The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-18
IT'S IS INCOMPETENT.
..,,.,oo officials Are Very Ready to
''' Admit the Fact Now.
E,sopsHIp OF THE PRESS DISPATCHES
r.,,ed Attention to the Fact
nj. Really Tells Nothing
IN His Brief Cables.

49, York, July IA Tribune special
~ washington says: What every army
va IN washington has long feared,
w. .hv,ous reasons declined to dis
nuh,ic. and civilians were begin
49, unw,lingy In most instances to be-
avs is precisely confirmed by the re-
cable dispatch from Hong Kong,
-. ,y,,, take rank as war paper with
..,ohrste,, Santiago round robin" Of
:. GUNNER In the war department Tor
than month the feeling existing
tho higher officials that General
~. was misplaced in command at Ma
va. been growing irrepressible. His
Executive official reports were seen TO
,nn -corroborative, and even the prssi-
-, was no longer unaware of the dis
.,,,u sentiment affecting soldiers in
,,,,a or on duty here or passing through
Washington to join commands elsewhere.
The government was compelled to depend
later news of the Philippine situation
,,o,,v nm the brief cabled reports from
ooneral 1t having been noticeable that
/. nress dispatches, which had been so
III, and satisfactory to the authorities In
10 earlier campaign, have completely
.osed 10 come since the early part OF
nne the inference being that the corre-
sondonts had been driven from the field
by the rainy season.
rha anxiety was increased by the appar-
MT reluctance OF General Otis to give de-
ired information, his grudging replies to
bueries about the MN he would need in
he fall, and his stubborn reiteration that
IA 0OO n en- would be enough Tor all pur-
Noses That was his estimate six months
On vet for the succeeding four months
is force aggregated over 10000, and
hardly an inch of ground was gained from
he insurgents after May /. For four
months official kilograms had come from
General Otis ciinging to his belief that
he psurrection was over, and only now,
when events have justified none of the
series of rosy predictions, it is beginning
be openly admitted that General Otis
has not known what was going on in the
ountry under his control, and that he
has failed to form any adequate idea of
The Filipino character. At last it is begin
hing to be realized among the civil au-
thoritles-as it had already become pro-
Hound conviction among military men ex-
perienced in Indian control in the West
tha the war in Luzon might not have be-
gun, and In any event would have been
quickly ended had General Merritt re-
manned in command or had General Otis
come home last summer.
There is no disposition in the army ia
Declare unqualifiedly that General Otis
is incapable OF doing some things in Ma.
ra better than many officers near tna
top of the army list His ability as an
administrator is well known He is m
usually systematic about his office affairs
and has enjoyed an enviable reputation ior
discretion, particularly in his dealings
with transgressors of civil and military
Jaw. He has long been an authority on
drill regulations, and his interest in the
efficiency of the army organization waa
shown in his establishment of the cav
airy school. But since the civil war his
field service was never noticeable, and his
friends are reticent about it, For that
reason Generals Lawton, Young, Wheeler
anc Schwann, as well as others, have been
sent 10 him, as expressly stated by the
war department, lin order that General
Otis might be relieved of much of the re-
sponsibi!ity in the actual campaign, TO
devote more time in administering affairs
In the rest of the islands,"
The revelations now made about the
censorship astound the leading officials
fere When complaints were recently
made about the way dispatches were being
stopped and mangled at Manila. the war
department was satisfied with an explana-
loh from General Otis that great liberty
was being allowed, with only such restric-
aVhs as prevented advance information
~ military operations from becoming
Known to tie enemy.
me president has frequently remarked
10 visitors who preached the subject that
Us was anxious to have the fullest knowi-
ase OF Philippine affairs disseminated,
.Iu that he was disposed to have the
".uesE latitude CONNER surate with Mill
~. necessity given to American corr
spohuehts throughout the islands When
.ne latest disclosures regarding the GETTY
a.sN ahces correspondents have met are
Suu i.iiy substantiated--a in all proba
p.'s tney VIII be-orders from Washing
VIII undoubtedly cause their abate.
is the impression that the gist
Ivy we entire subject matter. of the
osr pohuehts complaint will be sent by
maae 10 General Otis by the war depart
WI. and that he will be asked for his
sS S,soh OF the specifications they charge.
serionS .he re)olnder simply deny the very
tencaa charges in the stereotyped sem
shows 20 which such Partially has been
tho IN the past. there is no doubt that
viii, ssneral officers in the field in Luzon
mort. ea,ied ON directly for brief re-
spniso 0n 'ne condition of affairs. 1t is
an onnau mat none of them have had
Eco. opportunity TO present any statement
esn,ans me campaign since their ac-
Fah ,ances of the opening of hostilities last
mitted ana that General Otis has per-
inr aouf months to pass without send
partrn. s'nsle mail report to the war de-
10 brta. preferring to confne himself
patches ana generally indefinite cable dis
OTIS OR CORRESPONDENTS.