The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-21
WALLER'S MISTAKE
CAUSED SUFFERING
He Was TO Blame for the Awful
Samar Experience
COL. GRoESBECk ARRIVES
He Says Waller Is a Tacticlan and
Not Leader-Has Great Res
pect for Gen. Smith and
Feels Sorry for Him.

San Francisco, July 20.-Col Stephen
/ w. Groesbeck, formerly Judge advocate
OF the division of the Philippines, has ar
rived here from Manila en- route to Chi
cago where he will take station as Judge
advocate of the department of the lakes.
Colonel Groesbeck was chief reviewing
authority in the trials of Major Waller
and Gen. Jacob H. Smith, botr. of whom
We're courtmartialed for methods used In
The Samar campaign
! Discussing the Waller trial Co1. CSroes-
beck characterized Major Waller as a tao
tician not leader.
In reviewing that case: IT could only
give 1t qualified approval of the findings Of
the court, because I believed him re-
| spcnsible largely for the conditions that
caused his men TO commit the defenses
charged. An attempt was made to lead
detachment of his command, consisting
OF our officers, twenty-fou- enlisted and
thirty-three 'csrga doroe" from east
towns across the island of Samar in
search of the enemy and when about
midway of his course he found himself
IN the heart of an uninhahitated, noun
famous section, without rations and
without medical attendance.
Without Proper Provision.
"The march had been begun without
proper provision being made. The mems
shoes had worn away, their clothing
] hung In tatters, many were stricken with
fever. their feet bruised and bleeding.
their bodies lacerated by thorns and add
| ing to this wretchedness, the leeches
which abound, attacked and greatly ag-
sravated their exposed wounds. Then to
tne cry for food the "carga doros" it is
! alleged, did not effectively respond.
and the suspicion was aroused in the
minds of the starving men that the
| 'corga doros were connivinR at their
destruction. For this they were placed
under guard and all of those from whom
a. cry OF retaliation came were executed :"
Referring to the famous ''kill and
burn order, alleged to have been issued
by General Smith, Colonel Groesbeck
said:
mo such order was ever issued by
Smith, but he is an impetuous and err
ratio man. and. when going over the
ground at Balengiga, after the massa-
crecre OF an entire company of the Ninth
Infantry, he remarked to Waller that
they would be justified in killing and
burning as they went"
Not accountable for Lives.
He did not think that Waller or any
of the officers of his command should
be held accountable for the lives destroy
ed, but he believed that had more care
| full provision been made when the fatal
march was begun it would not have end
| ed with such disastrous result. He spoke
of General Smith as a fine officer and
expressed regret at the humiliation at
tached to the recent orders for his re-
| tirement.
| Colonel Groesbeck believes In the IVA
ter cure" and said that In all the com
plants caused by this method of. forcing
the insurgents to give information as to
where arms were hidden. etc, 1t had been
abused only by young officers, over zeal
Gus and inexperienced in their work
| Il believe" said he, ''the water cure
as practiced ty the American army in
the Philippines to be the most humane
method of obtaining information of
criminals of war that is known to mod
ern warfare"
On the Philippine question in general,
Colonel Groesbeck said:
I'VE are there to stay. The price that
has been paid for the islands demands
that we hold them, but to civiize and
establish a government that can be ulti-
nately given into the keeping of the ma
tives is task beyond the comprehension
of those unacquainted with the treachery
that has been instilled into the people of
their former rulers The nplifted bolo is
the only law that they have feared for
ages and strenuous means must be adopt-
| ed to eradicate such iipas"