Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-06-06
SPEAKS TO VETERANS
President Roosevelt's Address at
Arlington.
Says War in Philippines Is Conducted
with Great Humanity-severeI
Condemns CrueIties and Says
They Must Stop.

ever ihC ~
cal arrangements were in charge of
the department of the Potomac and
included parade of all the G.. a. X.
and other patriotic organizations, the
decoration of monuments and graves
and addresses by men prominent in
the affairs of the government.
At Arlington, where the principal
exercises were held n national salute
was fired at IL o'clock by the Fourth
battery, United States field artillery.
Music was rendered by the Marine
band and by the memorial choir.
At the amphitheater President
Roosevelts arrival was the signal for
an outburst of applause, which con-
tinued for some time after he had
taken his seat on the platform.
The Presidents Address.
The president spoke as follows:
at is a good custom for our country to
have certain solemn holidays in commemo-
ration of our greatest men and OF the great
est crisis In our history. There should be
but few such holidays. To increase their
number Is to cheaper them. On this day,
the 30th of May. we call to mind the deaths
of those who died that the nation might live,
| who wagered all that life holds dear for
| tne great prize OF UtdtH Ddlllt, WIN pOuiSS
| out their blood like water in order that the
mighty national structure raised by the
| far-seeing patriotism of Washington,
| Franklin Marshall, Hamilton and the other
| great leaders of the revolution, great franz
| ers of the constitution, should not crumble
| into meaningless ruins.
You whom I address to-day and your
| comrades who wore the blue beside you In
| the perilous years during which strong, sad,
| patient Lincoln bore the crushing load OF
] III f.as
the failure to perform which would have
meant destruction to everything which
makes the name America a symbol of hope
! among the nations OF mankind You did
! the greatest and most necessary task which
| has ever fallen to the lot OF any men on this
western hemisphere.
War In the Philippines.
"Just at this moment the army OF the
United States. led by men who served
among you in the great war, Is carrying to
completion a small but peculiarly trying
| and difficult war in which is Involved rot
only the honor of the flag but the triumph
! of civilization over forces which stand for
| the black chaos of savagery and barba rssm.
| The task has not been as difficult or as I'M
| portant as yours. but oh, my comrades,
| the men In the uniform OF the United States
| who have for the last three years patiently
| and uncomplainlrgly championed the
| American cause in the Philippine Islands,
ere your younger brothers. your sons. They
| have shown themselves not unworthy Of
| YOU and they are entitled TO the support
OF all men who are proud Of what you did
These younger comrades Of yours have
| fought under terrible difficulties and have
received terrible provocatlon from very
cruel and treacherous enemy.
VIII Prevent CrueIties.
"UTrder the strain of these provocatiors.
! deeply deplore to say that some among
them have so far forgotten themselves as
10 counsel ard commit. in retaliation, acts
OF cruelty. The fact that for every guilty
act committed by our troops 100 acts Of far
greater atrocity have been comnAtted by
the hostile natives upon our troops, or upon
the psaceatle and law-abidrg natives who
are friendly to US. cannot be held to excuse
any wrorgdoer our side. Determined
and answering effort must be made, and
IS being made, to find out every instance
Of barbari,y on the part Of our troops, 10
punish those guilty OF II, and to take, II
possible, ever stronger measures than have
already been taken to minimize or prevent
the occurrence Of all such instances in the
future"
War Conducted with Humanity.
1.-THE fact really is that our warfare IL
the Philippines has been carried on with
singular humanity. For every act Of cru.
city by our men there have been irpumer.
able acts of forbearance, magranimity and
generous kindness. These are the qualities
which have characterized the war as 8
ceptlonal on our part
Must Finish the Task.
at behooves us TO keep a vigilart watch
TO prevent these abuses and TO punish those
who commit them; but II because of them
We finch from finishing the task on which
We have entered, we show ourselves cravers
and weaklirgs. unworthy Of the sires from
Whose loins We sprung.
''Peace and freedom-are there two better
objects for which a soldier can fight? Well
these are precisely the objects for which
our soldiers are fighting in the Philippines
Our soldiers conquer; and what is the OBJ
ject Cor which they conquer? To estab
, lsh military government? No. The law:
We are now erGeavoring to enact for the
government OF the Philippines are TO in
crease the power and domain of the clvi
at the expense of the military authorities
and to render even more difficult than II
the past the chance of oppression. Tit
military power Is used to secure peace III
. order that it may itself be supplarted b,
the civil gocernment The progress of tht
American arms means the abolition of cru
city. the bringing of peace and the rul
of law and order under the civil govern
e ment. Other nations have conquered t
e create irresponsible military rule. We con
{ quer to bring just and responsible civil gov
ernment to the conquered.
Not Party Question.
This should no more be party question
than the war for the union should have beel
party question. AT this moment the mai
In highest Office in the Philippine islands
the vice governor, Gen. Luke Wright, o
i Tennessee, who gallantly wore the gray Il
: the civil war and who is now working ham
= In hand with the head of our army in tn
Philippines, Adna Chaffee. who in the civl
}, war gallantly wore the blue. Those two
l. and the men under them from the mort
Il and from the south, In civil Life and in mill
a tary life, as teachers, as administrators, a
- soldiers, are laboring nightly for US VIII
l. live at home. They are doing a great wor
n for civilization. great work for the homo
o and the interest of this nation, and abov
n all, for the welfare of the inhabitants of tn
= Philippine islands. All honor TO them; an
Z shame thrice shame, 10 us II we fail 10 W
hold their hands!"
Both Boats Fined.