Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-30
habltants Of the Philippine islands and
mighty creditable to our government.
HrInR About understandlnR.

people or those Islands, and they, on the
other hand, would become fully apprised
OF the purpose and final disposition OF our
government toward them. This need not
reflect in the slightest degree upon the
services Of the military nor Interfere with
the civil governments that have been or
may be established.
Should this request be approved, am
dillon of our military forces IN that dlvi-
sion, in the cessation Of hostilities within
return of a large number OF our troops from
those remote and unhealthful stations, and,
4, s sSSiq. h h tho 80 f isia a%5'S Which so Mouid be
satisfactory to the inhabitants thereof as
well as TO the people OF the United States.
very NELSON A. MILES.
| Lieutenant General, Commanding United
States Army.
Disapproved by Root.
WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington,
March 5, lsO2-Respectfully forwarded to
the president. disapproved.
The conduct Of military affairs in the
p pTshppiae and the conduct OF civii
affairs By Governor Taft and his associ-
ates in the Philippines has been able and
successful. Much more rapid progress has
been made toward the complete acceptance
of American sovereignty, the restoration of
peace and the establishment Of civil gov
eminent than we had auy right to antici-
pate when the treaty Of Paris was ratified
y y6IysPs la pra pIIig9iIiSu s iI ers th eap pfice en-
mentioned in the control which they now
exercise. Not only is this without justif-
cation in their conduct, but l should re-
gard 1t as a most unfortunate interference
with the present satisfactory. progress.
There have been exceedingly full. extended
and long continued consultation and coun-
sci between the government OF the United
states the Leaders or opinions among the
full understanding and most friendly feel
Ing between by far the greater part of the
tieipPation pt by many qSn members Of the Agppin-
aldo government in the civil government
I append hereto a list Of twenty-three
officers of the insurrectjonary government
who now hold positions Of trust under our
government. Aguinaldo himself has taken
the position of earnestly urging his coun-
trymen to accept our sovereignty, and most
Of it them is NOT 6ey eeeTScieeffy aa9Y t I6ii0T SSy ms add fidlSlGeii
benefit would be obtained by taking dele
cations Of Cubans and Porto Ricans 70
from the Philippines. to the United states
in advance of a choice of official delegates
Congress. On the other hand, 1t would be
very difficult 70 Keep sueh a proeeeding free
from spectaeIIar ama sensational FEATURES
II is not the fact thai the warfare in
the Philippines has been conducted with
fare has been conducted with marked hu-
manity and magnanimity on the part OF
the Oh EIiHU ROOT, Secretary of War.
Conclusions of the secretary Of war are
~ THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
White House, March 6. 1902.
Miles Makes Retoinder.
Respectfully submitted to the secretary
In accordance with the verbal message
received from Colonel Carter through MT;
office, l nave the honor to return my let
ter of February, 1902, with Endorsements
In connection with my letter and the in;
dorsements thereon l desire to say that !
regret that the honorable secretary should
have been under the impression that a
proposition that was prompted in the in
terest. of humanity would IN any way De
l should not anticipate any such result. |
would call attention to the last page OF my
letter, in which 1 distinctly said:
This need not reflect In the slightest de-
gree upon the services IT the military nor
Interfere with IT the b civil asts SSyys55a6msentS tha'
l think 1t will be admitted that no such
objection was ever raised by any OF the
partment commanders when the numerous
Indian delegations left their territory to
come to Washington.
Examples of hi
1 would also call attention to the fact
that last winter, while on an official visit
Of the Constitutional convention, who said
they wished to communicate directly with
such sne pa a request on returning to washing
ton I reported the fact to President Nc
6 HiaIey s6 Snd uT e be that made he & graGdiid 'n Sc. a md
the delegation came to Washington. The
result was most gratifying, not only to our
OF Cuba as well. All this was done with
out the slightest reflection upon Major
General Wood or objection on his part as
referring TO that part of my c~ommunica-
ton which states that the waTtare IN IN me
marked severity. and to the remarks Of
the honorable secretary on that point, L
Governor william H. Taft, addressed to
ton. February 7, 1902, as we'll as other COM
munications that have been referred TO
these quarters or received by me.
Trip to Philippines.
Concerning my golDg to the Philippines,
so, and this was with the knowledge OF
the secretary, of war and the approval or
the late President Mckinley, but the jour
ney was postponed in consequence OF the
increase in. and reorganization OF, the
The suggestion contained in my letter,
that in going to the Philippine islands, 1
take certain natives Of Cuba and Porto
Of 3hoS s. Of the Phi!ifpPine STANDS was
prompted by my belief that, the results
Since this measure. as suggested, is not
deemed advisable, l do not ask for its
delayed visit to the Philippine; which !
hope to do in the near future; I shall de-
vote my attention 10 the condition ana re-
quirements of the troops in that division,
the same as l have n respect TO ether gor-
Lieutenant General Commanding United
States Army.
These communications are supplemented
by a further review Of the case by Score
tary Root and a reimbursement by the
president of Roots Official position. In his
review Secretary Root refers to the fact
that General Miles had asked permission
to take $4,000 troops from the Philippines
to China during the Boxer uprising and
had been o~ficially denied. He states that
Miles original application to Mckinley
was accompanied by the proposal to obtain
for the lieutenant general supreme COM
mand Of the allied forces in China and that
under these circumstances President Nc
Kinley declined to authorize the sending
Of Miles either to the Philippines or to
China.