The Indianapolis journal., 1901-07-01
LETTER FROM A SOLDIER
JOHN p. M,sDAMS WRITES TO MIR.
r.. n. MILLER, OF THIS CITY.
He Says Many Letters from Soldiers
Are Filled with Gross Exaggera-
tions-Present Conditions.

"You ask me TO write you a long letter
In regard to this country, the condition of
the people, the treatment the natives re-
ceive at the hands of the soldiers and the
degradation we are heaping on the wom-
en-, and / will cheerfuly comply with your
request TO the best of my ability. l will
say in the beginning that nearly. If not all
the letters published from soldiers here
which have come to my notice have been
filed with the grossest exaggerations. and,
in many instances, simply lies out of the
whole cloth. This applies especially to
those letters which contain statements 10
the effect that combatant or noncombatant
natives have been subjected to unusual
hardships, or severe treatment, through
the policy of our government. or an unre-
strained soldiery. The fact is, since the
world began. l do not think there has ever
been war In which so many of the stern
features of such contests have been absent,
and in the conduct Of which there has been
displayed so much consideration, such
mildneSs and leniency, under such trying
conditions as we have shown in the contest
here. The declaration of the President de-
scrlbing our policy towards the Filipinos
as being that of benevolent assimilation,
and which probably great many people
thought was simply catchy phrase, has
been carried out to the letter. / think
large majority OF the officers and nearly II
not all of the rank and file of the army
have been from the beginning opposed TO
the mild and liberal policy of the govern
ment towards the insurrection. If we had
been more severe. / mean by this If We had
simply enforced the laws OF war, this little
trouble would not have lasted so long.
CONVINCED OF GENEROSITY.
However, now that it is over it was
probably the best way, the Filipinos
must be impressed with our generosity,
and are surely convinced that we have their
welfare at heart. Planning and carrying on
military operations against the forces OF
the insurrection has only been small part
of the work which has confronted US here,
except in a few instances, our arms have
never met with any resistance worthy to
be called such. The most difficult and try
ing thing, and which requires the presence
OF such a large number of troops, is the
establishment of law and order and pro-
tecting the great mass of peaceable natives
from the numerous small bands of insur-
rectos and ladrones, and especially the lat
ter, who rob and murder in the name of
the insurrection. The insurrecto govern
two years and until November, 1900, when
the northern advance was made. About
the same time the backbone Of the insur-
rection was broken and their armies
divided into small bands for the purpose
of continuing the struggle by carrying on
guerrilla warfare We met this move of
theirs by distributing our troops, a COM
pany in each town over the entire country.
A town here resembles our magisterial dis
tricts and are usually about eight miles
square, consisting of the town proper and
company, sometimes a smaller detach-
ment, had quite a large territory 10 police
and clean out. AS military law alone pre-
vailed the officer in command of the de-
tachment usually a first or second lieuten-
ant, had almost unlimited authority over
some fifteen or twenty thousand souls. For
many months We were very busy ridding
our district of the small bands of ladrones
and insurrectos which thoroughly infested
1t. In truth there was very little If any diff
ference between the insurrectos and la
drones, and in case of capture, both de-
manded to be treated as prisoners of war.
As most of them, however, were cut
throats and murderers they were tried by
military commission for violating the laws
of war. In this province alone We have
hung between twenty-five and thirty be-
with sentences ranging from two to ninety
nine years.
FEARFUL PUNISHMENT.
'The Filipinos think nothing of having
their heads cut off with bolos a mode of
punishment and being lined up and shot
was nothing to speak of. but being hung
was something new and terrible. Our exc
cutions were always attended by thousands
of trembling spectators. While 1t is true
that there are a few insurrectos in arms,
hidden away in the mountains of certain
districts, yet IL may be said that the in
surrection is a thing OF the past as those
who still persist In standing by the hope
less being slowly gathered I'm.
Civil governments are being established in
all the provinces. the natives electing their
local officials. There is a property and
educational qualification attached TO the
right TO vote which is made necessary by
| the low order of intelligence OF the masses.
The natives are happier and far more
prosperous than ever before In their his
tory. and l believe nearly If not all now
recognize the incalculable benefit TO them
! Of our occupancy OF these islands. There
| s | think no question whatever as to the
unfitness of the Fiipinos for self-govern-
ment now. or for some time to come.
I'm the first place, the great mass of the
people are not far removed from the savage
state, and the really bad people | mean
those who are 'ladrones now and those who
would be In the absence OF n strong hand
whelming majority. The intelligent classes
are no better than the others. being as n
rule envious, untruthful. deceitful, cruel
and revcngeful. and utterly unprincipled.
| The fact Is do not know of n single good
quality which the Filipino possesses They
have all the bad qualities of the Spaniard
without his redeeming, points; | don't think
they are capable OF the feeling or patriot
| ism, or love OF country. II given their
| freedom and independence their own rulers
would be a thousand times more cruel and
oppressive than the Spanards ever were
| III it is our intention to fit them for self
government we have undertaken that
which VIII require generations TO complete.
| AS for the soldiers inflcting hardships on
| them and insulting their women. that is
all bosh A soldier who daree to raise his
| hand against. native. which Is n very rare
| occurrence, is severely punished Every
| thing Is quiet now and In n flourishing con-
dtion. There Is employment for ali at
wages they never dreamed OF before. An
| Immense amount OF work IL being done on
| the roads everywhere. The cities have been
| cleaned and renovated and improved 10
| such an extent as hardly 20 be recognized
| from their former appearance Thousan nds
| of Filpinos are required TO transport army
| supplies. With proverbial prodgality the
| soldiers scatter their gold bimonthly In
every nook and corner OF the archipelago
| In this way times are such as they never
were before. The stars and stripes though
transplanted 20 this distant place stands
| for those things here which endears 10 90 us
| nj home. II now flaps In the breezcs I'm
every village In this land. and under g.
| the Filipinos live I'm peace, protected IN
| their life and property. the goddess OF JUS
| tice blindfoldcd In their tribunals. under
| the shield OF the greatest and most gcncr-
Gus nation this world has ever known