New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-07-12
OTIS-MACARTHUR QUARREL
FRICTION BETWEEN THE TWO GENER-
AIS IN THE PHILIPPINES-SONE
SHARP CORRESPONDENCE

AIS IN THE PHILIPPINES-SOAIE
SHARP CORRESPONDENCE
tBY TELEGRAPH rRIBuNE.I
Washington July 1.-THE unabridged report
or General Macarthur. covering his field opera
tions before he relieved General Otis as Gov
ernor-General Of the Philippines on May last
year which has just been published in Volume
vi Of Lieutenant General Miles's annual report.
presents some telegraphic correspondence dis
closing considerable friction between General
Otis and his chief subordinate and throws much
light the change of command. The first Of
these messages is as follows:
Omitted States Military Telegraph)
Bayambang, November %, 1899, 9:15 a. n.
General Schwan. Chief Of Staff, Manila
The so-called Filipino Republic is destroyed.
The Congress has dissolved. The President of
the so-called republic is fugitive, as are all
his Cabinet officers, except one In hands.
The Executive Department is therefore entirely
broken up. The generals separated, without
any power of conference concentrated action.
The authority under which army was kept
In the field no longer exists. The army itself
as an organization has disappeared AS con-
sequence of all these facts, which now of
historical record. the who profess to lead
small bodies for the purpose of guerilla warfare
must act without the shadow of authority
from de facto government, and their opera
tions from this time will be the result of in
dividua whims. In other words. men who
try to continue the strife by individual action
become simply leaders of banditti In this view
how would 1t do to issue proclamation at
early date offering complete amnesty to all who
surrender within stated time. with payment
OF 30 pesos to every soldier who gives up rife
and declaring with emphasis that after the date
nxed the Killing of American soldiers will be
regarded as murder and that all persons con-
cerned therein would be regarded as murderers
and treated accordingly? Such a proclamation
would have the effect of forcing the generals to
consider the expe1iency of continuing a hopeless
struggle which would commit them irrevocably
70 death or to lifelong expatriaton. and. think.
would nave a powerful influence at a time when
IT is apparent that most. If ALL of the leaders
are more or less doubtful of what course to pur-
sue. This is a suggestion for your personal con-
sideration, TO be presented to the department
commander at your discretion.
MACARTHUR
GENERAL OTIS DID NOT DESIRE ADVICE.
After waiting more than two weeks General
Otis sent the following terse dispatch:
United States Military Telegraph,
Palace, Manila, p. l.
Dec. 8. 1899. IL 80 a. m.
your telegram announcing your policy
ceived. Your recommendations concerning pro-
clamation cannot be carried out; legal difficult
ties or an international character, apparently
not understood by you, forbid. No further aG-
vice on this subject desired by the commanding
general SCHWAN. Chief of Staff.
Within six months from that time Macarthur
had succeeded Otis. and June 21 by direction
of President Mckinley. issued his amnesty pro-
clanation to the Filipinos.
On the next page OF his report General Mac
Arthur invites the attention of the authorities
TO certain kilograms. "as illustrating an inter-
esting and important incident OF the rescue of
the railroad" which was the principal source of
Filipino strength. Under date of November %
he telegraphed to headquarters from Bautista
9elating the brilliant achievement II Captains
Harry A. Hegeman and Carl L. Stone. both of
the Seth Infantry. These officers repaired two
locomotives, which the insurgents had failed TO
destroy completely. and acted as their engi-
neers. making up and hauling all trains. Cen
eral Macarthur says:
The result was that the command advanced by
rail for many miles and the railroad was saved
The exploit Of these officers must rank in the
same class the work OF Colonel Bailey. of
Wisconsin. who. during the Civil War. rescued
the fleet OF gunboats In the Red River by orig
inal methods OF engineering. As preliminary TO
more substantial rewards. l would like TO have
these splendid services recognized at once by
brevet promotion--Hegem to lieutenant t-colo-
mel and Stone to mator-for extraordinary and
highly meritorious service in restoring to ser
viceable condition engines destroyed by Filipino
insurgents. and thus rendering il possible by the
celerity of the troops employed to the entire
line of the Manila and Dagupan Railroad.
General Otis replied the next day that Section
995. Revised Statutes. authorized the bestowal
of brevets for distinguished conduct in the pres
the exact date of the action should be given.
TART DISPATCHES FROM MACARTHUR
General Macarthur promptly replied from the
battlefield:
Bautista p. l., November % 1899.
General Schwan Chief of STAFF, Manila:
I have your message referring to revised stat
utes in connection with brevets recommended
in my telegram OF yesterday, and in reply would
state that by a series or eompats commencing
Murcia November 12 the insurgent Filipino
army in my front. consisting of fpur brigades of
approximately 1.5OO men each. was broken up
and put to flight In following the fragments
of this force the services of Captains Hegeman
and Stone rendered. Although we did not
get contact after Murcia the rapidity and fero-
city of the pursuit had the effect of scattering
service described not In the presence of
the enemy, / am unable to comprehend what
the language Of the statute means The date of
the particular action in rescung the locomotive.
which made further rapid pursuit of the enemy
possible and resulted in driving him entirely
away from the railroad line and in giving us
! bridges before they could be destroyed. was
November Il, and the brevets should be given as
of that date.
The next day General Otis had General
Schwan who was MacArthur's subordinate, In
the adiutant- generals department reply:
My telegram of November 26 was intended to
point out that, as a prerequisite to brevet pro-
motion. the date of the meritorious act must
be fixed, and that IL must also be shown that
the act was performed In the presence of the
enemy or az construed by the War Department,
within the range of the enemy's guns. These
specific facts not set forth In the cases
of Hegeman and Stone In your dispatch Oh
October .. The lack regards dates at least
| seem to be supplied In your telegram of yester-
day evening