The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-16
CABINET WAKES UP
CRUELTY TO FILIPINOs TO BE IN
VESTIGATED.
ROOT ISSUES A STATEMENT.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS SENT no
GEN. CHAFFEE.

AcHs AcsthmOhS-muJ. UAenh TO ne
Tried by CourtmRrtiaI at San
Francisco, and Two Others Later
for Water-Cure Treatment of Fill
pinO Prcsidente-The Steps Taken
the Result of Yesterdays Cabinet
Meeting-PresidentR oOseveIt's Po-
sitiOR SuccinctIy Set Forth.
Washington, April 15.-As a result
of the consideration by the cabinet to-
day Of the charges of cruel treatment
of Filipinos by United States soldiers,
Secretary Root has made public the
following correspondence:
War Department, Washington, April
Is, 1902.-My dear Senator: beg to
acknowledge the receipt of your copy
of the testimony of Sergt. Charles S.
Riley and Private William Lewis
Smith, late of the Twenty-sixth Infan-
try, taken before your committee yes
terday. 1 enclose a copy of a dispatch
which has been sent to-day to Maj.
Gen. Chaffee, commanding the division
of the Philippines. Directions have
been given to the judge advocate gen.
eral of the army to take proper steps
in accordance with the dispatch.
The War Department will be glad
70 receive the earliest practicable in
formation of any further evidence
which may be elected by the commit
tee, tending to fix responsibility upon
anyone in the military service of the
United States for any violation of the
laws of war or of the regulations and
orders governing the operations of the
army of the United States in the field
Very respectfully, Elihu Root,
Secretary of War"
To Hon. H. c. Lodge, United States
Senate, Washington.
Instructions to Chanee.
War Department, Washington
Memorandum for the Adjutant Gener-
al: Gable Gen. Chaffee as follows: On
Feb. 10, a letter was sent you, enclos-
ing for investigation. copy of charges
made by Gov. Gardener of Tayabas
province, which contained general al
legations of cruelties practiced by
troops on natives, and generally of an
snsolent and brutal attitude of the
army towards natives.
ION April 2 a. cable dispatch was
seat you urging action with all speed
consistent with thorough and search
Ing investigation.
Son the 4th of March a cable dis
patch was sent you directing disciplin-
airy measures to produce obedience to
the Presidents instructions subordi-
mating military officers to civil govern
ment in pacified provinces, and in
structing You to relieve Mai. Edwin F.
Glenn and Capt. James A. RYAN from
duty and order them to Manila to
await investigation into their conduct
IN accordance with instructions to fol-
low by mail.
ION the Gath of March instructions
were mailed you containing statement
of charges against those officers and
Gen. Jacob II. Smith. as the basis of
the investigation ordered by the cable
of March II.
CourtmartiaI for Gen. Smith.
Further instructions in both matters
are required by the following facts.
Press dispatches state that upon the
trial of Maj. Waller of the Marine
Corps tstimony was given by Waller.
corroborated by other witnesses. that
Gen. Jacob H. Smith instructed him to
kill and burn; that the more he killed
and burned the better pleased Gen.
Smith woud be; that it was no time
to take prisoners, and that when Mai.
Waller asked Gen. Smith to define the
age limit for killing, he replied,N 'Ev-
erything over 10.' If such testimony
was given and the facts can be estab-
lished, you will place Gen. Smith on
trial by court-martial Il
Three More CourtmartfaIs.
Yesterday before the Senate Com
mittee on Philippine Affairs, Sergt.
Charles Riley and Private William
Lewis Smith of the Twenty-sixth Vol
unteer Infantry testified that the form
of torture known as the water cure
was administered to the Presidente Of
the town of Igbarras, Iloilo province.
Island of Panay, by detachment of
Eighteenth United States Infantry. un-
der command of Lieut.. Arthur L. Con-
ger, under orders of Maj Edwin f.
Glenn, then captain Twenty-fifth In
fantry, and that Capt. and Assistant
Surgeon Palmer Lyon, at that time a
contract surgeon, was present to assist
them The officers named or such of
them as are found to be responsible
for the act, will be tried therefor by
court martial. Conger and Lyon are in
this country. Both the Twenty-sixth
Volunteer Infantry and Eighteenth In
fantry having returned to the United
States and most of the witnesses
being presumptively here, the Score
tary of War directs that Mai. e. r
Glenn, Twenty-fifth Infantry. de direct
ed to proceed to San Francisco and
report to the general commanding The
Department of California, with a view
to his trial by court-martial under
charges alleging the cruelties prac
ticed by him upon a native of the Phil
ippine Islands at Igbarras on June ~
1900. If you can discover any witnesses
still in the service in the Philippine
Islands who can testify in support OF
the charges, or If Maj. Glenn desires
the attendance of any persons now
serving in the islands as witnesses. for
the defense, you will direct them to
proceed 70 San Francisco for that pur-
pose. AS the two years allowed Tor
the prosecution by the statute of linn
itations is nearly at an end, no tifUe
is to be lost. You will take such coui Sc
in advancing or postponing the inves-
LEGATIONS previously ordered into the
conduct OF Gen. Smith and Maj. Clean
as shall be required to enable you to
execute these instructions.
These May Be Exceptions.
It is believed that the violations of
lax and humanity. Of winch these |
cases, If true, are examples, will prove
to be few and occasional and not to
characterize the conduct Of the army
generally in the Philippines; but the
fact that any such acts Of cruelty and
barbarity appear to have been done in
dicates the necessity of a most thor
ough, searching and exhaustive inves-
tigation under the general charges |
preferred by Gov Gardener and you
viii spare no effort, in the investiga-