The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-18
CLASH OF AUTHORITY
CIVIL AND MILITARY OFFICERS IN
PHILIPPINES NOW WORKING
HARMONIOUSLE
CHAFFEE ISSUES AN ORDER
commanders of United states
Forces Warned to Be More
Careful i'm the Fu-
ture.

WASHINGTON. March 17.-Rumors of
cases of conflict of authority between the
civil and military authorities in the Phil
ippines find substantial confirmation in
an order recently issued by Gen. Chaffee.
the division commander at Manila, to the
commanding officer Of the fifth separate
brigade operating in Iloilo. The order is
as follows:
There appears to be some misunder-
standing as to the extent and under what
circumstances the military may act of its
own motion in provinces where civil gov
ernment has been put into operation by
the Philippine commission The division
commander desires to avoid friction with
the civil authorities, and you are inform
ed that the civil government entartalnS a
strong suspicion that the army in rnany
instances willfully and for Interior mo-
tlVeS unnecessarily interfereS with the
civil of1claIs IN their prescribed duties,
making arrests when they should not DO
so, usually on suspicion rather than for
just cause; if not for cause, then unWar-
ranted arrests because of the fact that
the civil authority, not military. should
act.
You are advised also that the vice civil
governor has been informed by the con-
stabulary and others that the presence
of the army is no longer necessary or
adVlSlbIe al a very large majority of the
stations now occupied by it in what are
known as pacified provinces. The division
commander desires that a strict interpra-
tation be put upon paragraphs ] and 2,
General Orders No. 179. series 1901 these
headquarters, and act No. 173 Of the Phil
lpplne commission published in same or
der which, properly construed, embrace
the idea of non-interference by the mill
tary In civil affairs as stated by the diVi-
sion commander in paragraph 1 of the
general order referred to above
Attention is also invited to act No.
272 Of the Philippine commission, specify
ing cases when writs Of habeaS corpus
shall not apply. In all other cases they
may apply. Therefore, arrests and hold
ing of prisoners by the military in cases
not mentioned are questionable and are
to be avoided when practicable to do
so. The military Will be upheld
in attacking all armed bodies Which
officers believe are intended to disturb
the orderly and peaceful authority of the
United States in these islands. It will
be we'll, however, to determine in ad-
vance whether it is the United States au-
thority aimed at Or whether a mere
local disorderly band is out for robbing,
the suppression of which the civil au-
thorities may prefer to deal with single
handed, unaided by the army of the
United States.
You are advised also that many ccm-
plants are received by the civil governor
to the effect that soldiers are disOrderly
in the communities where stationed; that
they are harsh and ill-treat the lnhabi-
tants. No excuse can be accepted for
complaints of this sort. if true, from any
station of our troops in the pacif1ed
provinces. 1t is the duty of every officer
to maintain good discipline of his troops.
and to redress at once every disorderly
act committed by soldiers on the inhab>
itants. Military necessity is one thing
lawlessness is another and quite a differ
ent matter
1.-THE division commander directs that
a copy of this letter be furnished at once
to the commanding officer of every sta
ton and enjoins action in strict accord
ance with its spirit