The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-04-28
OUR PHILIPPINE WARFARE
COMMENT BY A UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL
Who Observed Testimony Before the
senate Committee.


A. B. Johnson, who until recently was
United States Consul at Annoy China
was in the Island of Panay when the
vigorous military campaign which is
now being Investigated by a Senate
committee at Washington was begun,
and he is now convinced that an injus-
tice is being done to the officers con-
cerned by the reports which are being
sent out. Discussing last night the
testimony taken yesterday Mr.. john
son said:
THE testimony now being taken be-
fore the Senate Committee on so-called
'outrages' in the Philippines penetrated
by American soldiers is intended to be
sensational and is wholly mislea ding.
A great deal of stress is placed upon the
fact that certain towns or barrios were
burned and an effort is made to locate
the officer who gave the order to burn
Just as If it were unusual and crime
against the laws of war and humanity
to burn and lay waste the habitations
of the enemy's country. There was
some such talk as this in certain quar-
tiers for year or two after Sherman's
march to the sea- yet history records
that in the end it was less an evil ana
vigorous policy which would have en-
abled the enemy to prolong the strug-
gle,
During the latter part of November
and until December Is, 1900, | was in
the Island of Panay, where these So
called horrors occurred | spent my
thirty days vacation there. / saw
some of the fires and know of some of
the hardships which were endured by
American soldiers who were so unfor-
tunate as to fall into the hands of the
F'ilipinos.
Owing to the hope extended the in
surrectos by the Anti-imperialists in
America prior to the ELECTION, no pro-
gress had been made in subduing the
island for twelve months, In fact, 1T
became evident that nothing but real
war with all its attendant sufferings
would ever break the courage of those
rebels. The order went out along the
line to drive the enemy from the field
and put down the insurrection with all
possible speed. Twelve months of coax
ing and pleading had faied-utterly |
failed and men were pointed out to |
me on the streets of Iloilo who were
sustaining, encouraging and keeping |
alive the war while living within the !
American lines.
1.-THE advance was made, war was be-
gun in earnest, and on the 18th of De-
cember, when I left Iloilo, the natives
were hocking into army posts at the
ate of from 1000 to 5000 day to take
tn oath of allegiance and save them
selves from the horrors of war. In ten
days $4,000 came in. Up to the middle
of November they had not realized that
itw as serious matter to take up arms |
against the United States; that in
reality war was hell. | saw the smoke
of more than one burning barrio, and in
all candor say the order to burn and
kill or capture the enemy was humane
order, was lawful and all this sensa-
tional testimony is not prompted by a
desire to serve humanity"
''How about the water cure?" Mr..
johnson was asked.
"There may have been some such
cases, but they were isolated and are
being magnified in the retelling First
it was 1875 cases of the water cure, all
by returned Volunteer on
this Island of Panay. These have
shrunk to three cases on that island,
and the other side of the story has
not yet been heard. I met Captain
Glenn, Lieutenant Conger and DIR, Ly ,
pms. They are not demons. Conger had l
his old mother in Iloio with him and ]
more dutiful son and finer gentleman !
1ne would not care to meet. !
mo one seems to be retellng the
awful outrages perpetrated upon Amer
can soldiers by orders of these men
Who now pose as victims, and who
did their most diabolical work
while pretending to be friendly and a
while they wer actually drawing pay 4
rom the United State government. as b
vas the case with the presidente 1
If Igbaras and as was the case of the V
,residente in Samar, who led the as
|
VOWS there. do not defend torture or
ruelty, but military campaign is nee F
ssarily drastic and severe, even unto n
TIL or it is a failure, p
"All this searching examination of q
volunteer privates to learn who gave II
he order to burn that town. smacks 6
f political buncombe, 1t will scarcely z
esult in any wholesome good. p
sixty days after this vigorous cam =.
align opened in Panay 100000 people n
n that island had absolutely submit q,
ed to the sovereignty of the United p
tates. and from that day to this it has r.
OF been necessary to fire a shot or n
urn a shack. Were | in the army this y,
,ould be my answer to the charges of Z,
cruelty, and | believe this n,
ill be the answer of the American n,
eople.
81 regret exceedingly that an order =,
as issued to court martial General | -
lake Smith, than whom the United =,
tates has no wiser. prudent, or more =,
apable defender of it's honor in the
lands ] seriously doubt the correct =,
ess of the report of Major Walters ~
&c timonV which compromised General u