The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-12
THE ROUND ROBIN
Associated Press Correspondent
Relates Facts.
In Regard to Press Censor Or
ders From Otis.
TO PUNISH REPORTERS
Threatened With Court Martial
For Telling Truth.
Nothing That Would Injure
Administration Can Pass.
10 PUNISH REPORTERS

ager NJ. f. Stone of the Associated
Press cabled to the Associated Press
correspondent at Manila, asking for
full explanation of the events leading
up to that action of the newspaper men
there. Robert NJ. Collins, the Associat-
ed Press correspondent, replied. Ex-
tracts from his letters follow:
For long time we submitted to
the censorship because of appeals to
our patriotism and a feeling that we
might be accused of a lack thereof II
we made any trouble for the American
authorities here. But when General
Otis came down in the frank admission
that it was not intended so much to
prevent the newspapers from giving in
formation and assistance to the enemy
(the legitimate function and, according
to our view, the only legitimate one,
of a censorship, but to keep the know
ledge of conditions here from the public
at home and when the censor had re-
peatedly told US, in ruling out plain
statements of undisputed facts, that
his instructions were to let nothing go
that can hurt the administration, we
concluded that protest was Justifable.
CORRESPONDENTS HOLD a MEET
ING.
Repeated appeals made by all the
correspondents to their papers to Sc
cure a change in the censorship meth
DDS had been fruitlesS and, conditions
growing worse and failure was piled
upon failure, while we were sending
rOse-cOlOred pictures of successful war
and inhabitants fiOcking to the Amert-
can standard, the repeated suggestions
of correspondents that we must do
something resulted in formal meet
ing.
ssOn comparing notes we found that
we had among US learned the views of
all the American generals and most of
their prominent men in Manila whose
opinions were worth consideration and
that there was a practical unanimity
nf n These
had told US continually that our re-
ports were misleading the people at
home and that it was our duty to tell
them how affairs were going.
About the middle of June I wrote a
conservative review to the effect that
everyone here was convinced that it
would be impossible to end the war
during the rainy season and for some
time thereafter unless heavy reinforce
nents were sent. The cenSOrS COM
ment O made note of it) was: of
course we all know that we are in
terrible mess out here, but we don't
want the people to get excited about
it. If you fellows will only keep quiet
now we will pull through in time with
out any fuss at home
OTIS ASKS THE STORY HELD.
''He took the story to General Otis,
who said:
g Tell Collins that if he will hold
that for a week or ten days he will
thank me for not letting him send it,
and when I went to see him and he
repeated the same old story about the
insurrection going to pieces and limited
so portentously about having wonder
full things up his sleeve that almost
believed him, in the face of past ex-
periences of the same sort
After waiting a month for the gen.
erals predictions to materialize we de-
cided to send the statement we had
framed without changing it, as the con-
ditions had not changed since it was
written.
,aT
views, but the views of Lawton, Mac
Arthur, Funston, Wheaton, ct al,
and we could not be accused of preju-
dice against the administration be-
gan in the country was committed to
the plan
"As a matter of form we took the
message to the censor. His comment
was practically the same that he had
made on my message. He, of course,
took it to Otis"
THREATENS COURT MARTIAL OF
ALL.
The correspondent relates that a COM
mittee comprising Davis, McCutcheon,
Bass and himself went to Otis and were
received with threats of court martial.
The general did not contradict the
AT the close of the interview General
Otis turned to General Bates and ask
ed: What would you do with these
gentlemen, general?' Bates promptly
-
g Court martial them? Otis asked.
No, let them send what you promised
the facts and opinions as opinions
Bates replied.
There was more liberty on the part
of the censor for a few days, then old
conditions prevailed" Mr.. Collins con-
tinues:
we were entirely ignorant, when we
sent the message, that something like
indignation against the policy in the
Philippines was then afoot in America
So far as can learn. our action met
the entire approval of everyone in Ma
Mia except Otis and the members of
his personal staff, who would feel
bound to support him under any condi-
tions.
spondents here is, as it has been from
the beginning, most difficult. Otis had
closed to us every possible source of
information.
SILVER STORY CAUSAS TROUBLE.
Recently I filed what I thought a
most inoffensive statement. that the
business men who had appeared before
the commission had advocated the re-
tention of the existing silver system
of currency. The censor said: I ought
not to let that go. That would be
lift for Bryan. My instructions are to
shut off everything that could hurt
Mckinley I explained that the silver
seeming reluctance, he o. XIX the item.
There has been, according to Otis
himself and the personal knowledge of
everyone here, a perfect orgie of loot
ing and wanton destruction of property,
and most outrageous blackmailing OF
the natives and Cinnamon in Manila,
and various incidents like the shooting
down of several Filipinos for attempt
ing to run from arrest at a. cock fight,
not to mention court martial of officers
rfTfo 4 Of