Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-07-21
TOO MU l[,ll CHI G ENsOR
MANILA cohaEs oNDENTs MAKE Z
Il .' s1RoNG KICK =z,

And Ars Promised More Lentenoy BY
4 General otis-Claim Thoir News Was
7: 50 Cut Up - to Be OF No &value-Also
Y. That tho People Of tho Unfted States
Ara Grossly Deceived BY the .optimis-
tic Omcial Reports. 49,. .-gsa .4, ~ ii
+ MANILA, July II, via Hong Kong,
July 18.-The constantly increasing
strictness Of the censorship Of press dis
patches from Manila, which has pre-
vented the cabling to the United States
of anything that did not reflect official
views of important events and condi-
lions, resulted in a united effort on the
part of the correspondents here to Sc
cure an abatement of the rigor of the
censorship. The initiative in this di-
rection was taken month ago, and has
resulted in the framing of a statement
which was presented on Sunday, July
9, to Major General Otis, commanding
the military forces Of IT,. United States
in the Philippine islands. with a re-
quest for permission to telegraph it to
the United States. The correspondents
also asked that they be allowed to cable
to their respective papers all facts and
the different phases of events as they
TRANSFERRED here. The correspondents
had two long interviews with General
Otis, in the course of which they COM
planned that the evident purpose of the
censorship was not to keep information
from the enemy, but to keep from the
public knowledge of the real condi-
ton of affairs here. 1t was also as
serted by the correspondents that news
papers printed in Manila, which reach
to the enemy quickly, are permitted
to publish statements similar to those
which correspondents are forbidden to
cable. 1t was made clear to General
Otis that the objection was to the sys-
tenn and not to the censor.
General Otis finally promised greater
iberality, agreeing to pass all matter
that he might consider not detrimental
to the interests of the United States.
Statement Of the Correspondents.
The statement of the correspondents
is as follows:
The undersigned, being all staff cor
respondents of American newspapers,
stationed in Manila, unite in the follow
ing statement:
We believe that, owing to the official
dispatches from Manila made public in
Washington, the people of the United
States have not received a correct i'm
preston of the situation in the Philip
pines, but that these dispatches have
presented an ultra-optimistic view that
is not shared by the general officers in
the field. >"-
49, We believe that the dispatches incor-
rectly represent the existing conditions
among the Philippines in respect to dis
sension and decentralization resulting
from the American campaign and to
the brigand character of their army.
We believe the dispatches err in the
declaration that, ''thes situation is we'll
finland" and the assumption that the
insurrection ! can j be speedily ended
without greatly increased force.
We think the tenacity of the Filipino
purpose has been underestimate and
that the statements are unfounded that
volunteers are willing to engage in
further service. E
The censorship has compelled us t.
participate in these misrepresentation
by excising or altering uncontroverted
statements on the plea, as General Otis
stated, that .:they would alarm the PEG"
pie at home or "have>the people of the
United States, by the ears" =.
Specifications: Prohibition of hospital
reports; suppression of full reports OF
field operations in the event of failure
numbers Of heat prostrations in the field
systematic intimidation Of naval opera.
tons and suppression of complete re.
ports of the situation. ~
This was signed, by John T. McCutch.
con and Harry Armstrong, Chicago
Record; Oscar K. Davis. P. G.. .McDon-
nell, New York Sun; Robert M. Collins,
John L. Dunning, L. Jones, the Asso-
ciated Press; John F. Bass, Will Din
widdie, New York Herald; Ed S.
Keene, Scripps- McRae association;
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