Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-28
TWELVE PAGES.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH rs, 1900.
KEEPING THE PUBLIC IN THE
DARK.

The National Administration has not
been backward in taking advantage of
the diversion of public attention from
the Philippine war by the more spec
tacular hostilities in South Africa.
The natural tendency has been to for
get the Philippines for the time being.
and the tendency has been ably aided
along by the President. General Otis
and the news associations
Indeed only twice of late has the fact
that we have a war on our hands be-
come so obtrusive that 1t could not be
ignored by those to whose interest it
is to tell good news only. and who have
no news OF that character to tell These
two Instances were the reports of the
enormous losses of our troops by dis
ease and of the conspiracy of the Fill
ipincs extending to the heart OF Ma
Mia itself. Apart from this. the pub
lie has been much more largely inter
ested in the question of our relations
to the Philippines than in what is act
ually going on there; possibly because
they are not permitted, and have never
been permitted. to know what is act
ually going on, save by an occasional
glimpse of soldiers letter that did
not gid the situation.
Just how solicitous the Administra-
tion is to keep legitimate information
from the public. was brought out clear
1y in the debate on Senator Aliens res
olution calling on the War Department
70 furnish the Senate with a list of
American casualties and losses in the
Philippines. There was nothing un-
usual about the resolutions; indeed. in
view of the alarming reports that have
gone the rounds of the press the in
quiry was entirely natural. And yet
Senator Gallinger was moved to de-
clare that the object was to "get in
formation that could he garbled for po-
litical purposes" After debate the res
blution was referred to the Committee
on Military Affairs, where it will
doubtless be duly smothered.
1t Is thus that 81 censorship at Ma
mia, and a partisan majority in Con-
gress, keep the facts from the public.
There remains but part of the scs-
Sion of Congress. n little over two
months. and If inconvenient inquiries
can be put off until Congress adjourns
there Will be no means of compelling
the divulgence of information which is
the public's due, and the gatlng-gun
Eivllizers can go into the Presidential
campaign without having to do a deal
of awkward explaining.
In this connection it may also be OBJ
served that the News Associations. up
on which the press of this country de-
nends for direct Information from the
Philippines. have not added materially
20 the American reputation for enter
prise. There was a fitful protest
against Otis death grip on the cable.
and after that. the War Department
was looked to mainly for information.
What the sundry high-p priced cores
pondents are doing in the Philippines
is left to conjecture, when one has
scanned the columns OF the American
newspaper. 1t Is not so very far from
Manila to Hong Kong. where the cable
Us neutral, but it has been months since
The American press has had a. lucid
antelligible and uncensored review of
the Philippine situation. Are the
American soldieps dying like sheep in
the Philippines? Is the war. In truth
practically over? What are the troops
under Otis command doing? Nobody
seems to know.
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