The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-30

Colonel Wagner TeStifes as
TO the Recommendation Camps
PEOPLE VERY COMMENTED
Even Object of Camp Different
Than General WeyIer'S.

Washington, May 29.-The senate COM
mittee on the Philippines today heard the
testimony Of Colonel a. l. Wagner, as
sistant adjutant general Of the army who
spent two and one-haIf years in the Phil
ippines. He was questioned about the
concentration camps and described the
system by explaining the details of one
particular camp. In that camp the peo-
pie in all circumstances would have their
old neighbors near them. So far as he
had been able TO observe there was no
evidence Of want among the people there
congregated. Moreover, they were sur
prisingly contented. They were at lib
erty TO go outside the line from 500 to 500
yards Beyond that distance was what
was called the DEAD line. beyond which
the people were not permitted TO go. The
natives were given TO understand that if
they. crossed this line they would be shot.
but in reality the orders were not TO shoot
any helpless persons or any others if the
shooting could be avoided
Colonel Wagner said that one of the
principal purposes Of concentrating the
native people in the Philippines was to
protect them against the Ladrones which
had been admirably accomplished. so that
in many cases what was called the dead
line was ia reality the life line. Another
object Of the camps had been that of
facilitating the collection Of the rice sup
plies in order TO starve out the Ladrones
and gueriMas. The result had been that
ed and their leader. Malver. had been
captured. The army had been much like
a blind giant. 1t was strong enough TO
cope with the enemy but was not able to
see where the danger was. The policy
had been necessary to protect life and
property ard be did not see how any other
policy could have been successful.
Replying to Senator Beveridge, the wit
ness said the people were fed and given
medical supplies and the. sanitation of
their camps was looked after. The Amer
lean camps in the Philippines no more
could be compared to Weyler's reconcen-
trado camps in Cuba than mercy could
be compared to cruelty.
number of questions were asked by
Senator Culberson concerning General
Bells policy in comparison with that Of
his predecessor. General Sumner.
General Sumner" said the witness,
was not allowed to take as severe meas
ures as he deemed necessary. because he
told me that he was severely handicap
ped by his isolation from the depart
ment. Continuing. he said. that neither
Sumner or Bel had been responsible for
the policy pursued as each was subject
TO the orders of department commanders
IF Sumner mad remained in command,
he said. he would have been required
to carry out the same policy as Bell did.
He supposed he said. that the orders
had originated with General Chahee. but
he did not understand that the orders
We're written. The policy had been justi-
fed by the fact that an the people con
gregated had now returned TO their homes
and on the Fourth Of July the provinces
of Batangas ard Laguna were TO be re
stored to civil rule.
Referring to the policy of burning vii
lagos the witness said that indiscrimin-
ate burning was not countenanced by the
rules of war and that the practice of
burning the property Of non-combatants
was inexcusable except i'm cases in which
it was impossible to separate it from that
Of hostiles and in cases in which the enc
my was making use Of it.