The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-21
WALLER AND SMITH
EX-JUDGE ADVOCATE OF PHILIP
PINES TALKS.
AN INSIDE VIEW OF CASES.
COL. GROEsBECK WAS CHIEF RE-
VIEWING AUTHORITY.

Waller n Tactician and Not IA Lend
er, He Said-His Great Mistake Was
in Undertaking Such an Expedi-
tiOn without Proper Equipment.
Gen. Smith Issued No "KiII and
Burn" Order, but in Going Over
Field of Balangiga Massacre Made
Rash Remarks to WaIIer-CoI
GrOcsbeck Believes in Water Cure.
San Francisco, July 2O.-Col Stephen
Groesbeck, formerly judge advocate of
the division of the Philippines, has
arrived here from Manila en- route to
Chicago. where he will take station as
judge advocate of the Department of
Lakes. Col. Groesbeck was chief re-
viewing authority in the trials of Maj.
Waller and Gen. Jacob H. Smith, both
of whom were court-martialed for
methods used in the Samar campaign.
Discussing the Waller trial, Col.
Groesbeck characterized Maj. Waller
as a tactician, not leader. In re-
viewing the case he said:
II could only give qualified ap-
prevail to the finding of the court. be-
cause 1 believed him responsible for
the conditions that caused his men to
commit the offenses charged. An at
tempt was made to lead a detachment
of his command, consisting of four Of
ficers, 81 enlisted men and 80
'cargadoros from coast towns
across the island of Samar in
search of the enemy, and when about
midway of his course he found himself
in the heart of an uninhabited, noun
famous section without rations and
without medical attendance. The march
had been begun without proper provis-
ion being made. The mems shoes had
worn away, their clothing hung in
tatters, many were stricken with fever,
their feet bruised and bleeding, their
bodies lacerated by thorns, and adding
to this wretchedness, the leeches
which greatly abound, attacked and
greatly aggravated their exposed
wounds. To the cry for food the car
gadoros, it is alleged, did not suf-
ficiently respond and the suspicion was
aroused in the minds of the starving
men that the cargadoros were conniv-
| ing at their destruction For this they
were placed under guard, and all Thus
from whom a cry of retaliation cane
| were executed"
NO xii and Burn" order.
Referring to the famous "kill and
burn order said 10 have been issued
by Gen. Smith, Col. Groesbeck said:
mo such order was ever issued by
Smith, but he is an impetuous and err
ratio man. and when going over the
ground at Balangiga, after the massa-
ere of an entire company of the Ninth
Infantry, he remarked to Waller that
they would be justified in killing and
burning as they went"
Col Groesbeck did not think that
Maj. Waller or any of the officers of
his command should be held accounta-
BILE for the lives destroyed, but he be-
lieved that had more careful provision
been made when the fatal march was
begun 1t would not have ended with
such disastrous results. He spoke of
Gen. Smith as a fine officer and ex-
pressed regret at the humiliation at
tached to the recent orders for his re-
tirement
Believes in Water Cure.
Col. Groesbeck believes in the water
cure" and said that in all the COM
plants caused by this method of fore
ing the insurgents to give information
as to where arms were hidden, etc, IL
had been abused only by young Off
GERS, over-zealous and inexperienced in
their work.
Il believe" he said, 1.-THE water cure
as practiced by the American army in
the Philippines to be the most humane
method of obtaining information from
prisoners OF war that is known to
modern warfare"
On the Philippine question in general
Col. Groesbeck said:
I'VE are there to stay. The price
that has been paid for the islands de-
mands that we hold them, but to
civillze and establish a government
that can be ultimately given into the
keeping of the natives is a task be-
yond the comprehension of those I'M
acquainted with the treachery that has
been instiled into the people by their
former rulers. The uplifted bolo is the
only law that they have feared for
ages and strenuous means must be