The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-28
EXPRESSES PLEASURE AT
 RECENT aSMITH REVIEW''
Letter Signed by Charles Frances Adams, Carl Schurz, Edwin B. Smith, MoarfieId Storey and
 Herbert Welsh-Lengthy


 ing of representative anti-imperialists held in New York city last spring, com- mittee was appointed to investigate army conditions in the Philippines That con- mittee has since then been prosecuting it's inquiries. President Roosevelts recent review of the courtmartial of General Jacob H. Smith seemed to the commit tee to demand some reply and at a meet ing just held at Lake George an open letter to the president was adopted. The letter was signed by Charles Francis Adams, chairman; Carl Schurz. Edwin Burritt Smith, Moorfeld Storey and Her. bert Welsh. It says:
 We desire to express the gratifca- tion afforded us by your review of the 14th inst, as commander-in-chief of the findings of the courtmartial in the case of Gen. Jacob H. Smith.
 Taken in connection with the previous memorandum of April 15, that review which provided it be followed by corre- spending general action, in our opinion do much towards the re-establishment of the national prestige and the restoration of the morals of the army. Especially opportune in our judgment, is your very eommendable warfare with national de- pendents such as that recently waged by us in the east, it beh/oves all such officers to be peculiarly careful in their bearing and conduct as to keep a moral check over any acts of an improper char acter by their subordinates'
 Level Reached Is Safety.
 The level here reached Is lofty, and in healthly contrast with that spirit. far too prevalent, which seeks excuse, if not inhumanity wh1ch can possibly be ex- humed either from colonial history or for the regrettable records of our Indian warfare.
 While thus, however, expressing our sense of obligation, we wish most respect fully to call your attention to certain conclusions which we have in the course of our own inquiries found ourselves compelled to reach.
 Coming directly to the point, and speaking historically, our investigations have led us to conclude that the demor- alization of the officers and soldiers of our army in the Philippines, including all branches of the service, and all grades of rank was far more general. as well as pronounced, than might be inferred from your review of the courtmartial findings in the case of General Smith. The essential facts charged in this case, We believe, we have reason to say, were rather notorious than exceptional. De- moralizing influences, very prejudcial to any high standard of military morals were under the circumstances, inevita- ble. This led to lamentable results, call ing for the firm hand and stern correc- ton found. and most fortunately applied. in your orders of April 15 and July 14.
 Should Not Stop.
 Meanwhile we would respectfully submit that the good of the army and the future of our eastern dependencies. demand that investigation should not stop at this point, or with results al- ready reached The inquiries, we, as a committee, have made, necessarily im- perfect, have yet been sufficient to sat 1sfy us that General Smith and Major Waller were not the sole culprits, nor should they suffice in the character of scapegoats.
 Tn your review of July IA, you say that these cases were exceptional. Your means of information on this point should unquestionably be infinitely better than ours. Meanwhile, it is always to be borne in mind that one side only of this painful story has been heard and that side only in part. The testimony of rep resentative Filipinos has been jealously and systematically suppressed Judicial and impartial examination on the spot has been denied or pronounced impracti- cable. In the present case. occasionally and by accident merely, have fragments of information come to general knowl- edge broken glimpses only have been permitted to reach the public eye. To our minds they indicate unmistakeably a condition of great and general demor- alization. Of this, the findings of the courtmartial referred to afford conclu sion as do also the published orders of commanding officers, and the reports Of provincial governors"
 The letter then discusses the kill and burn order and says:
 "As the not unnatural result of mii- tary operations so inspired an official report indicates that. out of a total population in single district of 300,000, not less than 100000 perished'
 "KiII and Burn" Order.
 The letter then alludes to the water cure, saying that the first reports of it's practice met with denials while evil dences before the senate Philippine com mittee proved conclusvely that this and other forms of torture had been used, and aids:
 ssWhere inquiry revealed the svsten,- atic use of torture by subordinates, the officer in responsible command is pro- nounced free from blame on the ground that his praiseworthy absorption in oth CT duties of his position, was so com plete that such trival incidents failed to attract his notice. Such a finding cer- tainly Is suggestive.
 Finally, every severity known to the state of war-practices which have ex- cited the special appreciation of the American people when reported as fea- lures of the hostilities in Cuba, under the Spanish regime. or in South Africa during the Boer war-have been of un- disputed and frequent occurrence in the Philippines. From the early beginning of operations. there. 1t has been the gen. eral practice. if not actually the order, to kill those wounded in conflict. "In like manner as respects conccntra- ton camps these, as feature in recent Spanish and South African operations
 1continued on second Paqe)