The record-union., 1899-11-23
HONEST CHAPLAIN M'KIANON
HE TELLS THE TRUTH ABOUT
MATTERS IN LUZON.
And Defends the American Soldiers
Against Falsehoods Told
of Them.

The San Francisco Cali of yester-
oay contained an extended report OF
the lecture of Rev. Father Mcklnnon,
chaplain U. S. A, delivered at Metro
politan Temple in that city on tuesday
evening on the Philippines and the SUB
Ject of deSecration of churches during
the war Extracts are made of the
more interesting portions of the dis
course:
A sensation was created last night,
said the Call" at Metropolitan Hall
when the Rev Father William D. Nc
kinnon gave his contribution to the
controversy which is now being waged
over the conduct of American troops in
reference to churches and church prop
erty in the Philippines.
Father McIAinnon has recently been
appointed a Chaplain in the regular
army and last night he delivered
lecture on 1.-The Stars and Stripes in
the Philippines" for the benefit of ST.
Francis Church. The hall was COM
fortably filled and the reverend gen
tleman was introduced by DR.. A. P.
O'Brien, who briefly but eloquently pre-
sented the speaker of the evening
Father McI<innon devoted very
considerable part of the evening to
general discussion of the Philippines.
outlining the incidents of their occupa-
tion by the Spaniards, tracing the
events that followed the war with Spain
and the American seizure of Manila.
He entered into minute discussion of
the resources of the islands and pre-
dicted that under a liberal Government
the new possessions of the United
States could be made immensely prof
liable. Even in the natives the rev.
erend gentleman saw great deal to
admire and very little to condemn
Having given his hearers a clear but
brief description of the people and con-
ditions that the American soldiers met
in their campaign of progress the rev.
erend gentleman described many of the
battles in which the First California
Regiment participated All this proved.
however, but Introductory to the main
theme of the evening, which was Brig
adler General Funston and the charges
which have been made against him
He paid General Funston high tribute
of praise for his courage, devotion and
skill, and declared his entire faith in
his honor and the integrity of his word,
and with emphasis defended his char
4acter as a man and a soldier from as
persions directed against it..
I read this morning." said Father
McKinnon, something that 1 never
knew before about the battle of CALI
can. l read that Colonel Metcalf had
shot dead in could blood Filipino pris-
oner. | know Colonel Metcalf and know
him to be a big g-hearted, generous
wholesouled fellow. l saw all the pris-
oners at Caloocan and I know that
Colonel Metcalf was not guilty of the
offense charged against him. And now
for the church at Caloocan. We have
heard great deal of it, and before
you leave tonight you will hear a
great deal more and learn some
thing of the looting and desecration
that is laid at the doors of the Amer
lean soldiers. On October 25th a year
ago, four months before the Filipinos
were in insurrection, 1 visited the
church at Caloocan and it was then a
Filipino barracks, from which every
thing sacred had been taken. That
was long before the American occupa-
ton of the church on February 7th.
and | can see no desecration in the act
of the American troops in making of
the church what it had been made by
the insurgents months before-a bar
racks.
And what I have said I will saw
again, that there was the lootine and
desecration of churches. the despoil
ment and robbery of their sacred -es-
sells and vestments I will sadly ad
nit that these precious articles had
been carried by American soldiers from
the seat of war. I will not deny this
fact, but l emphatica insist that the
American army is not in the slightest
degree responsible for these outrages.
During my twelve months stay in the
Philippines l was with General Law
ton, with General Wheaton. with Cen
eral King, with General Smith. and
with General Macarthur, and nv eyes
Were open and l had at heart as dearly
as any man in the United States the
interests of my church, and [ saw to-
night that 1 never saw the looting or
the desecration of a church by an
American soldier.
And | say to reverend and irreyer-
ent gentlemen, to misguided and foolish
editors, that this looting and desecra
tlon, which we all deprecate. was COM
mitted by insurgents. by Chinese. and
by them alone. When the campaign
began the strictest orders in reference
to these matters We're issued by Gener-
al Anderson These orders were made
again by General Merritt and published
, broadcast by General Otis.
When in our march we entered a
: town we would meet the Chinese load
ed down with these precious relics
and sacred articles. and when after our
= entrance our soldiers took command,
1 received from the General in charge
strict orders to protect the churches
and all they contained
1 was told that l would be held re
sponsible personally for the churches
and what belonged to them and that
1 could have whatever guard l deemed
necessary to assist me in the work. I
found that there was very little to pro-
tect. but what there was 1 guard I'd. T
recovered from the Chinese depredators
scores or sacred articles, which 1 sent
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