Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-17


The president nas so admonished GEM
eraI Smith. and retired him under the
law which provides that officers hav-
ing reached the age of g. years may
be retired at will by the president In
the review of the case Secretary Root
says: -
Famous Kill and Burn Order"
General Smith was found guilty Of
conduct to the prejudice of good order
and military discipline In that he gave
in the fall of 1901, to Major L. w. L.
Waller. of the marine corps, then serv-
ing with battalion of marines under
his orders, IN S;mar. the following
oral instructions: l want no prisoners
l wish you t. kill and burn; the more
you kill and burn the better you will
please me- and further that he wanted
all persons killed who were capable OF
bearing arms and in actual hOStilitieS
against the United States; and did in
reply to question by Major Waller
asking for an age limit designate
the age limit as 10 years Of age" His
orders We're never carried out, and the
court said il was lienient because the
general did not mean everything his
language implied.
Language Violation of Humanity.
Root then proceeds to say that
General Smith, i'll his conversation
with General Waller, was guilty of in.
temperate. inconSiderate and violent
expressions. which, if accepted literal
ly. would grossly violate the humane
rules governing American armies in
the field, and If followed would have
brought lasting disgrace upon the mill
itary service Of the United States"
SECRETARY CITES PRECEDENTS
Washington's Written Order Against In
dians-Fort Phil Kearney.
The secretary states that Smiths
written and printed orders and the act
uaI military proceedings were Justi-
fed by the history and conditions OF
the warfare with the cruel and treach-
erous savages who Inhabited the ISL
and, and their entire disregard of the
laws of war, We're wholly within the
limitations of general order No. 100,
of 1868. 'and We're sustained by prece-
uents OF the highest authority. Thus.
in 1919. Washington ordered GeneraI
Sullivan in the campaign against the
Six Nations TO seek the total destruc-
ton and devastation of their settle
ments He wrote But you will not
by any means listen to overtures OF
peace before the total ruin of their set
Elements is effected Out fu-
ture security will be in their inability
to injure us, the distance to which
they are driven, and in the terror with
which the severity of the chastise-
ment they receive will inspire them
THE Frot Phil Kearney massacre
in 1866, for base treachery, revolving
cruelty and the conditions of serious
danger which followed it did not ap-
approach the massacre of Balangiga in
Samar in September, 1901.
Yet there was no such severity by
American soldiers in Samar as General
Sherman proposed toward the Sioux
after Fort Phil Kearney."
The recommendation of the secre-
tary to the president is that 'in view.
of the evident infirmiities which have.
made 1t possible that the facts founds
should exist it is not longer for the
interest of the service that General
Smith should continue to exercise the
command of his rank; and
as he is already upwards OF 81 years
of age 1 recommend that you exercise
the discretion vested in you by law
and now retire him from active serv-
ice"
The president agrees with the sec.
retary and retires General Smith. II