The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1900-01-12

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concerning the desecration of churches by
American soldiers i'm the Philippines, and
as to many other horrors that follow in
the path of war.
1t was evident, he said, that the object of
the administration was to keep detailed in
formation from the people, and 1t was
quite as evident that the political success
of the president and the republican party
was of greater concern to the imperialists
than whether the information asked for
should reach the F1Npinos.
Such an objection to the sending to the
senate of informa tion as that 1t would be
communicated to the Fflipinos was ridicu-
lous, since the Filipinos already were in
possession of it. The real reason for OBJ
jecting to its publication was that it was
deemed not desirable that the American
people should have it.
"rrouble With the ImperiaIists"-
''Trouble with the imperialists," said Mr..
Petugrew, "is that they have confounded
the interests of the people of the United
States with the political desires and am
biuons of their puny president and re-
garded him and his success as more i'm
portant than a rghtful treatment of the
Fflipinos."
Mr.. Pettigrew said he wanted the infor-
nation which he was seeking, whether the
president regarded the publication of it
as compatible with the public interests or
not. And he wanted ut whether the presi-
dent desired it should or should not be
known.
If any amendment Is to be made to the
resolution" said he, 'it ought to be made
to read that the information should be
transmitted to the senate If not incompati-
BILE with the presidents interests as a can
didate for reelection. The fact is. this
whole business is bound up in the presi-
dents desire again to be a candidate of his
party for president Mr.. Pettigrew then de-
voted some time to discussion of the CEN
soring of dispatches from the Philippines.
he declared that important and signif-
cant facts had been stricken from news
dispatches from Manila and from official
reports because 1t was regarded by the
powers that be as undesirable that they
should reach the American people. "As an
instance of this work." said he, tthe Sulu
treaty was suppressed until after the elec-
tion."
He discussed at length the proclamation
issued by the president declaring that 1t
was in such shape that General Otis recon-
mended that it should be changed in order
not to provoke hostilities on the part of
the Filipnos. Subsequently, he said, 1t was
altered materially, and as altered, was pub
lished to the Philippine natives.
/ Flat Declaration of War
las originally drawn 1t was to his mind a
fiat declaration of war, and when Aguinaldo
and his readers came into possession of the
original they SO regarded it.
1.-THE whole wretched business" declared
Mr.. Pettigrew, vehemently, WAS one of
concealment and duplicity, intended to de-
ceive not only the people of the United
States, but also the islanders themselves"
In substantiation of his charge that the
dispatches from the Philippines were CEN
sored in the interests of the administration,
Mr. Pettigrew quoted from a letter written
by Robert NJ. Collins the Associated Press
representative at Manila.
In this letter Mr.. Collins related the SUBJ
stance of an interview upon the subject of
| censoring dispatches which he had had
| with General Otis. Mr.. Pettigrew read the
| statements of Mr.. Collins. ip which he had
| said 1t was the evident desire of the officials
| to prevent certain information from reach-
| ing the people of the United States When
! he (CoHins) had filed a dispatch containing
| information which he thought was proper
| to send to the United States. he had been
| Informed by the censor that he had been
| instructed to cut out anything that might
| hurt the administration. subsequently, when
| he had desired to send a story relating TO
| the use of silver in the Philippines the CEN
| sor had told Mr.. Collins that his instruc-
| tions were to allow nothing to pass him
which would be helpful to William Jennings
| Bryan in the United States.
Upon this point Mr.. Pettigrew became
| particularly sarcastic, and again averted
| to what he termed the presidents desire
| 10 succeed himself as president, even
| though essential information had to be
| suppressed to accomplish that end
| "President Began the War"
Mr.. Pettigrew declared that the presi-
| dent himself really began the war In the
Philippines and was responsible tor X.
"If," said he. 1.-THE administration had had
q spark OF honor in dealing with the FIJI
CONTINUED on Eighth Paxe1