Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-07-27
OTIS REPAID WITH KICKS.

hO oAOuIu HOI give SI6aL SiSuIH-
canoe to the round robin" CT the spe-
cal correspondents of American news
papers stationed in the Philippines
with the army of the United States
who issued "a statement denouncing tna
censorship of news dispatches. Il is
an astonishing attack upon Major
! General Otis, but weighed calmly ii
contains no serious Indictment against
him THAI should need defense. Summed
up, the charge is that Otis has refused
to permit the reporters at Manila to
send what they pleased from that city.
and that he mas not kept the American
people Informed as to the real condi-
ton of affairs al all times. But sens
ible persons know that in tines of war
it is not always best to tell everything
to the public. During the Spanish
conflict our war and navy departments
made no secret of a censorship whose
purpose was 30 conceal from the pub
lie whatever conditions and plans
those departments deemed wise to
withhold for the moment Such a
plan naturally does not meet the ap-
probation of yellow journalism whose
enterprise" transcends it's care for
the success of a campaign and which
would deliberately publish that which
might cause its failure. The same
conditions prevailed in the civil war
when the federal generals properly
punished correspondents at the front
for injudicious publicity. The situa-
ton today is somewhat analogous ia
that We know that Aguinaldo keeps
himself we'll informed through his
jun tas If there are discouraging as
poets to the Philippine campaign
which if known to the enemy would
comfort him and strengthen his pur-
pose, General Otis would indeed be IN
worthy of his command if he permit
professional zeal to scatter the news
broadcast to be waited back promptly
for the obvious benefit Of the rebel
chief. The past year or two has shown
that one of the chief banes OF the COM !
general is the staff of corre- |
spondents which a generous admins
tration permits to accompany his |
army A short experience with pen
I'll and pad near the fighting line con-
vinces the average correspondent that |
ne knows a heap more about running |
1 campaign than the officers in charge, |
md ne generally has the conceit to tell /
MS readers how it ought to be done.
some of the reporters who tagged after
Jur army in Cuba had never seen a
;k.rmish, yet they scathingly de-
bounced the officers who brought
lbout subjugation of the island with
swiftress unparalleled in the annals
If war, and when these reporters re-
urned to this country they gave fur
a1ity by writing books and magazine
rlicles pointing out the military blum
ers of the campaign and freely init
mating that things would have been
ifferent if they had run them. These
rilIiant young men wrote with the
Tisdom of hindsight, while Shafter
nd others had to depend upon their
allible foresight, which, truly enough, /,
7as not always right. though its gem
raj outcome was brilliant. Just so
hese Jealous Manila writers think Otis
;n't running the Philippine campaign !
S he should. But if We believe them {
re must discredit Admiral Dewey, s
General Anderson, General H. G. Otis.
General King and other commanders
Tho have LETT Manila, for these men Y
ave uniformly praised Major General j
it's management and declared that he {
as accomplished all that was human
? possible with the force at his COM ,
land. Whom shall we 'srust-thase :
soldiers or the profession {
writers, who have never at any time /
cen prevented from slipping letters q
YER to Hong Kong exposing the evils
ley now hint at? '