The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-03

n OSTON. May 2.-Mr, Atkinson to-
X night gave to The Call correspond
ent copies of the alleged treason
able documents sent to soldiers in
the Philippines The first of the docu-
ments is entitled THE Cost of a National
Crime" THE He'll of War and Its Penal
ties. On the hrst page, just below the
title. appears the following: Tenth edi
ton, making twenty-five thousand Two
treatises suggested by the appointment of
a day of national thanksgiving by the
President of the United States. From
first edition: This pamphlet is respect
fully dedicated to the President OF the
United States, upon whom now rests a
fearful responsibility.
oh vet a nober task awaits thy hand
CFor what can war but endless war still breed p
TIL truth and right from violence be freed
And public faith cleared from the shameful
brand
OF public fraud. Milton.
Then follow number of pages devoted
to showing that the Government revenue
under the Dlngley bill will be insufficient
to meet the expenses of a so-called I'M
perialistic" policy, and closing as follows:
Il will append one question to each
reader How much increase OF taxation
are YOU willing to bear and now many OF
your neighbors' sons are you ready to
sacrifice by fever, malaria and disease IN
order to extend the sovereignty OF the
United States over the West lnqleS ana
the Philippine Islands? BY such policy
we throw away our previous exemption
from militarism. which constitutes one of
our chief advantages in establishing low
cost Of production coupled with hlgh
rates of wages or earnings, computed by
myself at per cent per annum on our
total annual product, by which advantage
we were attaining q paramount cOntrol
of trade on the export OF our goods 10
every port Of the world of commerce
This is dated Boston, November q,
1895 and is signed by Edward Atkin-
Here is another citation: The pretexts
upon which this so-caled policy OF i'm
perialism is promoted consist OF mixed
motives Of piety. profits and patriotism.
ITO the advocates who hope for great
field of missionary service we may put
the question: How MANY OF the youth OF
America will you subject to vice as sac
rifice for each heather convert that you
may make2
commerce we will put the question: how
much will you increase the power OF the
people of the Philippine Islands TO con
sumo American goods when in fact during
the last ten years they have bought OF
US on the average 800 900 worth year!
Yet we have bought of them annually in
the same period an average OF N.WOV1Q
worth. mainly of sugar and hemp. ana
from the export duties on these products
the Spanish Government has secured its
principal revenue; such export taxes be-
ing forbidden by the constitution Of the
United States
patriotism we call attention to the reflex
Of miitarism, the pauper labor of CONT
mental Europe waiting for its remedy un-
til the masses who carry the guns turn
them against the classes who carry the
sword--to their oppression in the conscript
service. which is eating out the heart of
Europe.
ITO the workmen we put the question:
How long will you bear an additional tax
on the articles Of common use which are
consumed not in proportion to ability but
in proportion TO numbers from which the
principal revenues OF the United States
are collected?-such additional tax upon
every one Of your families Of five persons
surely coming to not less than SIS year.
THE preteXts are piety, profits and
patriotism the conclusions vice, Venality
and paupeTlsm. Ihe5e are the constants
which surely accompany the rule OF blood
and iron and the control of the masses
by the military classes.
The second part Of ttis first document,
"The He'll of War and It's Penalties"
opens with a slightly condensed" copy
of a letter addressed to President McKfn-
ley by Mr.. Atkinson under date of No
vember IA. 1898. This letter deals almost
entirely with the danger from infectious
diseases TO be expected in Cuba. Porto
Rico and the Philippines. 1t says
q 600 United States troops at Manila, but
on an apparent danger that the native
forces might take possession Of Iloilo and
prove capable of establishing home rule
reinforcements were urgently called for
and three regiments have been hastily
dispatched,
The United states torceS sent TO the
Philippines are therefore now about
double the number of French soldiers in
the campaign in Madagascar.
"By the rule of proportion. without
making any allowance for the hotter and
more pestilertial conditions of the Phil
ippine Islands, the death rate in our
forces in the Philippines in the first year
will be one-third, or about 5000 men.
Probably a large number will be sent
home invalided.
LAS these conditions must be known to
the executive officers of the Government
through the records of the surgeon gen
erals office, the reason becomes plain
why volunteers enlisted for the Cuban or