Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-21
No KILL AND BURN ORDER
Colonel Groesbsck Discusses Noted Case Of
General Smith.
BELIEVES IN PRACTICE OF WATER CURE
Says that it is the Most HUI
name Method of Obtaining In
formation Known 20
Modern warfare.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 2O.-Colonel Ste
phen Groesbeck, formerly Judge advocate of
the Division OF the Philippines, has arrived
here from Manila enroute to Chicago, where
he will take station as Judge advocate OF the
Department Of the Lakes. Colonel Groes-
beck was chief reviewing authority in the
trials Of Major Waller and General Jacob
H. Smith, both OF whom we're court-mar-
tialed for methods used in the Samar cam
paign.
Discussing the Waller trial, Colonel
Groesbeck characterized Major Waller as a
tactician, not a leader. In reviewing the
case he said:
only Qualified Approval.
"I could only give a qualified approval
Of the findings Of the court because be-
lieved him responsible largely for the eondi-
tions that caused his men to commit the
offenses charged. An attempt was made to
lead a detachment of his command, con-
sisting Of four officers, ffty-four enlisted
men and thirty-three 'cargsdoros' from
east towns across the island OF Samar in
search of the enemy, and when about mid
way OF his course he found himself In the
heart OF an uninhabited, mountainous sec
tion, without rations and without medical
attendance. The march had been begun
without proper provision being made. The
mems shoes had worn away, their cloth
ing hung in tatters, many were stricken with
fever, their feet bruised and bleeding, their
bodies lacerated by thorns and, added to
tn wretchedness, the leeches which abound
attacked and greatly aggravated their ex-
posed wounds. To the cry for food the
'cargadoros, It is alleged, did not efficiently
respond and the suspicion arose In the
minds Of the starving men that the 'carga-
doros were conniving at their destruction.
For this they were placed under hre, and
all Of those from whom a cry Of retalia-
tion came were executed"
Talks of Famous order.
Referring to the famous kill and burn
order alleged to have been issued by Gen
eral Smith, Colonel Groesbeck said;
''No such order was ever issued by Smith,
but he is an impetuous and erratic man,
and. when going over the ground at Balan-
giga, after the massacre OF an entire COM
pany Of the Ninth infantry, no remarked to
Waller that they would be justified in kill
ing and burning as they went"
He did not think that Waller or any OF
the officers of his command should be held
accountable for the lives destroyed, but he
believed that had more careful provision
been made when the fatal march was begun
1t would not have ended with such destrc-
tive results He spoke of General Smith as
a fine officer and expressed regret at the
humiliation attached to the recent orders
for his retirement.
Colonel Groesbeck believes in the water
cure and said that in all the complaints
caused by this method OF forcing the In
surgents to give information as to where
arms were hidden, ETC., 1t had been abused
only by young officers over jealous and in
experienced in their work. 81 believe" said
he, "the water cure as practiced by the
American army in the Philippines to be the
most humane method Of obtaining informa-
tion from criminals of war that is known
to modern warfare
On the Philippine question in general
Colonel Groesbeck said:
I'VE are there to stay The price that has
been paid for the islands demands that we
hold them, but to civilize and establish a
government that can be ultimately given
into the keeping OF the natives is a task
beyond the comprehension Of those unac-
quainted with the treachery that has beer
instilled into the people by their former
rulers. The uplifted bolo 10 the onry Law
that they have feared for ages and strenu-
Gus means must be adopted to eradicate
such ideas.