Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-04-18
AN INVESTIGATION
COURT OF INQUIRY TO PROBE
TORTURE OF FiLIPlNoS.
General Jacob II. Smith May be Courtmar.
tailed. II Reports Concerning Him Prove
True - Officers Who Administered the
'Wafer Cure" to Native Officials will be
Tried Before Military Tribunal.

Washington, April 17.-As a result
of the consideration by the cabinet to-
day of the charges of cruel treatment oi
Filipinos by United States soldiers
Secretary Root has made public the fol.
lowing correspondence:
"Washington, April II, 19O2.-My
Dear Senator: beg to acknowledge
the receipt of your copy of the testi-
mony of Sergeant Riley and Private
Lewis Smith, late of the Twenty-sixth
infantry, taken before your committee
yesterday. enclose copy of a dis
patch which has been sent to Major
General Chaffee, commanding the di-
vision of the Philippines. Directions
have been given to the Judge advocate
general of the army to take proper steps
in accordance with the dispatch.
"The war department will be glad to
receive the earliest practicable informa-
tion of any further evidence which may
be elected by the committee tending to
fix responsibility on any one in the
military service of the United States
or any violation Of the laws of war or
of the regulations or orders governing
the operations of the army of the
United States in the field. Very re-
spectfully, "ELIHU ROOT,
"Secretary of War.
"Hon. Fl. G. Lodge, United States sem
ator, Washington, D. c."
The communication to General Chat
fee is in part as follows:
"On February I9 letter was sent
you inclosing for investigation a copy of
charges made by Governor Gradener,
of Tayabas province, which contained
general allegations of cruelties practiced
by troops on natives and generally of
an insolent and brutal attitude of the
army towards natives.
"Press dispatches state that upon the
trial of Major Waller, of the Marine
corps, testimony was given by Waller,
corroborated by other witnesses, that
General Jacob Fl. Smith instructed him
to kill and burn; that the more he
killed and burned the better pleased
General Smith would be; that it was
no time to take prisoners, and that
when Major Waller asked General
Smith to define the age limit for kill
ing he replied everything over 1O.'
eff such testimony was given and
the facts can be established, you will
place General Smith on trial by court
"Before the senate committee on
affairs, Sergeant Charles
Riley and Private William Lewis
Smith, of the Twenty-sixth volunteer
infantry, testified that the form of tor
ture known as the water cure was ad-
ministered to the presidente of the town
of Igbaras, lilo lilo province, island of
Panay by detachments of the Eighteenth
United States infantry under command
of Lieutenant Arthur l.. IConger, under
orders of Major Edwin F. Glenn, then
captain of the Twenth-ffth infantry,
and that Captain and Assistant Surgeon
Palmer Lyon, at that time contract
was present to assist them.
The officers named, or such of them as
will be tried therefor by court martial. |
Conger and Lyon are in this country,
both the Twenty-sixth volunteer infan-
try and Eighteenth infantry having re-
turned to the United States, and most |
Of the witnesses being presumptively
here, the secretary of war directs that |
Major E. E. Glenn, Twenty-fifth infan-
try, be directed to proceed to San Fran
cisco and report to the general COM
the department of California,
with view OF his trial by court mar
5iaI under charges alleging the cruelties
oracticed by him upon native of the
Philippine islands. Ifyou can discover
my witnesses still in the service in the
islands who can testify in
support of the charges, or if Major
Glenn desires the attendance of any
persons now serving in the islands as
witnesses for the defense, you will di-
'ect them to proceed to San Francisco
or that purpose. "ELIHU ROOT.
Secretary of War.