The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-04-17
ROOT ORDERS ACTION
Prompt Inquiry Res arding AL
legged Cruelties to F'ilipinos.
COURTS MARTIAL FOR OFFENDERS.
General CknTrce Cabled to Proceed
at Once Against General smith
and Officers who Adminis-
tered the "water Cure,

anu OUcerA VINO Admtnts-
tered the "water Cure"
WASHINGTON, April 16.-Secretary
Root has cabed General Chaffee at Ma
Mia to investigate the newspaper re-
ports of the Waller trial and IL they are
correct to court martial General Smith:
also, IL the facts are established as tes-
tilted to before the senate Philippine
committee, to court martial the officers
who administered the water cure" to
the presidente of Igbarras. These Off
GERS are Major Glenn, Lieutenant Con-
ger and Assistant Surgeon Lyon.
Following is the memorandum for
the adjutant general as cabled to Gen
eral Chaffee by order of the war de-
partment:
"On Feb. 10 letter was sent you in
closing for investigation copy Of
charges made by Governor Gardener
of Tayabas province, which contained
general allegations of cruelties prac-
ticed by troops on natives and general
ly Of an insolent and brutal attitude of
the army toward natives.
ION April a cable dispatch was sent
you urging action with all speed con-
sistent with thorough and searching in
vestigation.
"On the 4th of March cable dis
patch was sent you directing disciplin-
ary measures to produce obedience to
the presidents instructions, subordinat-
ing military officers to civil government
in pacified provinces and instructing
you to relieve Major Edwin Il. Glenn
and Captain James A. Ryan from duty
and order them to Manila to await in
vestigation into their conduct in ac-
cordance with instructions to follow by
mail
"On the oath of March instructions
were mailed you containing statement
of charges against these officers and
General Jacob IL. Smith as the basis of
the investigation ordered by the cable
of March 4.
Further instructions in both matters
are required by the following facts:
Press dispatches state that upon the
trial of Major Waller of the marine
corps testimony was given by Waller,
corroborated by other witnesses, that
General Jacob III. Smith instructed hin,
to kill and burn, that the more he kill
ed and burned the better pleased Gen
era Smith would be. that it was no
time to take prisoners and that when
Majer Waller asked General Smith to
, define the age limit for killing he re-
piled, Everything over ten
IF such testimony was given and the
facts can be established, you will place
General Smith on trial by court mar
tial
| Yesterday before the senate COM
mittee on Philippine affairs Sergeant
Charles s. Riley and Private William
Lewis Smith Of the Twenty-sixth vol
unteer infantry testified that form Of
torture known as the water cure was
administered to the presidente of the
town of Igbarras, Iloilo province, is
land of Panay, by detachment of the
Eighteenth United States infantry
commanded by Lieutenant Arthur l.,
Conger under orders of Major Edwin
+. Glenn, then captain of the Twenty
fifth infantry and that Captain and
Assistant Surgeon Palmer Lyon, at
that time contract surgeon, was pres
ent to assist them.
"The officers named or such of them
us are found to be responsible for the
net will be tried therefor by court mar.
tial
1T is believed that the violations of
law and humanity of which these
cases If true are examples will prove
to be few and occasional and not tc
characterize the conduct of the army
generally in the Philippines but the
fact that any such acts of cruelty and
barbarity appear to have been done in
dicates the necessity of a most thor
ough, searching and exhaustive inves
tigation under the general charges pre-
ferred by Governor Gardener, and yor
will spare no effort in the investigation
already ordered under these charges t.
uncover every such case which may
have occurred and bring the offenders
to justice.
"The president desires to know il
the fullest and most circumstantia
|
concealed, and no man being for any
reason favored or sheltered. For tn,
very reason that the president intend.
to back up the army in the hearties
fashion in every lawful and Legitimate
method of doing its work he also in
tends to see that the most rigorous
care is exercised to detect and preven
any cruelty or brutality and that mel
who are guilty thereof are punished
Great as the provocation has been IL
dealing with foes who habitually re
sort to treachery, murder and torture
against our men, nothing can justif.
or will be held to justify the use o.
torture or inhuman conduct of an,
kind on the part Of the American
army"
Waller Acquitted.
| MANILA, April 14-Major Littletol