Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-11-21
PRAISE FOR THE ARMY.
Inspector General Brcclinridgc I'm
His Annual Report Comm ends the
Troops In Philippines.

washington, NOV. 18Th MS annual
report to the secretary of war, Gen.
j. C. Breckenridge, Inspector general
of the army, discusses in detail each
branch, each department bureau and
command in the army. The general
heartily commends the course of the
United States officers and men in the
Philippines and declares that the
army is laboring patiently and faith
fully to solve the difficult problems.
The charge that cruelty is generally
practiced on the Filipinos by the Of
ficers and men is vigorously refuted.
Gen. Breckinridge has the following
to say regarding his inspection in the
Philippines: ;
During my our in the Philippines
it was evident on all sides hat the
army, as a whole, was laboring pa
tiently and faithfully to solve the
many vexing problems continually
presented to it. The difficulties en-
countered and the hardships endured
never can be fully approximately any
one who has not beer on the ground
and observed the daily life of officers
and men, miles away from home in
huences and associations, living in
communities either openly or secret
iy hostile, depending almost entirely
for their subsistence upon the COM
missary-where is always afraid
to take even an ordinary drink of wa
ter without ascertaining first wheth-
er it has been cooked"
After scoring critics at home. Gen.
Breckenridge says: There is reason
for qualification hat our fellow
countrymen has confidence in their
army, and many know what war is.
That the army performed it's duties
well and BORE it's hardships uncom
plainingly is well known to all who
have kept in touch with it since the
opening of the Philippine insurrec-
ton. In fact, it has only done these
things which we expect of it and
which we continue to expect of Amer.
lean soldiers"
In discussing the American troops
and the Filipinos, Gen. Breckenridge
says:
"There has been a good deal of dis
c~ussion in the public press and else
where concerning the treatment oi
the native F%ilipinos by the American
soldiers, and some rather serious
charges have been brought against
the army. which charges have not
been substantiated. The conditions OF
war in the philippine islands have
been, perhaps, unusual, and from rea
sons arising from the conduct of TIL,
I,.1.r,n>- .Iapngnl-au ,r1,, nc .hn n -,
thorities agree, are sometimes eX
tremely cruel and treacherous. II
the conduct of the American arm,
toward them the exercise of nexa
pied patience is claimed, and the hu
manity of the troops engaged has nj
parallel in the history of dealing will
Asiatics."
The general commends most highl,
the work done by Gems. Merritt. Otis
Bates, Wheaton, Macarthur, Hughes
Funston, Young. Smith, Bell, Lawtor
Chaffee, Davis. Grant and Baldwin
and says: "rhese are not half tn
names, nor are all of them as wei
known to their fellow-countrymen n
they deserve. But these are anon.
those whom | met or the results o
whose work / witnessed during tn
past year.
1.-THE officers Of the inspection corp
in the Philippines substantially agre
that extreme and frequent cruelty ha
not been h~abitually practiced, an
that all well-founded complaints O
excuses have led to trial and pur
= ishment OF the Offenders"