New-York tribune., 1902-08-14
DEFENDS THE SOLDIERS.
r.prATN PECK. WHO SERVED TWO
YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES, RE
.FT-TES THE ANTI-IMPERIALlSIS
ATIFC ATIGNS
ALLEGATIONS.

u-atertown. n Y, Aug. IS CSpeciaD.-Captaln
frank Il. Peck, who commanded Company b. OF
+ta 26th United States Volunteers, and served
:. the philippines two years with his regiment
.ae inst given out strong interview IN re1uIa-
-, NJ the statements made by the committee
= the arti-in2perialists in the letter to Presl-
aenr Roosevelt Captain Peck is a graouale
sror, West Point class OF so. and former
T7;s,ricr Attorney Of this county. He says
The members Of the committee of the anti
.,rzrief5sts are evidently sincere IN their views
5 +f7az- I,iainly mean TO be fair But taxing
a., a. ar+icIe 4s a whole they make the mistake
e a,eIJiney from particulars TO generals III
OF Z. 71-or3s if crimes of various kinds have
- committed by soldiers in isolated instances
~ army at large should not be made 10 carry
thT T,Tl ~ were sixty thousand soldiers in the
rotiirr,ires and these were very fiaStl!4 re-
cr1Iired Among them were men VINO iliu S5I t:l 80
.ar77s in State prisons ana men NnC eHi19tCG
- fa1se names Such men possibly would
u did commit crimes but they we're better
ee+raired there than they would nave peen IN
IeSS-'+, 1ire a,75 when discovered We're promptly
rro,,rr YnartialIe6 ana punished Not"ltIeldIlu,
GOV COZ ~ fact that there were depredations and
nrfy7rs committed by individuals Sun II IS
- +ba+ ne army in the Philippines, instead
- f,ei-z- t'dt,noralizeG,' as the arucle states
Tras The best disciplined army ever put IN the
field and when brought IN contact Win Cle
various European armies. as II was In emma
ir had that record
d 'I1sIeri--e - To The water cure during the two
ooTe 7 was IN service in the Philippines was
=; +be field four days out of each week, and dur
jnp my campaigns we took many prisoners
sometimes hundreds at a time During all my
sarr5oe l never saw heard of the water cure,
,r did hear Of il until through the press some
,nonths after my return TO my native town
I call 70 mind many Instances illustrating the
c1ar9encv of the American soldiers 70 the native
nrisoners At my station in PotOtan. the prln-
rrira1 inland town on the island of Panay. We
ti;Ir house especially for the native prisoners
Here they were housed as comfortably as the
American troops. and were fed as well ana
1a-+sr than il they had been free. The talk
about killing wounded prisoners is all false /
never saw knew Of single act OF abuse or
unkindness to a prisoner by soldier
Our first engagement with the natives was a
.sU- davs after we had landed. At about
o'clock enc morning We drove a BODY OF them
80 of three parallel lines Of trenches II was
fhen lust getting light. and the soldiers. think
ING the fight was over. relaxed their vigilance
somewhat Suddenly Filipino sprang from be
hind some thick grass and with bolo spllt q
roldiers head open. killing him instantly Three
men attacked the Filipino; one shot one STABBED
with a bayOnet, and one dubbed him with q
rife This did not kill him. however, ana WhFn
A. was found there still life the soldiers
took him 10 the hospital and he recovered
,iis5 - We fo1nd a wounded Filipino leuten-
ant He was carried q litter ten miles TO
the hospital by our soldiers He said to me dur
ing halt 7 cannot understand this kindness
II you had fallen into my hands / would Ger
tainIv have killed YOU On another occasion
when I was out with 2 small scouting party,
native fired on US from cIuInp OF trees anu
then ran. AS he crossed an open ordered a
voiley. and he dropped He was badly wounded
in three places, but. acting from hab and
without orders. man in my squad applled
entiseptic bandages and dressed the wounds;
another gave him drink from his canteen- and
another spread his poncho to protect him from
the sun until his friends, who he said were
watching from the neighboring hills should
come and get him.
The public should bear in mind that sixty
thousand soldiers represent community OF con-
siderable size, and every crime enumerated IN
the article has been committed by citizens or
communities Of less than that number The
conduct Of the American soldier toward women
and children was distinguished by KINDNESS
and humanity. I recall an occasion When my
ror7uanv was one OF several elected TO converge
m a certain point. We descended mountain
side in a rainstorm before daylight Nhen we
reached the rice dikes in the fields belo" We
ran IIror a hand Of women and girls VINO we're
working in the rice fields They fell upon thelr
kneae in the water and begged for mercy, es-
recri7q Ia he killed or taken as slaves Inc
so1es co7,,5 not even stop to speak with them.
t1.t as I looked back observed one soIcler aIteI
aro+Le- reach into his haversack and give them
hardtack. .x - -. bot
In oIlr descent upon towns reported 10 ce mo-. TO-
beds OF the insurreCtion we aiNaEs IouIlu aL ~
49,, cone If they had warning Of our approach
bn4 The women and children would Always d. re
main. in the confidence OF SoOu Il
the American soldiers . -.,,r.
have been q member OF many court I4eI ~ eI
nd have investigated and prosecuted IileIly 10y
rnen and in every case Where con. CoLsIC - II
- =. ,4fe,5ar was severely dealt with IN
roroa cases the President has lesseneQ tile tIi p
ie,-,oan+ | do not apprehend thal lne puE ~ ~
iii 80 the letter Of the ants other thal aS d
oez--f7a- faratical utterance. ana regLet tIlsl
g. o4=o.rs in the regular service caIli4ot sP0 I
&c 7 have for they have their tongues 'iON ~
the regulations.