The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-09-14
Gen. OTIS POLICY AS CENSOR
Associated Press Correspondent at Manila Re-
veals Causes for Round Robin Sent by the
Correspondents Protesting Against Gen.
'sorshpThe News Suppressed.

had been little. If any. exaggerated. Davis and
soldiers nsy t had g9aa seen
minded him that the cutting off of the ears of
Two rr. american soldiers at Dasmarinas had been
dead Filipinos by the Americans. mo could
by @ sor OF t than % and and
told although he charges 1t all to the volun-
I'VE told him that we had refrained from
sending these things and others of similar
nature nature, because We did not wish to make
purely for the purpose Of giving the impression
at home that everything lovely here
which print all sorts Of clippings from the
american Anne papers denouncing the administra-
position Of every company in our army, and
even even. give advance notice Of intended move
a.. Dealing with the specifications. we said that
n9spltal Officers refused to give us any in
ground that he had instructed them to with
noe hoia such facts from the papers; also that he
~ scI wear to o., washington percentage Of
~ to 30 per cent Of the command was sick;
ments NOT Wer more re- than tina 10 per cent Of
force was entirely inadequate, we'll the
hospital nc room. SO that they were compelled to
His reply was that the hospitals were full
should oe turned out To send home figures
OF the numbers in hospitals would be entirely
VOLUNTEERS NOT WILLING TO STAY.
We reminded him that while he had been
reporting to Washington that the volunteers
will render willing service until relieved the
same volunteers sending regimental petit
every influence to secure their recall; that some
regiments had petitioned him to relieve them
from duty; that the members Of various reei-
ments had at certain stages Of the war been
IN m. = frame OF mind closely resembling mutiny;
had enlisted for the war with SpaiE. had
threatened to stack their guns on the Fourth
or July unless discharged sooner.
ii matter of he
IL IT,. was stated on the parts Of the correspond
accounts Of the taking Of noio to make .net II
appear that the army had done the work with
Than on1a fs from the warshps and
unquestioned facts told in the original stories
were were that the soldiers did not land until three
hours after the marines had raised the flag
and nd, chased the insurgents out
Gen. Otis explained that the navy was so
lions by landing before the proper time, etc,
although the correspondents would not have
they known 1t, and were forced to give an en-
f nrely false account of what occurred The
OF the business quarter and much of the other
sections were burned.
II reminded him that two stories by Dun
nlng describing the work of the navy in patroll-
without reason. and the others agreed that the
entire attitude Of the censorship toward the
nation. There seemed to be a Childish fear that
the navy would get some ADVERTISING The
rofe
to the gunboats operated by Capt Grant as
army gunboats in their eagerness to keep the
navy from getting any credit not it's due.
regarding the suppression Of reports of field
operations which failures we told the
general that the whole purpose Of most of the
important movements. beginning with the ad-
vance from La Iona church in March, had
oeen to round up and capture or force the sur
render of various divisions of the Filipino army
that all OF them had failed to accomplish this
yet we had been obliged to represent that Otis
was accomplishing just what he intended and
winning a series of glorious successes and adj
ministering no end Of final crushing blows
OTIS STYLE OF ARGUMENT
"Otis is hard to argue with or to
pin down to any definite proposition and his
explanation S 1ns Of the failure of Hairs expedition
said: But how could we capture them when
they were not thereg They all got out the night
we found, but only 800 nv N'00''
We rehearsed in detail the objections to the
ginning of this letter. There were no question
Of the fact that he had not allowed us to send
were reflections Of his eWn u xews those
asked that when there were different views held
sideration. we should be allowed to explain
the various views and phases of the question.
were rock-ribbed and unimpeachabie facts tse'
Davis said: When 1 returned to Manila T
you told me all facts, news about mit anu
operations not helpful to the enemy. and my
agreed that the fulAilment of that rule WouId
be satisfactory. and 1 disclaimed any desire
Bates p Wss for the
out the the interview At the close Cen Otis turned
Bates promptly replied: I would do what
+" 'Courtmartial them" Otis asked.
GEN. BATES 'FAvoRs WRITER'S.
No. let them send what you promised, the
1.-The next morning Otis sent for Davis a'a and
tried to talk him over. Among other things
stand what wanted. wishing to give enf him
a chance to establish a reasonable CENSORSHIP
quest that we be allowed to send ali facts not
useful to the enemy and describe the different
views OF the situation when it was omen ~
differences of opinion. The committee thrash
over the same ground several hours and the
send anything which in his opinion was not
pretudcial to the-interests Of the United States
he had a Ena position in the
damaging to the government any story tend
ing to carry the smallest inference that his
acts and policies We're not entirely successfuI
and Endorsed by the whole army. He also AM
pointed Isi new censor although had told him
that would not be the slightest relief unless The
system was changed. and he promised to keen
the censor fully posted on an events. an ar
rangement which he has not carried into execu-
ton. eAecu-
There We're two or three days Of improve
ment and greater. liberality in the censnrsbin
complaints had been that Otis himself Was 81 pracr
stories which the censor hod doubts corcernine
the policy OF; or dealing with matters he was
W.
often wasted hours waiting in an ante I roor me
and then were perhaps unable TO secure an audi
sive jurisdiction in the field and keen him noat
I'd on all events giving him access to official
be impossible. Therefore we sent the teis
gram INC 'e4e
Gen. Otis had complained of the language
as an accusation of deliberate falsehood We
assured him we had no intention Of conveyine
the idea that he had reported to Washington
anything he did not believe to be true. and we
softened the language in order to avoid the
possibility of any such construction He also
said that the department had made nnhI;o
only the mere optimistic of his reports and We
amended the dispatch to make plain that we
referred only to those reports which the depart
ment mad given out. l inclose CODY of the |
original version. ~
I'VE were entirely ignorant when we sent the
the policy In the Philippines was then afoot in
America. So far as can learn our action met
,ept Otis and the members of his personal star
who would feel bound to support him under any |
conditions. '
SHUTS OFF INFORMATION.
1.-The position Of the newspaper corresnondents !!
1ere Is. as it has been from the beginning most
'Otis has closed to us every possible source
IF information. Only yesterday when at |
empted to send report of the bombarrirent Hf |
ioned he Immediately sent for Lawton tand |
demanded to know how it had been made nuhijc |
md told Lawton to jump on the members of his |
''Such strict orders against talking to news |
PAPER men have been repeatedly issued that |
when we go to headquarters the officers avoid
is as. though we had smallpox because they are /
lfraid to be seen talking to us. Otis refuses |
he closing hour $780, although such passes
ire given to the reporters on local papers and |
,inos. All the privileges extended to newspa
Der men In Cuba, like the limited use of the
qr tsiesraDh wires and access to tele
, possible. to maintain any system Of CORES