The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-20
is GEN. OTIS THE MAN FOR THE
PIACEf

The publication Of round robin by a
| number Of correspondents at Manila who
| represent American newspapers, in which
| they say that they are not permitted TO
| cable the real happenings in the Philip
pines. and their views of the situation
there has been productive Of a demand
! from quite a number of papers for Gen.
Ous' removal from the position of Gov
| ernor General. The position is taken that
he is not equal TO the responsibilities of
the position.
There has been an impression in the
public mind for weeks, perhaps for
months. that he is a failure. This i'm
preston may be an unjust one, but he
must be judged by what he accompishes.
Nothing was said against him al long as
our army was gaining victories and there
were indications that the instruction
would soon be put down. because it was
believed that he was making substantial
progress In the work which he had in
hand The dispatches ne sent to the war
department were always of the most op-
timistic kind. So confident was he that
the war was near its end that there were
formation he sent to the war department,
that peace was in sight
There is no doubt that he was sincere,
but since the close of the campaign, the
situation having been cooly and carefully
reviewed, it looks very much as if he was
not as well informed as he ought to have
been. and that he was lacking in know
ledge of the character of the Filipiuos
In answer TO questions, he stated fire.
quently that he had all the men he want
ed He only asked for $1,000 and was sat
isfed that with that number he could
compel Aguinaldo to accept the terms he
offered him. Capable officers in the field
having every opportunity to learn the
strength of the Filipinos, and to form an
opinion of their fighting ability, took a
different view, but their opinions were ap-
parenty ignored.
The country is dissatisfied with Gen,
Otis The impression is that while he
may be an admirable official for some po-
sitions he isn't the man for the very re-
sponsible place he now occupes-that he
isn't big enough for 1t. Before going to
the Philippines he had never distinguished
himself in any way that justified the be-
lief that he would be successful in so re-
sponsible and difficult a position as Gov
ernor General of the islands.
Naturally the administration doesn't
want to humiliate him by recalling him,
but it is apparent that it cannot afford 10
let him retain the command OF the Philip
pine army if he isn't fit for it. Why is it
f-Tafs
to the Philippines? 1t wouldn't be any
humiliation for Gen. Otis to be super
seeded by Gen. Miles, his superior officer.
Evidently the Philippine situation calls for
the very best military talent the country
possesses If the war drags along very
much longer the Instruction may
assume much greater proportions.
At present, it is confined to
Luzon, but it would not require
a very great effort 10 cause 1t to spread
to other islands, the people of which are
waiting TO see what the outcome of the
struggle in Luzon will be-
| The rainy season will continue for two
months yet, and in the meantime rein
! forcements will be forwarded TO Gen.
| Otis. so that our army will be ready to
| take the field as soon as the weather will
permit. But shouldn't the next campaign
be fought under a new general? That is
| the question to which the President ought
to give very thoughtful consideration dur
! ing the next few weeks. Gen. Otis seems
| TO have been successful in establishing
law and order and setting the civil ma
chinery to work in Manila and other near
| by towns. But the ability which enables
him to do those things well does not nee
essarily fit HIM for commanding an army
in the field against an enemy that de-
ponds almost wholly on guerrilla warfare
| He has lost the confidence of the Ameri-
can people to a very noticeable degree, and
| the wsest thing the President can do, in
all probability, so far as the Philippine
army is concerned. is to give that army a
| new commander.