Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-07-22
aNisfellanenus 8eaail1g.
HOW OTIS DOCTORS NEWS.
James CreeIman Tells Of Some Personal
Experiences.


Appearing simultaneously with the
Ground robin" of the American news
paper correspondents at Manila, COM
planning that General Otis is suppress
ing the facts and keeping the people of
the United States in ignorance OF the
alarming conditions as they exist in the
Philippines, James Creelman, the ia
nous war correspondent of the New
York Journal, cables from London his
observations during recent two
months stay in Manila and on the lr-
ing lines in the archipelago. he
charges General Otis with incompe-
tence, and with "doctoring" press dis
patches to paint the conditions as op.
timistic, when in reality they are and
have been just the reverse, and with
reporting Imminent success" when IN
reality, caused by bis own mismanage-
ment, 'simminent failure" has been the
result. Mr.. Creelman's letter goes
into detail. 1t follows
After having spent several months
with our troops in the Philippines, l
am firmly convinced that unless Cen
eral Otis is removed and competent
general put in command, the whole
campaign will be failure.
have been in the Cuban campaign
as we'll as in the Philippines, and l can
say honestly, without the slightest pre-
iudice, that General Otis is much more
responsible for the disastrous, humil-
iating condition of affairs in the east
than General Shafter was for the ca
lamities in Cuba, for the war depart
ment furnished General Otis with a
perfectly equipped, we'll fed army, and
he had months of dry weather in which
to fight against an imperfectly organ"
ICED enemy.
To be perfectly plain, General Otis
| is fussy old man, unaccustomed to
anything but regimental command,
and saturated with the ideas and
methods of routine clerk. He is a
man who has grown old serving in
regiment, and his experience and abil.
tiles do not 60 outside of regimental
lines. Now that he finds himself in
command of large army intrusted
with the government of large arch
ipelago, it is no wonder that things
are as they are.
1t is because of this knowledge that
Admiral Dewey, without consulting
General Otis, privately cabled to Pres
ident Mckinley asking him to send to
Manila small commission of men
skilled in craftsmanship and diploma
cy. 1t was apparent to him, as to
others, that General Otis was not COM
petent to deal with the far reaching,
Intricate problems involved in a war
with the natives.
Again and again Admiral Dewey
expressed at the beginning of the pres
ent hostilities his dissatisfaction over
the failure to make any advance
against the enemy.
When finally, in despair of any ac-
ton by Otis, Dewey began to take pos
session of other islands, Otis wrote to
the admiral bitter letter complaining
that the navy was forcing the cam
paign too fast.
I was there then and I remember
how generals and other officers on the
firing line bitterly denounced General
Otis in private for immersing himself
in petty details of municipal affairs,
army contracts and custom house
cases, while our firing line was stretch
ed % measured miles around Manila,
lying idly before an enemy growing
stronger and more expert in infantry
fire every day, while week after week
of dry weather slipped away and the
rainy season approached.
Even before the first insurgent at
tack on our troops, Aguinaldo was
throwing up strong earthworks in
sight of our lines. Major General An
derson, commanding the first division,
insisted that his troops were being en-
dangered, and asked permission to
stop the Filipinos from building forti.
6cations.
"We will do nothing" said General
Otis, "unless the Filipinos commit
some act of war;"
"But they are entrenching them.
selves against u.s." replied General An
derson, "and the moment man puts
spade in the ground with hostile intent
he has committed an act of war;"
Anderson's arguments were useless.
The entreaties of other generals to be
permitted to put an end to the beliger-
ent work of Filipinos were of no avail.
When I reached Manila few days
after the bloody outbreak the whole
army was lying in trenches, being fired
at night and day, while General Otis
was absorbed in routine details that
an army clerk could have done as
we'll. He refused to allow the army
to make any advance. So insistent
was General Anderson that the only
way to destroy the enemy was to fight
them that General Otis treated him
with open hostility and finally had
this splendid soldier returned to the
United States.
General Otis's principal thought
seemed to be to prevent real facts be-
ing telegraphed to the United States,
L. l.. l~~~