Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-07-27
TRUTH KEPT SECRET.
GEN. OTIS IS ACCUSED OF HID
ING FACTS.
Newspaper Men at Manila File
Formal Protest Against Distortion
Of Their Press Te1egrams-Dispat

Of Their Press Telegrams-Dispatch
Via Hong Kong startles Washing
Washington special:
The protest received at Washington by
cable via Hong Kong, from newspaper
correspondents in Manila against the GEN.
sorship established by Gen. Otis has
caused a profound sensation in Govern
ment circles.
The protest sets forth that news has
been suppressed and that the newspaper
men have been compelled ito participate
in Misrepresentation" by the action Of the
censor in ''excising or altering uncontro-
verted statements Of fact The protest
is signed by John P. Dunning, Robert M.
Collins and L. Jones Of the Associated
Press; e. S. Keene of the Scripps- McRae
Association, Oscar X. Davis and P. G.
Mcdonnell of the New York Sun, John
3. Bass and Will Dinwiddie of the New
York Herald, John L. McCutcheon and
Harry Armstrong of the Chicago Record,
and Richard H. Little Of the Chicago
tribune
That the telegraphic reports Of Gen.
Otis were censored at the War Depart
ment was we'll known, but the impression
has been that newspaper correspondents
were permitted to send about what they
wanted to, provided they avoided men
tioning future military movements.
The disclosures of the extent to which
Gen. Otis has deprived the country OF
proper information have confirmed
quiet belief that the general in command
was afraid to have the truth known, and
it is believed his official dispatches have
been distorted to conceal his mistakes in
the belief that the censorship would pre-
vent the press correspondents from send
ing the facts.
1t has been a general maxim among
army men that newspaper correspondents
are privileged to give actual results of
battles in their own language, the censor
ship being restricted to the prevention Of
the news of future military movements
from reaching the enemy.
Otis hapes the News.
Gen. Otis has apparently proceeded far
beyond this, and has assumed to dictate
what shall be sent and how the story
shall be told. 1t seems to be we'll under
stood about the department that Gen.
Otis has made a serious blunder in at
tempting to deceive the people of the
United States as to the situation in the
Philippines, for now even his truthful
reports will not be believed, and the peo-
pie will naturally think the conditions on
the island much worse than they really
are.
1t has been painfully felt at the War
Department that Gen. Otis made a-mls-
take in not getting out to the firing line
now and then, but as the insurgents were
north, south and east of Manila 1T was
supposed that he felt he could best direct
operations from the city. The failure Of
one strategical movement after another
was plainly evident, and yet the general
continued to send in the most optimistic
reports.
The result of the formal protest by the
correspondents has been to cast suspicion
on the official reports of Gen. Otis as to
the situation, and it is admitted that now
the only course will be for the President
to interfere and modify the censorship at
Manila, so that the correspondents may
be permitted to describe the situation as
it is, which will be salutary check on
the commanding general
1t would not be at all surprising if the
explosion should result in the recall of
Gen. Otis before the rainy season ends.
1t is recognized that his usefulness will
be destroyed as soon as the people learn
that he has Systematically DECEIVED them
as to the situation in LuZon.
Army men say the published protest
will do vast amount of harm, and they
think the correspondents should have ca
bled the President direct, and thus have
avoided scandal.
Ignore Round pobin.
At the regular semi-weekly cabinet
limo h..
lem of the Philippine war presented it
self. The newspaper correspondents
round robin was by far the most per-
picking question the President and his
cabinet had met in many days The cabi-
net was divided as to the manner of deal
ing with it. The members condemned it
to a man in private conversation. Two
members expressed opinions in favor of
deporting the correspondents. But in all
these expressions there was a sober ad-
mission that public opinion as to the
rights and limitations of the press in war
have greatly changed since Gen. ''Tecum-
seh'' Sherman disciplined Whitelaw Reid
and Gen. Jeff G. Davis sent the late
Joe McCullagh out of camp in a rag
ing snowstorm one night.
1t was stated at the War Department
Tuesday that no attention whatever
would be paid to the 'round robin of the
Manila correspondents. The protest was
not sent to Gen. Otis, and it is said will
not be, and Gen. Otis will not be called
upon for an explanation. In addition to
this it was intimated that very encour-
aging news had been received from the
Philippines,
ACCUSES SECRETARY GAGE.