The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-16
O OF a HERO.
Gen. Wheeler is Compelled to Write a
Few Letters from PHI .ippines.

A special dispatch from Washington
10 the Chicago Record says:
Letters from Manila received at the
war department and by friends of Gen
eral Wheeler Indicate that the ella
tons between that intrepid warrior
and his military superiorS and asscci-
abeS are not as cordial as hey might
be. General Wheeler IS a voluminous
writer. He took a s~tenographer with
him when he vent to the Philippines,
and KEGS him busy. Every mail
brings a large bundle OF letters ad-
dressed TO his intimate friends in con-
gress and in private life, including ~
eral newspaper Iaen VINO are in his
confidence On several occasions the
little general has written directly to
the president, which / am old is a vio-
lation Of the army regulations, which
prohibit a subordinate from communi-
eating with the commander-in-chief
except through the regular military
channels. But General Wheeler IS al
lowed to 10 what would not be permit
ted from any other officer, and his ON
m~unications to the president, although
dealing directly with the situation n
the Philippines, have been considered
personal instead of official.
General Wheeler appears to have a
grievance against the regular army offi-
GERS. He thinks there is a conspiracy
among them to prevent him from active
participation in the Philippine cam
piagn, and thereby depriving him of the
glory and qualification which is the re-
ward of the successful soldier. He is
kept in camp, Idle and useless, while
officers of lesser rank from the regular
army are chasing Aguinaldo through
the forests and gorgeS and fighting the
Filipino guerrillas non the jungles
--l $500 H-oSa-z-- T. 1L-- 49, NV
erai five months persistent pressure
at the White hOuee and war depart
ment to get an order to the Philippines,
and now that he has got there General
Otis Will give him nothing to do, and
the seatorial campaign in Alabama
mas already opened.
1t is said that General Wheeler's lat
est messages to the president, which
are sent through a colleague in con
gress, were severely critical in the COM
ments Upon the management of the
campaign in the Philippines, and reflect
ed directly upon his superior officer,
General Otis. If that were true of any
other officer he might be subject to
court martial, but, as / have suggested,
General Wheeler is allowed liberties
that are not enjoyed by other officers.
1t is said also that General Wheeler ap-
peaIed directly TO the president for adj
vice as to his future plans. He aid
that if his services were not needed in
the Philippines he would return to
Washington and resume his seat in con-
gress, where he might be more useful
to the president in promoting his ex-
pansiOn policy; but if he remained in
the Philippines he wanted active ser
vice and not garrison duty. l under
stand that ne president has allowed
this letter to remain unanswered, but
has e~ndeavored indirectly to crafty
General Wheeler's ambition to chase
the FilipinOs. leaving his assignment,
however, entirely to the judgment OF
General Otis. The latter, however, has
intimated a preference for General
Wheeler's return to congress, and lis
reported to have said that his presence
at Manila was a continual embarrass-
ment to the army.