The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-18

considered Necessary.
NEW YORK, July IA special from
Washington says: Consideration is the
word that but feebly expresses the feel
ings of the officials of the administra-
ton, and especially those connected with
the war department, since the publica-
ton Of the Manila correspondents round
robin" against the methods employed by
Gen. Otis to keep the truth about affairs
in the Philippines from the American
public. War department officials fatty
refuse to discuss the matters involved.
Semi-offlcially it Is freely rumored that
there will be radical changes in affairs In
the Philippines In the near future. Gen.
Miles was closeted with the president
today, and 1t is whispered tonight that
the chief executive has grown weary of
the mistakes made in the war depart
ment in the effort to ignore Gen. Miles,
and today asked the commander Of the
army for his opinion as to what was
most needed in the Philippines. 1t is
also strongly limited that Gen. Otis may
soon be in the United States
What has caused the greatest uneasi-
ness in administration circles is letter
cabled to New York by James Creelman,
which is as follows:
After having spent several months with
our troops in the Philippines, l am firmly
convinced that unless Gen. Otis is re-
moved and competent general put In
command the whole campaign will be a
failure. L have been in the Cuban cam
paign as well as in the Philippines, and
can say honestly without the slightest
prejudice that Gen. Otis is much more
responsible for the disastrous, humiliating
n no OF fHnr1 (Nara
Shafter was for the calamities in Cuba.
For the war in the Philippines Gen.
Otis was furnished with a perfectly
equipped, we'll fed army and he had
months of dry weather in which to fight
against an imperfectly organized enemy.
TO be perfectly plain, Gen. Otis is a
fussy old man. unaccustomed to anything
but reg1mental command and saturated
with the ideas and methods of a routine
clerk. he is man who has grown old
serving ON regiment and his experience
ana aoI1ties do not go outside of regi-
mental lines. Now that he finds himself
In comand Of large army, intrusted with
the government Of a great archipelago it
is no wonder that things are as they are
1t was because of this knowledge that Adj
miral Dewey, without consulting Gen.
Otis, privately cabled to President Nc
hlniey asking him, to send 70 Manila a
small. commission of men skilled in states
manship and diplomacy. 1t was apparent
to him, as to, others, that Gen. Otis was
not competent to deal with the far reach
| PAOOAClAlS AilNOINSQ III d war
with the natives:
Gen. Otis principal thought seemed to
pc 10 prevent the real facts from being
telegraphed to the United States, and hfs
abuse of censorship has been almost in
credible. While the army in the field was
awaiting orders during the advance on
Maloios, ne spent whole hour reading
my my dispatch to the Journal, striking out
the names of officers mentioned for gall
lantry, changing descriptive passages
efbPasing era all mention of the part played by
the navy, and even occupying five min
uteS In selecting single word On the
night OF the charge at Talihan river.
went to Gen. Otis palace. having ridden
IN IN from the battlefield. The general in
sisted on changing the dispatch I sub
mitted to him, and actually struck out the
name Of Col. Funston, whose regiment
swan the river under fire, saying, I pro
pose to make all the heroes that are made
In this war
During Gen. Wheaton's advance to
F Faslo a and beyond with the flying brigade,
stopped unless they described the enemv
nghting furiously and unless thew claimed
tnat enormous losses were inflicted by our
oloG;ps' onS;dp As matter of fact, on this oc-
caslon, the insurgents were contemptibIe
IN numbers, and ran away except in the
cases OF one or two small bands, and their
losses We're very slight
ALGER TO RETIRE.
Right upon the heels Of the Otis agita-
ton comes the announcement. credited 70
cabinet officer, that there is a posittve
understanding between the president and
the secretary Of war that Gen. Alger
shall retire from the cabinet The data
is not fixed, it is said, but. on the CON
trary, Is left open to be decided by cir
cumstances. These circumstances If ia
SAID, involve cessation even temnora Ri "
OF the repeated attacks on the secretary
Of war. He asserted his unwtllingness to
get out under fire. or under circuno-
stances which would leave the impression
that he was forced out of the cabinet
besldes that, ne claimed as a right the
privilege of writing the annual report
covering the period of the war up to
July l of this year.
The position was taken bv the secra-
tary of war that he had been made the
scapegoat of the administration. and
hence he should have the privilege of
writing the annual report, SO that his
vindication should not be left to the
hands of his successor To both of these
views the president agreed, and the un-
derstanding reached was that after the
report had been written, but not publish
ed, and at some time when there was no
immediate attack on the secretary Of
war, he would quietly resign, apparently
Unexpectedly, with his private business.
the Michigan senatorial campaign or his
health as the reasons to be assigned in
his public letter of resignation
1t is said there is clear understanding
that the retirement will take place be-
fore congress meets, though a successor
might not be appointed until after the
report is finished and signed. In the
event of the resignation taking place
soon, which is within the range of posi-
bilities an acting secretary would be an
pointed, and Maj. Gen. Merritt's name
has been considered for the position, as 1t
is felt that the situation in the Philippines
would render his personal knowledge of
the islands invaluable.