The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-09-14

Inc full text OF the IetLer winch the f1ttS-
burg Post published on Thursday, in which
the Associated Press correspondent at Ma
Mia. Robert M. Collins, arraigns Gen. Otis
policy in the Philippines. is presented here
with. The letter was called forth by re-
quest made by General Manager M. E.
Stone, of the Associated Press, that Core
spOndent Collins explain fully the events
leading up to the newspaper mems round
robin of last July. Mr.. Collins letter fol-
lows:
Manila, P. l., July 80, 1S99.-Melville
f. Stone, Esq, General Manager the Asso-
clated Press, Chicago, U. S. Any Dear
Mr. Stone:. Your request for detailed rec
ord of all circumstances leading to the
statement cabled to the newspapers by all
the correspondents in Manila is just re-
cefved. In the beginning it should be ex-
planned that the correspondents had the
question Of taking some united action to
secure the right to send the facts about the
war, or, falling in that, to explain to our
papers and the public why We were not tell
Ing the facts, two months before the cable
gram was released.
The censorship enforced during the war
and before the beginning of it was, accord
Ing to newspaper men who had worked in
Japan, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Russia
In war times, and in Cuba under the Wey-
Ter regime and during our war, so much
more stringent than any hitherto attempted
that we were astonished that the Ameri-
can authorities should countenance it, and
were confident that public opinion would be
overwhelmingly against it If it's methods
and purposes became known.
FOR long time we submitted to the
censorship because of appeals to our pa
tr1otism and feeling that we might be
accused OF lack thereof If we made any
trouble for the American authorities here.
ADMITS THE REAL PURPOSE.
But when Gen. Otis came down in the
hot nat inf dAd
SO much to prevent the newspapers from
giving Information and assistance to the
enemy 1.-THE legitimate function, and, accord
Ing to our view the only legitimate one, Of
censorship. but to keep the knowledge Of
c7s.ntions here from the public at home
and when the censor had repeatedly told U.S.
IN ruling out plain statements of undis
puted facts, My instructions are to let
nothing go that can hurt the administration,
we concluded that protest was justifiable.
otis had gained the idea from the long
submission by the newspaper men to his
dictation that it was a part of the duty of
the governor general to direct the newspa.
per correspondents as he did his officers.
Much of the censorship was conducted by
Am personally, the censor sending a CORE
spondent to the general with any dispatch
about which he had doubts. The process of
passing message was Identical with the
correction of composition by school
master. Otis or the censor striking out
what displeased him and inserting what he
thought should be said or, what came to
the same thing, telling the correspondent
ne must say certain things il his story was
to go.
I'm this way the entire American press was
made the personal organ of Otis: We were com
PEELED to send nothing but the official view of all
events and conditions. even when the official
view NC the opinions of the great mass
residents and was classification Of events which
3 Sahseq h before our eyes In this way every
tnough every one in the army knew it to have
been substantially failure and drilled
ious estimates of the numbers of F,lipnos
killed knowing that If we. wrote any other
the war department our work would be wasted.
FREQUENT APPEALS FRUITLESS
spondents to their papers to secure change in
censorship methods had been fruitless and as
Was ned unon grew worse and failure
rose-coored pictures of successful war and
Inhabitants fiockng to the. American standard,
the repeated suggestions of correspondents that
meeting.
An were agreed that their work was being
made farce the papers were wasting money
in keeping them there that Otis might as well
details ONE of his own clerks to do the work.
Each had his own idea of what should be done.
Up roposed they protest to the president against
the censorship. with the request that all matter
should be passed except military movements
which would assist the enemy, and 1 thought it
had better be signed by the names of the or
CARNATIONS and papers represented than by
our names, because their display might be
ment. The others thought we should send a
statement Of the conditions, with an explana-
tion TO the public why our reports had been
ION comparing notes we found that we had
among us learned the views of ali the American
generals and most of the other prominent men
IN Manila whose opinions were worth considera-
Of and that a. the there practical
pared was an epitome Of those opinions. These
ot kl-A
1t was our duty to tell them how affairs were
going; indeed the pressure upon us to tell
the truth from army officers Of high rank and
men of all classes has been something tremen-
dous. and we have been accused Of cowardice
Before taking any steps we concluded to
TAX "a with Otis and he made vague promises
had done before. and assured us, as he Had done ne
times innumerable since the beginning Of the
of collapse. that he was about to administer
the final blow. and that he knew these things
be absolutely convincing If he was at lthertv
to reveal them to us.
Itself. Before the movement on Anttpoio' Tavs
pay and Morong: we were told that it must in
Of Pars army Of Or a men, shen lon
same predictions were made of the movement to
was about to come through the surrender Of Gen
Tries, who would bring over his army
alive tn he c that wrote
was convinced that it would be impossible to
some time thereafter. unless heavy reinfor cor
ments sent.
CENSOR SAYS ITS "A TERRIBLE NESS,
was: or course we all know that we are in
people to get excited about it, If you fellows SHs
will only keep quiet now we will pull through
In time without any fuss at home
"He took the story to Cen Otis. who said
Tell Collins that II he will hold that for a week
Or ten days he will thank for not letting him
the same old story about the instruction going
to pieces, and limited so portentously about
having wonderful things up his sleeves that I
fences of the same sort The other men had
practically the same experience. each one irving
at the beginning of the rainy season, then on.
so. after waiting for month for the gen.
erals predictions TO materiahzs, we decided
changing it, the conditions had not Changed
since it was written. Its form not what
the Associated Press should not assume to give
his own views upon any question: but. on the
other hand, 1t was that or nothing. The views
were not our personal views but the views Of
Lawton. Macarthur Funston, Wheaton ct al
and we could not be accused Of prejudice against
the administration, because the stronpesf o.
organ in the country was commit
ted TO the plan. and, moreover the attemnt -
hold the newspapers by the throat wss s , TO
sual that unusual action seemed to he i,,stiaed
and demanded. ''eu |
LAS a matter of form we took the r,.s.... =.
The censor His comment was practically thu |
same that he made on my message He diS |
not question the accuracy Of the statenent LII
sorsp is intended to mater He Of the cen
70 Davis of the New ss York
and see him, doubtless thinking that as he heeI |
pondents being under obligations to him I0rr ee-
special favors he could work them to give up |
The plan o Thompson ans said he
as their views had always been conservative !
etc. A committee was chosen-Davis, McCut.
OTIS THREATENS COURT MARTIAL.