The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-24
HELD CHAFFEE BACK
WAR DEPARTMENT GIVES OUT
CORRESPONDENCE.
cHAFFEE HAS DISCRETION.
BUT MUST HANDLE MORO sITUA-
TION GINGERLY.

Chaffee Had Everything Ready to
Give the MOros a Lesson when He
Was Checked by Orders From
Washington ChaHee's Reply
Showed Plainly That He Differed
With the Washington Experts,
and the Dispatch Sent Him Yester-
day Gives More Leeway, but stir
Urges Him to BE Cautious.
Washington, April 2S.-The War De-
partment to-day made public tele-
graphic cable correspondence which
has taken place up to date respecting
the Moro outbreak in Mindanao. The
important feature of the correspond
ence is the closing chapter, showing
that Gen. Davis expedition is not ar
bitrarily stopped, but that Gen. Chaffee
is allowed to exercise his discretion. 1t
is believed that the presence of Gov.
Taft in Washington is the explanation
of the Presidents direction that Gen.
Chaffee shall confer with the acting
head of the Philippine Commission be-
fore adopting hostile tactics.
The correspondence begins with the
cablegram given out last week. dated
Manila, April Is. in which Gen. Chat
fee recites the killing of the first Amer
lean soldiers near Malabang and the
forming of an expedition under Bald
win to arrest the murderers.
The Orders to Chaffee.
In answer to this the following dis
patch was sent
washington, April 20, 1902. Chat
fee, Manila: Expedition ordered under
Baldwin will not leave coast until you
hear from here. This will not, how
ever, interfere with complete prepara-
ton. Corbin."
On April % the following cablegrams
were sent Gen. Chaffee:
"Chaffee Manila The President is
anxious that no expedition be made
against Moros until all efforts by ne
gotiation have been exhausted. To
this end he desires that you confer
freely with the acting civil governor.
In the event the force has to be sent
he directs that it go under the imme-
date command of Gen. Davis. The
President will give you all support,
but desires exercise of great care and
prudence. If possible avoid by all
honorable means general war.
"Corbin.D
"Charfee, Manila. With
reference to previous cables on subject
it has been suggested to President that
possibly surrender of the Moro MUIR
derers might be effected by instrument
tality friendly dattos President de-
sires this considered in conference with
Wright, and to have assurance every
honorable peaceful remedy has been
exhausted. Cor6in.''
Gen. Chaffee responded to the last
cablegram by the dispatch given out
at the White House last night, and
published this morning, stating that
to withdraw all the American forces
would ruin our prestige; to withdraw
part of the forces would be danger
Gus.
Left to Chanee's Judgment.
To this statement, the following re-
Spouse was made to-day:
Washington, April %, 1902.-Chaffee,
Manila.-Your cable of yesterday has
been submitted by the acting secretary
of war to the President, who directs
that you keep in mind the Presidents
orders. but of course do nothing that
will impair our prestige or in any other
way imperil the army. If after the ex-
piration of the time named in your
proclamation nd.after all possible dip
lomatic exhausted, your demand for the
been exhausted, your demand for the
Moro murderers has not been met, YOU
will act upon the lines that in your
judgment will best serve to bring
about peace and order in the island of
Mindanao. Corbin ;,