The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-28
ANACONDA NEWS.
mon TANA BOYS SPEAK UP
They Denounce the Methods EN-
ployed by General Otis.
FIGHTING MAN NEEDED
Volunteers Who Have just Arrived
From the Philippines Fix the Re-
eponsibility for the Fruitless
Campaign in Luzon.

The San Francisco Examiner of last
Monday prints interviews with 10 Mon
tana soldiers denouncing the methods of
General Otis in the conduct of the Fill
ipino campaign. The Examiner says:
1.-THE stories told time and again by
thousands of volunteers from the Philip
pines concerning the lamentable incom-
potency of Major General E. s. Otis, who
IL at present in command of the eighth
army corps on the islands, received addi-
tional confederation when the men Of
Montana arrived. They are not hesitant
to testify to the unfitness of the officer
whom they consider responsible for the
long and arduous campaign in which they
had a conspicuous part. Here are some
statements from the Montana voiun-
teers:
Private waddill, Company E, says Otis
is not military mana ger-They ought to
send a fighting man to take charge of the
forces in the Philippines. There are good,
able generals under Otis, but they are
prevented from doing very much. There
seems to be bad management. When we
came away Macarthur was in bad shape
for lack of troops, especially cavalry.
There has been more country taken than
the troops are able to cover.
Private Gray, Company E, denounces
Otis methods of campaign-General Otis
has not conducted a vigorous campaign,
and his methods seem to embolden the
enemy. We will never conquer the is
lands by the Otis methods of campaign
ing, and there is lots Of fighting yet
ahead.
Private Harrison, Company A. de-
clares all soldiers are disguised with Otis
ALI the soldiers in the islands seem to
be disguised with the way things are
n+i- de- and he
has no confidence in him as leader. The
soldiers want to fight.
Private James johnson, Company e,
places all the blame on Otis-I think that
II Otis had kept things in motion we
would have won long ago. There is GER
tainly probability that all the tribes will
Join in the resistance il the American
forces do not maintain a strong, agrees
sive front.
Private williams, Company A, says
Otis Is shy on his calling-Oh, l think
General Otis is good commander, but he
missed his calling. He ought to have
been a missionary.
Sergeant Mcintosh, Company E, is sat
isfied that Otis is too timid-I think there
should be a fighting general in charge Of
1.-The operations Otis is too timed. To be
sure, he has lot to do; too much for one
man. but he is not energetic enough in
the field.
Harry Stevens, band, criticises Otis
absurd recall action-Otis should have
let us go ahead when we were fresh and
anxious to fight. We could have Grip
pied the insurgents a good deal more. But
he held us back several times. MacAr-
thur and Lawton were both anxious to
fight and we were all tired of being call
ed off just when it looked as though we
were going to annihlate a big bunch Of
the 'niggers.'
Earl Williams, Company e, wants
Otis out and a good fighter in-Its a
pretty tough job the United States has
down in the Philippines. and one that re-
quires a first-class man, which Otis is
not. He is timid and too slow to decide
a fighter is needed who will keep right
after the insurgents and never give them
a rest
Frank Rohrbridge, Company E, calls
Otis timid and out of his class-Lawton.
Macarthur of Wheaton would do a great
deal better than Otis when it comes to
fighting. He may be all right as a diplo-
mat but he is too timid to fight the way
the Filipinos should be fought All the
boys would rather see any one of the gem
erals in command. They know then fight
ing would count for something
Frank Vincent, Company F. Classics
Otis an old woman-Otis won't do Ev-
erybody thinks he is an old woman who is
afraid of a vigorous policy. He goes
pottering along. If we want the Philip
pines we have got to fight for them and
there Is no use in delaying.
~. Herbrien, Company c, declares that
Otis caused many losses-AH the boys
want to see Otis relieved. because he
would not let them whip Aguinaldo when
they had a chance We had some hard