Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-20
PLAT UPHoLDs MCKINLEY
New York Senator Analyses Criticism of the
prsad&t
Shows That Lattef Has Acted Consist
emily and With Full Knowl-
edge q situation.

Senator Thomas c. Plat, who is in New
York city, last nightga out the following
statement on the war ia>the Philippines:
at purpose herein to answer certain crit
icisms which are being directed at the con-
duct of the war in the Philippines. do not
refer to the criticisms of those who, in the
name of liberty and philanthropy, are add
vocating a policy Of national cowardice and
dishonor.
But there are other critics who, entirely
convinced of our duty and responsibility in
the Philippines, are apprehensive lest the
government has not appreciated the size of
its undertaking. They forget the history
of the matter. They forget the limitations
Of authority from Congress and of good
faith to Spain, by which the government
has been embarrassed. They are inQuirtng
army at his back. They want to know why
there was not sufficient force present in
the Island of Luzon to crush the rebellion
upon its first appearance. And, stirred by
sensational newspaper stories and by the
recent round robin OF the offended cor
respondents, they are asking whether the
situation is even as good as had been re-
ported, whether the government has not al
lowed itself to be misled, and whether the
military force now being enlisted will sure
ly be great enough for the task in hand.
These are the inquiries to which l purpose
to submit an answer.
"It should be borne in mind. in the first
place, that the governments means Of in
formation concerning what has occurred in
the Philippines are not confined to General
Otis. The Navy Department has its agents
there. The President Is directly represent
ed by Mr.. DENLY, who was for fourteen
years our minister to China, and by Prof.
Worcester. who resided in the Philippines
for four or five years, and who knows the
native character and habits. The Philip
pines campaign is receiving the Presidents
constant personal attention. He is in di-
rect cable communication with Manila, and
receives daily reports from all sources.
THE possibility of his being misled about
the facts In the case is scarcely worth con-
sidering. The precise fact as he obtained
it, not only from General Otis, but from
each of dozen or more of his official in
formants. is that for a distance of fifty
miles miles, north OF Manila and Of twenty miles
south of Manila, and eastward into La
guna province, our armies hold the terri
tory; that the insurgents are scattered be-
yond our lines in bands of from fifty to 500,
their only considerable force consisting OF
about 1900 men, who are encamped in
northern Pampanga. The southern army
of the insurgents. possibly 1900 strong, is
badly demoralized by recent defeats.
1.-THE Presidents advisers report to him
that in number of cities within the Amer
lean lines local governments have been
formed, which are discharging their func-
tions competently.
HAAS Va inc IscSOtts
1.-The President is advised, and on this
point his information comes unanimously
from all the able men whose ofticiai obi
cation is to keep the government accurately
Informed. that the only hope of the insur-
gents lies in the efforts they are making to
convince the people that change of gov
eminent Is about to occur in the United
States favorable to the insurgent cause;
that there Ia a
the American people Tor the prosecution of
the war, and fixed purpose on the part of
the political party about to come into power
to withdraw the American army and to
organize the government of Aguinaldo. y I" 3"
1T became Immediately necessary for our
government to define it's Philippine policy
but the President was not to be forced into
lnconSiderate action. AS to Cuba and Porto
Rico he had made up his mind and the
French ambassador was Informed that
treaty Of peace could be negotiated on the
basis of the surrender of Cuba to us and to
the Cuban people, and upon the cession OF
Porto Rico and Guam, and, as for the
Philippines, the President said that we
would take and hold the bay, harbor and
the treaty and that the treaty should de
termine the control, disposition and govern
ment of the Philippines
in agreeing to this arrangement as the
basis Of a peace conference, Spain made
it her duty to withdraw her forces from
the city of Manila and give room for ours.
But the cable from Hongkong was not then
in working order, and before the terms OF
the protocol could be communicated by
Spain to her forces and by us to ours a
battle had occurred, and at great expense
of blood and treasure we obtained by force
what the protocol had peacefully conceded.
This did not alter the terms upon which
the peace commissioners were instructed to
prepare treaty, but it put new face on
the situation both here and at Manila. $50
Keeping Faith With Spain.
Further expeditions Of men to the Phil
ippines would have been a plain violation
of the terms Of the protocol. But if that
wholly sufficient reason had been wanting
there was another, and this other involved
the most trying and troublesome condition
with which the government has had to con-
tend. The President knew better than any
one else that peace was assured, and that
all his soldiers, not only those who stood
ready to go to the Philippines, but the 10
700 men then there as well, were by law to
be mustered out of the service on the in
slant when he made official announcement
that the Spanish war was over.
Even had the President been at liberty
under the terms of the peace protocol to
increase the Philippine army, and even had
ready for transportation there, no wise
counselor would have advised sending them
there. Indeed, the very thing that brought
on the conflict with Aguinaldo was the dis
patch of small force intended to take the
places of those whose terms of enlistment
had expired, and who had already been
brought home. ..-s.
From the hour when Congress assembled
in December, the President endeavored to
draw its attention to the situation in which
the government would be left upon the
proclamation of peace. In one message he
delivered to the Senate the peace treaty.