Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-15
THEMACABEBE'ST TRAITS
TESTIMONY OF A FORMER OF
FICER.
Administration Of the Water Cure
Filipinos Unit Now for Self
Government.

Whom the Senate committee on the Philip
pines met today Senator Culoerson pre-
scented a copy of a petition from MISS
Clemencia Lopez concerning the interests
of the Lopez family in the province OF Ba-
taneas. which had, he said, been presented
to the President, asking to have II printed
as a part of the days proceedings Sena-
tor Beveridge expressed a desire to read
the document and action upon the request
was postponed:
Traits of the Macabebe.
Capt. Lee Hall of San Antonio, Tex. VINO
served in the Sd Volunteer Infantry from
October. 1899, to September. 1900 was the
witness before the committee today he
served under Generals Lawton and Young.
in command Of detachment OF Macapepe
scouts He said that as rule the conduct
of these scouts was good, ana tnat at IIls'
they were the only loyal natives there.
They needed training ana dlsclpilne as SUI
diers and were not especially good hghters.
They also were at daggers points with the
Tagalogs. ..s.
Senator Dietrich questioned the witness
concerning the characteristics of the Maca-
hebes "Recently," said the SENATOR
..there was published in Bryan's Commoner
a picture representing Aguinaldo stahalns
beside a Macabebe. who was presented az
a negro, and naked. except for a oreech
c,o,,t Is that a true representation of the
Macabebe?" 8.
not negro. He is a Malay, with s.raasn.
hair, and the Macabebe soldier wears
hat, a shirt and trousers
The Water Cure.
He said in reply to other questions tnas
he never had witnessed the administration
of the water cure, but that on one occa-
sion a Macabebe sergeant whom he mad
sent out In search Of guns had told MIN
that he procured them by the use OF the
cure. His method was to use bunalo
horn as funnel through which to admin
lister the water. When this incident was
reported to Col. Wilder, in charge of the
scouts, the colonel had said that he did not
want to hear any more about 1t. AS for
himself, he gave no orders to cease the
water-cure practice
The witness was quite sure that this was
a native and not an American invention in
securing confession.
Asked as to cruelties practiced by the
native scouts, he said that it was their
practice to make prisoners carry their
hayersacks, and he related one instance i'm
which prisoners had been looted by the
scouts He told of a conversation he had
with Gen. Lawton, in which the general
had said that the natives should be treated
considerably, because by and by they
would be our people"
He had himself done no more than COM
pei prisoners to beat rice.
Treatment Of Prisoners
Prisoners generally were paroled after
dressing the wounds of the wounded and
caring for the sick The native prisoners
were treated much as our own soldiers
are. 1--WE paid for everything we got" he
said"
Senator Dietrich asked the witness wheth-
er 1t was not true that the water cure was
less harmful than the native vino, which
the people drink, and Captain Hall replied
he thought that was the case. The effect
of Philippine vino Is. he said, precisely the
snme as raw absinthe.
Captain Hall said he had known of cases
of cruelty on the part of the Filipfnos to-
ward American prisoners. but that this
practice ,had been largely discontinued by
the natives toward the latter part of his
stay in the Philippines.
Speaking of the relative mortality in the
American Philippine forces in battle, he
said that generally about three natives to
one American wer0 killed. 1.-The Filipino
is q better shot NJ "A distance of a mile
and half he said. than at thirty steps"
Fitness for Government.
Replying, to questions by Senator Dubois.
Captain Hail said he considered that there
was no immediate chance for an indie pend-
emit government-..not until they learn what
government Is" He proceeded. however. to
say that there is much good in the native
Ffiipiuos and that In time they would come
to be COED people. He considered them much
like the Mextcans Of twenty-five or thirty,