Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-21
GEN. SMITHS DEFENSE.
Situation in Samar, He Declares, Was
Almost Unbearable.

A dispatch from Manila yesterday says:
The United States army transport Buford
les here today for San Francisco, AFTER
having been detained in quarantine for 1--WE
days. Gen. Jacob II. Smith, who was In
command of the American forces in the
Island of Samar at the time Major l.. W. t.
Waller of the Marine Corps is said to have
executed natives of that island without
trial, was to have gone home on the Buford,
but has disembarked here.
Orders have been received here from
Washington to hold a court of inquiry into
the general conduct of affairs in Samar.
Gen. Smith claims that, to the best his
belief, the officers and men of his command
in Samar had to face insurmountable diff
cu.ties, that the hardships they encountered
were almost unbearable, and that the
treachery of the natives of the island is
unequaled in the history of warfare.
He says that the American soldiers acted,
in the circumstances, with the greatest for
bearance shown in the war in the Philip
pines. Campaigning in Samar is not a
pleasure trip. but a stern reality, said Gen.
Smith. He also expressed his doubt If the
troops of any nation in the world would or
could have acted in the circumstances in
Samar as well as did the Americans.
Gen. Chaffee has forwarded to Gen. ].
Franklin Bell the congratulations sent the
latter by President Roosevelt upon the re-
cent campaign in BatangaS and Laguna
provinces conducted by Gen. Bell. Gen.
Chaffee forwarded the Presidents commu-
nication through Gen. Lloyd Wheaton. and
in an accompanying letter he expresses his
great pleasure at the receipt by Gen. Bell
of the President congratulations.
No American troops, says Gen. Chaffee,
have ever before been charged with task
more difficult of accomplishment. With an
exception in the matter of Terrain, only our
comrades in the Island of Samar have cam
paigned under such difficulties. So unique
has been the situation in Batangas and La
guna, continues Gen. Chaffee in his letter.
that only a person thoroughly familiar
with it by actual contact can appreciate the
conditions which have been met and over
come or fairly determine what were the
best metodS to accomplish the objects,
namely, the recognition of the sovereignty
of the United States and the establishment
of peace and order in the disturbed sec
tions.
Gen. Chaffee concludes by saying that
because of Gen. Bells never-failing care of
his troops and his encouragement to them
in their labors they share in the congratu-
lations from President Roosevelt.
Surrenders to the American authorities
daily, and these have increased since the
recent surrender of the insurgent Gen. NAL
var. Gen. Rufino, with twenty-Six officers
and 3to soldiers, has surrendered to the
native constabulary in the province of
Misamis. in Mindanao, where the constab-
ulary are cooperating with the military.
The United States Philippine commission
has passed a law authorizing municipalities
to appropriate funds for combating cpl
demic diseases.
The cholera situation shows no improve
ment. There has been a total of 3SS cases
and 300 deaths in Manila and $50 cases and
Coz deaths in the provinces.