The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-04
PERFIDl0US
TO The FLAG
An Astounding Proclamation
From American Soldiers.
TREASON rs ADVISED
They Are in the Ranks Of the In
surgent Soldiery.
RAB1D UNPATR1oT1c UTTERANcEs
Nine Deserters Tell Loyal Soldiers
How to Join the
Enemy.

ment has received from the Philippines
! copies of a remarkable proclamation
! signed with the names of nine Ameri-
! cans-seven of them stated aspeing in the
United States military service-inviting
American soldiers to desert and join the
ranks of the Filipino soldiery. The text
of the document follows:SIs
/ To Whom 1t May Concern--Dear Fellow
! Countryman: After many months ansong the
/ Filipino people, studying their customs and
/ characters we the undersigned, have come
Ito the conclusion that the time has arrived
/ for us to break the silence and let you know
:, the real truth SO that you will see the folly
I of continuing fighting these people who are
/ defending their country against the cruel
4 American invasion in the same manner in
j which our forefathers did against England in
those glorious days of our grand and noble
! liberator, General George Washington.
! Since the day we we're led by our. con-
! science and presented ourselves to the Filipino
authorities we have received the best CT
| treatment and are enjoying life OF luxury
/ without having to put our lives in danger as
Iyou do, who still remain In the American
! ranks fighting for an unjust cause which
4 sooner or later must surely prove disastrous,
as it did to the Spanish, Notwithstanding that
they knew the country and customs of the
people better than the Americans do.
For the aforementioned reasons, and also
/ that the war soon may end, we ask the men
| of the American armys stationed In these
islands to present themselves to the Filipino
| authorities as we did, thereby showing your
/ selves to be true Americans upholding the
policy of Washington and the Monroe doc
1 trine against the ambitious policy of Presi-
/ dent Mckinley, who for two years has car
ried on this cruel war,5$spilling the innocent
blood of thousands of American soldiers, and
: with what object? ToS fill the pockets OF
! Mark Hanna and severaIother American cap
4 italists who have been for years and are now
| ruling America to-day, Cor, in other words.
/ changing your blood for gold and robbing
many loving mother or wife or son or hus-
band, thereby making many once happy
home sad and misefable.S
4 Before we close let us tell you that near
(every town there arssalNsa q stationed forces
of Filipino troops to wfssnasss shoald YOU SO
desire, you can presents susl elves with or
/ without your rifles ana toFavoid danger 1t is
best to hide them in secure place, and after
> YOU have presented yourself inform the Fill
pino officer or chief of the guerrillas and they
will recover the rifles and pay You some
money in return. > With this we conclude,
} wishing you the best OF fortune. We remain
yours most sincerely. &zss a4t
. Harry Horal Altman, Company K.
john Blake,
| Trumpeter Company B, Twenty-eighth 81
Frank L. Clark,
Company F, Twenty-frst U. S. I.
} j. Thomas Kreider,
| Corporal Thirty eighth U. S. Vols.
= Charles Buchanan,
Company B, Twenty=eighth U. S. Vols.
= Harry Richter,
, -.. Sixth u. S. Artillery.
Charles Wright, Hospital Corps.
-Fitzhugh Smith.
r -Johr RYAN, Fourth Regiment.
One Tried for Treason.
= John T. Kreider. one of the ~signers
this proclamation, was tried recently b.
military commission in the Philippines o.
a charge of treason and the records OF tn
courtmartial have just been received a
the war department. The preponderanc
of proof, said General Chaffee in reviewin
the case, was in favor of the content1o
of the accused that he was held by tn
insurgents as prisoner and took no PAL
in operations against the United States
gave no aid and comfort to the enemy
made reasonable effort to escape and wa
compelled by his captors under legs
duress to sign the above proclamation b
threats of violence IN case ne feluse'
Said General Chaffee.
@ while no reasonable intent or overt act
d established against the accused by competen
e evidence, it, however, remains TO pc re
g marked that it is the duty of every America
: soldier to face impending danger OF deaf
! rather than to sign reasonable proclama
ton, even If it be prepared as was the on
II in this case by the enemy. Nor should he d
: any other act that might have even
Il seeming of giving the enemy encouragemen
The true soldier not only takes the risks
W hattie but all other risks Of life growing OF
e of any and all incidents of war, and accept
=. the chance Of life death rather than {
" aught to injure his country's cause or dis
q honor the uniform he wears.
1, The military commission found kre1de
IS guilty of the charge of treason and sen,
d enced him to confinement at hard labor fc
IS life, but General Chaffee, because OF tn
absence of conclusive proof that the &C
cused had committed an overt act (suc
an act being necessary to consummate 70
technical offense Of treason), disapprove
. the sentence and ordered the prisoner Sc
at liberty,