The times., 1899-09-10
HARSH=CENSURE FOR OTIS.
He Is Charged With Having Deceiv-
ed the President

ed the President.
1t is generallyk believed in Army cir
cles that GeneraE Otis has deceived both
the President ana1th War Department re-
garding the situation in the Philippines.
A high Army officer in speaking to Times
reporter YESTERDAY said he was convinced
that General Otis had falsified the state OF
affairs in his official dispatches in very
much the same way that he has compelled
the newspaper correspondents to send re-
ports that are in conflict with the truth.
Il can hardly believe said the officer,
that the President would have allowed
affairs to continue as they have il ne had
been acquainted with the situation in the
Philippines
1t is well known at the War Department
that all of the reports which have come
from General Otis have been Of the most
hopeful character, and have always reflected
credit on the general commanding in the
Philippines. Soon after the publication of
the round robin" General Sternberg re-
ceived an official report from the chief sur
geon at Manila, in which he said that only
per cent of the troops were sick. This
report passed through the hands of General
Otis and received his endorsement Since
then 1t has developed that at least 20 per
cent Of the soldiers were unfit for duty at
that time, and In some regiments only 10
per cent of the men were able to take the
field. According to General Otis reports,
there has never been an unsuccessful move
ment against the insurgents, while 1t has
been learned from both the newspapers and
returned officers that the entire campaign
against Aguinado has virtually been
failure, The American troops now in the
Philippines occupy fewer positions than
they did at the outbreak of the insurrec-
ton.
1t is said that the President has at last
realized his mistake and that he has de-
teTmined to relieve General Otis of his
command. The War Department ring,
however, is trying to persuade him to give
General Otis another chance, and the out
come is in doubt. Were it not for the an
imosity existing in certain quarters against
General Miles it is said that he would
without doubt be named to command the
operations in the Philippines at once.
Friends of General Miles believe that Pres
ident Mckinley cannot withstand the pres
sure being brought upon him, both by pub
lie opinion and the facts in the case, and
that the Commanding General OF the Army
will finally be sent TO the Philippines
press despatch from San Francisco
says:
The officers of the South Dakota and
Minnesota Regiments one and all condemn
the manner in which Major General Otis is
handling affairs in the Philippines, but
none of them will speak for publication.
They will express their opinions, but only
with the proyisions that under no consider
alton shall their names be used.
They areS stiilHin the service and dare
not criticise "a superior officer. Three Of
their number are under arrest for having
been guilty of this breach of army rules
and regulations While in Manila Lieu
tenant Colonel Slower, Surgeon Major
Warne and First Lieutenant Bates wrote
letters to their friends in Dakota criti-
cising General Otis. These letters were
given TO the newspapers and published,
and their arrest followed.
"A group of seven officers stood on the
hurricane deck of the Sheridan and one
of the captains voiced the sentiments of
the others as follows:
LOTS is all right in his place-a chin
ney corner, With three knitting needles
and ball of yarn. He does not know his
own mind for three consecutive hours at
time, and the result is that the yolun-
teers were. tossed about from pillar 10 post
until they were completely worn out and
whole companies were in the hospitals.
Take the San Fernando incident for
instance. That is an inland town and un-
important Yet we were forced to form a
Gordon around 1t, with instructions not to
fire shot without great provocation. The
natives had been driven into the noun
tains. but as soon as they saw we were
doing nothing they returned and sur
rounded u.s.