The times., 1899-07-18
Truth From Manila.

Readers OF Inc Times VIII remember
that for more than a month past We have
been dcnouncing the so-caIled dispatches
received from Manila as misleading. and
evidently doctcred either at the point of
filing or in the War Department here.
The latest developments tend to show that
great fraud has been perpetrated upon
the country. in the messages puTporting
to represent the military situation in the
Island Ct Luzon. How much of the blame
may attach TO General Otis and his CEN
sorzhip and how much to the war bulletin
editor CT the Adjutant Generals Office, re-
mains 10 be proven, and we do not exag-
gerate when we state that Nr. Mckinley
viii have to make that matter plain
The protest OF the press correspondents
at Manila justifies every word we have
said as to the deliberate suppression of
Philippine news. Il distinctly asserts that
through the Otis censorship the real facts
OF the situation have been concealed from
the country. While We have net the
slightest doubt that this is true. there
is not equal reason for believing that Otis
has withheld facts from the sdjutant Cen
erals Once. On the contrary. the buIIe-
tins given out from that source for
month past have borne evidence OF ex-
cision. emendatiOn. expurgaticn. and imag-
inative addition.
II may be that our own and the cor
respondents of other services and papers
in the Philippines do not know how much
of the fabrication of news has been done
at the Washington end of the line end
1t is possible that their complaint does
injustice to General Otis on that account.
If it be true that his messages and reports
have been tampered with. it would be
quite natural for him, acting under explicit
orders. to reduce news dispatches to the
terms of his own messages, as they must
have been known by him 10 be rewritten
and changed for the benefit OF the public.
But the protest of the corps of COR
respondents will make trouble FOR the
Administration. It demonstrates too con-
ciusively that the War Department has
been for weeks trying to keep the coun-
try in Ignorance Of the real conditions.
During most OF the time referred to Mr..
McKinley's military advisers have Leen
swearing that the situation in the Island
Of Luzon was well in hand" that Otis
was declaring his ability to suppress the
insurrection with thirty thousand zen:
that the Peace Commission, composed OF
Tincarion DENLY and two schoolmasters
had made = deep impression upon the
mutineers in the direction OF peace and
submission. and that the TagaIs would not
make any serious future stand in the
southern provinces"
II may be mentioned that paIpable cyl
denees Of domestic authorship in these
publications led to the outbreak Of national
indignation over the doddering policy OF
the Administration. and compelled the
President TO call out the Provisional Army.
What the suppressed correspondents in
Manila reveal, is evidence that it was Grim
inaI carelessness not 10 enlist the last man
provided by law long ago. That it was not
done is only IN additional illustration OF
the beauties OF Algerism.
How far General Otis may be responsible
for recent or current conditions in Luzoa
We do not know We are afraid. however.
that he has forfeited his hold upon Ameri-
can confidence by acts such as are sug
gested in the press protest II he has not
in that way. he has in allowing his actions
and the record Of them to be falsifed in
the War Department at Washington. In
any case his usefulness appears to have
been destroyed, and the best thing the
commander-in-Chief can DO Is to let Gen
eral Miles go over and take command as
he ought TO have been allowed to do in
the first instance. Put him at Manila with
General Wheeler as field commander. and
we are likely to hear different things from
our Eastern possessions.