The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-07-20
Round Robin of Correspondents
| Only Emphasizes Deductions
Already Made.
Feeling Has For Some Time Elk
/ listed That Otis Was Not the
Right Man.
Lawton, Wheeler, Young and
!, Schwan Sent Specially to
Help Him Out.

ton has long feared, but for obvious
reasons dreaded to discuss in public and
what civilians were beginning, unwil-
hngly in most instances, to believe, is
precisely confirmed by the remarkable
cable dispatch from Hong Kong, which
will take rank as war paper with the
celebrated Santiago round robin of last
summer.
In the war department for more than
q month the feeling existing among the
higher officials that General Otis was
misplaced in command at Manila had
been growing irrepressible. His con-
secutive official reports were seen to be
non-corroborative, and even the presi-
dent was no longer unaware of the dis
trustful sentiment affecting soldiers in
Manila. or on duty here. or passing
through Washington to join commands
elsewhere. The government was COM
PEELED to depend for later news of the
Philippine situation wholly on the brief
cabled reports of the general, it having
been noticeable that the press dis
patches, which had been fuller than
those to the authorities here in the
earlier campaign,
! Had Practically Ceased TO Come In
since the early part of June, the in
ference being that the correspondents
had been driven from the field by the
7ainy season. The anxiety was in
creased by the apparent reluctance of
General Otis to give desired informa
tion, his grudging replies to queries
about the men he would need in the
fall, and his stubborn reiteration that
$4,000 men would be enough for all
purposes. That was his estimate six
months ago, yet for the succeeding four
months his force aggregated over 49,
900 and hardly an inch of ground was
gained from the insurgents after May l.
For four months official kilograms mad
come from General Otis, clinging to
his belief that the rebellion was over,
and only now, when events have justi-
fed none of the series of rosy predic
tions, is it beginning TO be openly adj
mitted that General Otis has not known
what was going on in the country un-'
der his control, and that he has failed
to form any adequate idea Of the Fill
pino character. AT last it is beginning
20 be realized among the civil authori
ties, as it had already become pro-
found conviction among military men
experienced in Indian control in the
West that the war in Luzon might not
have begun. and in any event would
have been quickly ended, had General
Merritt remained in command, or had
General Otis come home last summer.
Not Much of Field Reputation.
There is no disposition in the army to
declare unqualiiedly that General Otis
is incapable of doing some things in
Manila better than many other officers
near the top Of the army list. His abil-
ity as an administrator is widely reeog-
nized. He is unusually systematic
about his Office affairs and has enjoyed
an enviable reputation for discretion,
particularly in his dealings with trans
gressors Of civil and military law He
has long been authority on drill regula-
tions, and his interest in the efficiency
of the army organization was shown in
his establishment of the cavalry school.
But since tn Civil War his field SER
vice was never noticeable, and his
friends are reticent about it, For that
reason, Generals Lawton, Young,
Wheeler and Schwan, as well as others,
have been sent TO him. as expressly
stated by the war department I'm or
der that General Otis might be relieved
of much of the responsibility in the ac-
tual campaign, to devote more time i'll
administering affairs in the rest Of the
islands.
oficials Were Astounded.
The revelations now made about the
censorship astound the leading officials
here. When complaints were recently
made about the way dispatches were
being stopped and mangled at Manila,
the war department was satisfied with
an explanation from General Otis that
great liberty was being allowed, with
only such restrictions as prevented ad
vance information of military opera
tions from becoming known to the
enemy.
The president has frequently re.
marked to visitors VINO preached the
subject that he was anxious to have the.
fullest knowledge of Philippine affairs
disseminated, and that he was disposed
to have the widest latitude common
snrate with military necessity given to
American correspondents throughout
the islands. When the latest disclosures
regarding the petty annoyances CORE
spondents have met are officially sub
Stimulated, as in all probability they
speedily will be, orders from Washing.
ton will undoubtedly cause their abate.
ment. 1t is the impression that the gist,
ii not the entire subject matter of the
correspondents complaint, will be sent
By cable to General Otis by the war
department, and that he will be asked
Tor his version of the specifications they
charge.
May Call on Field OnBcers.
Should the rejoinder simply deny the
! vary serious charges in the general
Dtereotyped sentences to which such
|IDartiality has been shown in the past,
1here y no doubt that the general Of