The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-18
ALL SIGNS A ROUND ROBIN
Tenacity Of : pinos Has Been
Uts estimated.
.
SlTUATiCcs l0T WELL IN HAND
Censorship Has Been Exercised BY
General Otis on the Plea That
Facts Would Alarm
People at Home
sITuA1Icc. OF WELL IN HAND

Manila, July Il, via Hong Kong, July H.
The constantly increasing strictness of the
censorship of press dispatches from Ma
Mia, which has prevented the cable to the
United States of anything that did not re-
fleet official views of important events and
conditions resulted in a united effort of the
Associated Press correspondents here to
secure an abatement of the rigor of the
censorship. The initiative in this direction
was taken a month ago and resulted in the
framing of a statement which was pre-
sented on Sunday, July 8, to Major General
Otis, commanding the military forces or
the United States in the Philippine Islands,
with a request for permission to telegraph
it to the United States. The correspond
ents also asked that they be allowed to
cable to their respective papers all facts
and the different phases of events as they
transpired here.
The correspondents had two long inter-
views with General Otis, in the course Of
which they complained that the evident
purpose of the censorship was not to keep
information from the enemy, but to keep
from the public a knowledge of the real
condition of affairs here 1t was also as
serted by the correspondents that news
papers printed in Manila, which reach the
enemy quickly, are permitted to publish
statements similar to those which corre-
spondents are forbidden to cable 1t was
made clear to General Otis that the OBJ
lection was to the system and not to the
censor.
Otis Promised Greater Liberties
General Otis finally promised greater lib
erty agreeing to pass all matter that he
might consider not detrimental to the in
terests of the United States. General Otis
appointed Captain Green, of his staff,
censor.
as folows
THE undersigned, being all staff corre-
spondents Of American newspapers sta
toned in Manila, unite in the following
statement:
I'VE believe that, owing to official dis
patches from Manila made public in Wash
ington, the people of the United States have
not received a correct impression of the
Philippines, but these dispatches have pre-
sented an ultra optimistic view that is not
shared by the general officers in the
field.
I'VE believe that these dispatches incor-
recuy represent the conditions among the
Filiptnos in respect to dissension and de-
moralization resulting from the American
campaign and to the brigand character of
their army.
I'VE believe the dispatches err in the de-
claration that the situation Is well ia hand
and the assumption that the Instruction
can be speedily ended without a greatly
increased force.
I'VE think the tenacity of the Filipino
purpose has been underestimated and that
the statements are unfounded that Es1un-
teers are willing to engage in further SER
vice.
1.-THE censorship has compelled us tc par
ticipate in this Misrepresentation by ex-
cising or altering uncontroverted -.1re-
ments of facts on the plea, as General Otis
stated, that they would alarm the people
at home,' or have the people of the United
States by the ears
Specification Prohibition of reports;
suppression of full reports of field opera
tions in the event of failure; numbers of
heat prostrations in the field; systematic
intimidation of naval operations and sup
preston of complete reports of the situa-
ton.
"Signed) John r. McCutcheon and Har-
ry Armstrong, Chicago Record Oscar X.
Davis and p. G. Mcdonnell, New York
Sun: Robt. NJ. Collins, John =. Dunning and
L. Jones, the Associated Press; John Bass
and Wildin Widdie. New York Herald; Ed
S. Keene, Scripps- McRae Associations;
Richard Little, Chicago Tribune"