AHC: Roosevelt and Lodge unable to contain Philippine War Scandal

[Aurantiacis]

Following the aftermath of the Philippine-American War, Roosevelt found a war scandal at hand after news reports of extreme brutality against natives in the Philippines, both insurrectionist and citizen, were released, including recounts of prisoners executed without trial and the infamous water cure. However, this scandal only lasted a few months after the Lodge Committee, tasked to investigate into American war crimes, managed to sway public opinion for the administration, boosted by Roosevelt's own strong speechs for the war. However, what if this wasn't the case? What if Lodge was unsuccessful in being able to suppress the reports of brutality, and Roosevelt can't put a lid on the scandal?

 

[overoceans]

The Mark Twain Flag becomes a lot more well-known.

 

[Slime_blob]

Following the aftermath of the Philippine-American War, Roosevelt found a war scandal at hand after news reports of extreme brutality against natives in the Philippines, both insurrectionist and citizen, were released, including recounts of prisoners executed without trial and the infamous water cure. However, this scandal only lasted a few months after the Lodge Committee, tasked to investigate into American war crimes, managed to sway public opinion for the administration, boosted by Roosevelt's own strong speechs for the war. However, what if this wasn't the case? What if Lodge was unsuccessful in being able to suppress the reports of brutality, and Roosevelt can't put a lid on the scandal?

I can see that the Philippine government will survive under Aguinaldo, and where the brutality of the war, as they killed civilians and did horrible things to the non combatants. Like burning villages and massacres. If the American press went there and took photos of the brutality, I assume that it will cause outrage and possibly compensation to the Filipino government to the attrocities. And I assume anti imperialist would try to go fund raising on helping the PI, I assume Andrew Carnegie would give a fortune of his wealth to them to aid and invest in them to stop imperialism and showing them as proof that the imperialist warhawks are wrong that they are uncivilized and they can't progress if left alone. As he offered 20M dollars in 1898 to free the PI IOTL. Instead ITTL I see him giving it to them and aiding them more.

 

[raharris1973]

The Mark Twain Flag becomes a lot more well-known.

The Mark Twain Flag becomes a lot more well-known.

I've seen two versions of it:

 

[overoceans]

^
Twain never specified whether "the stars replaced by the skull and crossbones" meant all the stars are replaced by one big Jolly Roger, or if each star gets its own.

Personally, I'm partial to "one big Jolly Roger", because it's easier to discern what's being portrayed, though the other version more closely resembles the flag being burlesqued.