The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-14

dividuaIs. The complaints did not come
from the Filipino people or from the for
eisn press, but originated with our own
people and were against our own soldiers
The accusers had trscd t. .-convfncs the
world that our soldiers are barbarous saw
ages" He did not think " right for those
lated acts were characteristic OF the Araeri-
can army. He continued:
No one was more anxious to have the
soldiers behave properly than were our
generals In the FIELD. The defamers Of our
patriotlc soldiers were never numerous.
but for time were very noisy and some
OF our good people believed thee was some
truth n their statements There were
Few sood people that sincerely believed that
sso oHa across the Pacific actually
lovers. fathers and uncleS. into
olvootnlrSty Savages. All OF the armys
o 1sls,I,. We're densely Ignorant OF what
the warfare waged by the Filipino and the
Sohaitlons that prevailed in any war civil
case ~ . Tvs rwlSe, co not recall a single
EASY vi a sooo soldier OF experience ac-
quainted With the conditions that exist in
the Philippines that has publicly criticised
sseVeTseH me conduct OF our soldiers in
The election is now passed and those
VINO expected TO gain political advantage
% assallng the army have failed in their
OBJECT, ana the results have buried that
question forever a political one and I
feel now that can speak the truth abour
our soieiers without being accused OF hav-
Ing political bias or defending them for po-
ntieal effect. Taking into consideration
the circumstances surrounding them. our
soldiers IN the Philippines behaved re-
markedly well. better than any other nation
expected or than We had any reasonable
hope 10 expect. War is a game and n very
dangerous one. and the rules OF conduct
should be left 10 those that are experienced
in the game.
During the civil war the fire in the rear
from the so-called "copperheads'' was with
the Union soldiers most feared There may
have been some use for the existence OF
"copperheads' IN 1851 but what possible
excuse could there be for an honest and
reasonable man to become fire I'm the
rear Of the Filipino. If every accusation
that was brought against these soldiers
were true. the stay-at-homss. these befoul-
ers Of their own nest. these seekers after
notoriety, these active and disturbers OF
the peace Of mind of the brave patriotic
wives and mothers. should have had the
decency to present their wild fancies 10 the
proper authorities. instead OF trying to con-
vince the whole world that our own broth
ers and kindred were barbarians. / say
that the American army is the most HUI
name army that ever waged war and
could bear out my assertions by the Fill
pinos and Chinese. and even the Spanish
prisoners"
WAR ALWAYS CRUEL.
He said that war at best was cruel and
that the humanity that is talked OF in time
OF peace has no place in it, ITO carry on
war;" said General Young. disguise il as
we may, is to be cruel. is to kill and burn.
kill and again kill and burn If the word
humane could be applied TO war he would
define II as one fast. furious and bloody
thing from beginning to end.
lie added: IF it had not been for the
intense desire of the American people to
carry on an easy, persuasive war with the
Filpinos, and the good faith in which the
American officers acted TO carry out that
desire, the Filipino war would have ended
IN much less time. You feel confident that
our little Japan friends would have stopped
the pattering of the barefoot little brown
brothers through the jungles in a very
short time and that the aggressive army OF
our German friends would not have viewed
with equanimity the burying alive of their
friends as did our soldiers in obedience TO
the home sentiment. / satisfied that
the coming census OF the Philippine islands
Will have on the list great many more
persons and houses than there would have
been IL the German army had had control
the past four years. i am not an advocate
or war either for conquest or revenge nor as
means OF making either good Indians or
F1lipinos. but when war has been decided
on by our Nation L agree with the German
Emperor's sentiments and believe that the
American army should leave such an i'm
preston that future generations would
know we had been there"
General Young said that the Filipino gen.
erals did not know anything about the laws
of war. but that the American soldiers
in good faith tried TO carry out such laws
as are recognized by civilized nations with
a half-civiliZed foe. There were isolated
cases where officers exceeded thir authority
and where laws wre violated. but violations
of law were committed all over the United
States every day. He referred to 1.-The bar
barity" inflicted upon the soldiers by the
Eilipinos and said he thought il was a per-
feet wonder that there were so few viola
tions of war by the volunteer troops. He
defended the soldiers for making use OF
churches for hospitals and quarters. and
said that in many towns churches afforded
troops. He said that the burning OF houses
and supplied was one of the oldest weapons
and was used in all wars, civilized and I'M
civilized. He said that up TO the time OF
the massacre of the American soldiers in
Samar he believed that the Filipinos had
burned about ten times much the
Americans. He declared there had been few
cases of footing, and added: And since the
knowledge became general OF the very ex-
istence OF footing and pillaging by the allied
powers in China not much has been said
about the footing in the Philippines. Ii is
not known what defense or excuse the al
lied powers have for permitting the ex-
tensive footing and pillaging on their march
to Picking, unless they should say that they
were not at war with China. In that case
charge of footing and their looting became
theft or robbery. / am proud 10 say that
the American army officers and soldiers
have been universally credited with exercis-
ing great care over the rights OF property
I'm China 4"