Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-11

to crticise Gems. Lawton and Macarthur
on account of their youth, for the history
of the world shows that most OF the great
est battles that were ever fought We're won
by men in the prime of life. He added that
IL age had been the sole standard, Grant,
Sheridan and Sherman would have been
kept in subordinate places, and the history
of the war of the rebellion would have to
be rewritten Although Lawton and Mac
Arthur We're staff officers in the regular
army, they had clearly demonstrated their
fitness for command in the volunteers in
the recent war, and 1t would be considered
q great mistake to replace them simply to
make room for regular line officers. He
meant no disparagement to the general Of
ficers of the line, but he could not see how
any good could be accomplished, under ex-
listing circumstances, by putting them in
authority over the officers now in the
field especially when the latter had DEM
onstrated their eminent fitness for their
command and duty.
Attitude of Correspondents.
Administration officials deprecate the APP
parent efforts of press correspondents in
the Philippines to show that the military
force there is in an enfeebled and demon
allied condition, as such representations,
like those of Atkinson and other anti-eX-
pansionists in the United States. serve the
purpose of encouraging the instruction.
lists to further resistance to the power or
the United States. 1t Is claimed that 1t
was just such methods on the part of the
opposition to the administration that
thwarted the prompt ratification OF the
Spanish peace treaty and emboldened the
party of Aguinaldo to open hostilities
against the United States forces
The assertion is made that despite the
severe criticism to which he has been sub
jected, that not single fact has been
brought forward to show that Gen. Otis
has misrepresented the military operations
in the Philippines. or has suppressed any
material information necessary to a proper
understanding of the exact situation.
1t is pointed out that it would be just as
easy for the correspondents in the Philip
pines to inform the world, by way of Hong
Kong, of any important event in the his
tory of the instruction that may have
been suppressed by Gen. Otis, as it is to
forward the press dispatches criticising his
course and alleging the suppression of the
true state of affairs.
According to a prominent official the
President will naturally continue to accept
Gen. OTIS dispatches as complete and ac-
curate in all essential details until it has
been demonstrated that such information
is incomplete and untruStworthy.
No Dissensions Among Officers.
Efforts have recently been made to show
that dissension prevails among the prin-
cipal military officers in the Philippines,
and particularly that General Lawton has
expressed his personal dissatisfaction with
General Otis conduct of the campaign. The
following cable message was received by
the adjutant general this afternoon from
General Schwan. one Of the brigade COM
manders in the Philippines, and an off
Ger of discretion and reliability:
"Lawton pronounces utterly foundation
less newspaper reports of interview assert
ing that he commented on military situa-
ton or criticised conduct of operations
here. Declares, beforehand, as false, all
future accounts of such interviews"