Connecticut western news., 1902-04-10
.SMITHORDERED KILLING
Waller Says He Told Him to Make Samar a Wilderness.
ORDERS WERE CERTAINLY DRASTIC

Latest Copy Received at War De
 pertinent Directed That Natives
 Must Be COnsidered Enemies Until
 They Prove Their Friendship.
 Washington, April 9.-Major Little
 ton W. T. Waller of the marine corps
 at yesterdays session of the court mar
 tial in Manila by which he is being
 tried on the charge of executing na-
 tives of Samar without trial testified
 in rebuttal of the evidence given on
 Monday by General Jacob H. Smith,
 who commanded the American troops
 in the island of Samar.
 The major said General Smith in-
 structed him to kill and burn, said that the more he killed and burned the bet ter pleased the general would be, that it was no time to take prisoners and that he was to make Samar a bowling wilderness.
 Major Waller asked General Smith to define the age limit for killing, and
 the general replied, Everything over ten.'
 The major repeated his order to Cap
 
 not make war in that way on old men, women and children"
 Captain David D. Porter, Captain Hiram I. Bearss and Lieutenant Frank
 Helford, all of the marine corps, testi- fled corroboratively.
 No defense of Brigadier General Smith is attempted by the war depart ment If General Smith gave such or ders as Major Waller alleges, then it is
 said he went far beyond his instruc- tions, and the department will certain ly not uphold him.
 General Chaffee will be directed to make a searching investigation into the allegat ations. Besides the serious effect
 the publication of such charges will
 have in this country the relations be
 tween the marines and the army will
 certainly not be improved thereby. smith's Orders Were Drastic.
 That the campaign in Samar has
 been conducted with severity is appar.
 ent from the orders issued by General Jacob Fl. Smith to the American troops. The latest order, copy of which reach ed the war department in March, says In part:
 ''The policy to be pursued in this bri- gade from this time on," General Smith says, will be to wage war in the sharpest and most decisive manner pos sible. This policy will apply to the is. land of Samar and to such other DOT
 tions of the islands to which 1t may be come necessary to apply, even though such territory is supposedly peaceful or is under civil government. Ev- cry native, whether in arms or living in the pueblos or barrios, will be re garded and treated as an enemy until he has conclusively shown that he Is a friend.
 Neutrality must not be tolerated on the part of any native. The time has now arrived when all natives who are
 not openly for us must be regarded as against us. In short, if not an active friend, he is an open enemy" General Sn1h directed that no ex ception should be made of native priests because of their profession. Accusations by Governor of Tayaba. Charges of the gravest character are made against the army in the Philip pines by the civil governor of Tayabas in a letter to Governor Taft, copy oi
 which was submitted by Secretary Root to the senate committee on the Philippines.
 This is the letter upon which General | Miles based his statement that the wal
 in the Philippines 'has been conducted | with marked severity" The commit tee did not make the letter public, but
 it is learned that it specifically charges
 that American troops, principally Mac l abebes, were guilty of astounding out | rages, including the assassina ton of in nocent natives and the burning of theil homes.
 l The conduct of the army in Tayabas is further criticised because of it's atti
 ture toward the civil government. Con
 siderable friction has existed between the civil government and the army off
 cers, with the result that the good an | ticipated from civil government hal | not been obtained.
 l The charges are general in character
 They fail to specify any particular out
 rage, nor do they present the name oi
 a single officer or man who perpetratet
 the terrible outrages with which the
 army is charged. Secretary Root hal
 been informed by General Chaffee tha'
 he Is making an investigation of tht
 charges, and when the generals report
 is received it will be submitted to tho | committee.