Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-09-08

CHICAGO, September 6.-Immediate-
ly after the publication of the celebrat
ed round robin from Manila last July,
in which the correspondents protested
against Gen. Otis censorship, General
Manager NJ E. Stone, of the Associated
Press, cabled to the Associated Press
correspondent at Manila asking a full
explanation of the events leading up to
that action of the newspaper men
there. Robert NJ. Collins. the Associ-
ated Press man, writes a letter in reply,
which is the plainest and most con-
vincing testimony yet given of the in
competence of the management of the
war against the Filipinos. The letter
is not given in its entirety, as certain
parts of it are withheld for obvious
reasons. Mr.. Collins, it is hardly ne
cessary to say, is an experienced cor
respondent, man of discrimination
and sound judgment, else he would not
have been given such an appointment.
MIR. ColliEss writes:
MANILA, P. l., July 80, 1899.
Melville E. Stone, Esq, General Mana
ger the Associated Press, Chicago,
U. s. A:
My Dear Mr.. Stone-Your request for
a detailed record of all circumstances
leading to the statement cabled to the
newspapers by all the correspondents
in Manila is just received. In the be-
ginning it should be explained that the
correspondents had the question of TAX
ing some united action to secure the
right to send the facts about the war,
or, failing in that, to explain to our
papers and the public why we were not
telling the facts, two months before the
cablegram was released. The censor
ship enforced during the war, and be-
fore the beginning of it, was, according
to newspaper men who had worked in
Japan, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and Rus
STA in war times, and in Cuba under
the Weyler regime and during our war
SO much more stringent than any
hitherto attempted that we were aston
ished that the American authorities
shoudcountenance it, and were conf
dent thato public opinion would be ov-
erwhelmingly against it if its methods
and purposes became known.
For a long time we submitted to the
censorship because of appeals TO our
patriotism and feeling that we might
be accused of a lack thereof if we made
any trouble for the American authori-
ties here.
BUT WHEN GENERAL OTIS
CAME DOWN IN THE FRANK ADJ
MISSION THAT 1T WAS NOT IN
TENDED so MUCH TO PREVENT
THE NEWSPAPERS FROM GIVING
INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE
TO THE ENEMY CTHE LEGITI-
NATE FUNCTION, AND, ACCORD
ING TO OUR VIEW. THE ONLY
LEGITIMATE ONE, OF A CENSOR
SHIP, BUT TO KEEP THE KNOW
LEDGE OF CONDITIONS HERE
FROM THE PUBLIC AT HOME, AND
WHEN THE CENSOR HAD RE-
PEATEDLY TOLD US, IN RULING
OUT PLAIN STATEMENTS OF UN-
DISPUTED FACS. my INSTRUC-
TIONS ARE TO LET NOTHING GO
THAT CAN HURT THE ADMINS
TRATION," WE CONCLUDED THAT
PROTEST WAS UNSUITABLE.
The process of passing message was
identical with the correction of a COM
position by schoolmaster. Otis or the
censor striking out what displeased
them and inserting what they thought
should be said, or, what came to the
same thing, telling the correspondent
he must say certain things if his story
was to go.
In this way the entire American
press was made the personal organ OF
Otis: we were compelled to send moth