clyil and military government. see
ing % II that his papers. etc" ar,
properly hlled out In duplicate and
irIpllea,e, dated, signed ana approved
and The MYRIAD al intrlpa,t.s in.la.,,