The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-01
OUR SOLDIERS IN THE PHILIPPINES.

OUR SOLDIERS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
\ LOT of emasculates, who have the
Shrill tongues and the vicious tempers
usually ascribed to their neuter gender, are
vOciferating loudly about the "outrages'
and 'cruelties' practised by our soldiers
in the Philippines. To those who have
seen actual war. and know what it means,
this passes as idly as the shrieking of the
wind.
Unfortunately. however, there are q
number of women and of nOne-too-strong
men who are influenced by it.
There can be no doubt in the minds OF
men who have studied history. and are ia
miliar with affairs. that the entire course
of the American soldiers in the Philippines
has been marked by singular humanity,
mercy, and long-suffering. As q whole,
officers and men have shown themselves
considerate and sparing to a degree never
approached by any other army in any
country. They have been vastly more
humane than the French were when they
invaded Germany or the Germans when
they invaded France. There are always
very few tyrants and DULLES in any Amer
lean army, and these are strongly held III
check by the public sentiment in the army
itself.
1t is safe to say that, no matter what
stories may be sent from the Philippines
by sensational correspondents or disgrun-
tied soldiers, the accounts are substan-
tally untrue. For example, all of the
principals in the recent allegations which
have led to court-martials are well known
gentlemen whom everybody recognizes as
incapable of what is charged against
them They are fine types of American
sOldiers-gallant, enterprising, Jealous in
doing their duty, and having all the feel
ings and instincts which should actuate
American officers, soldiers and gentlemen.
The main trouble is that civilians will
not understand that in all wars there are
two distinct classes to be dealt with-the
well-meaning and the hopeleSsly perverted
and criminal. In the Philippines these
two classes are distinctly marked. There
is the average Filipino, who may be an
insurrecto, and fighting honestly for what
he believes to be right. He has made the
real soldier of the insurrection. who has
done all the actual fighting done. When
he sees the game is up he accepts the
situation, and settles down TO a peaceful,
law-abiding life. For him our soldiers
have always had the utmost consideration,
and they have treated him in n way TO
win his consideration and esteem. He
stays put" to quote President Roose-
velt's expressive phrase.
On the other hand is the "ladrOne." or
robber class-scoundrels who have no po-
litical principles, and who only look upon
the war as an opportunity to rob, kill,
plumber and ravish. Every country has
this class, who become disagreeably prom
inent in wartime. 1t was the curse of
Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and
Missouri during the rebellion, and brought
incOmparably more Of the horrors of war
upon the people than the regular soldiers
on either side did. Toward the close of
the war the soldiers on both sides recog-
uized this, and began killing the rascals
off without trial and without mercy. If
the stories of the numbers of villains who
We're shot on sight in Kentucky, Tennes-
see. Missouri, and elsewhere in the latter
part of 1864 and the early part of 1865
could be gathered up, they would furnish
sensational matter enough for yellow pa
pers for years.
The ladrone class is particuly numerous,
bl0odthirsty, and cruel in the Philippines.
They are largely the descendants of the
old Malay pirates, who scOurged those
seas so long. They have never been prop
ery handled by the Spaniards, and it re-
manned for us TO take up the herculean
task of wedding them out. We had to DO
it, first, for the protection OF the FilipinOs
themselves, to whom the ladrones have al
ways been a grievous affection. Natur,
ally, it has been very hard, disagrecable
work for our soldiers engaged in it, and
there has been no rOsewater used in the
IdisinfectiOn. in dealing with these men
the Americans have had to fight the devil
with fire, as is always the case in dealing
with savages. They had to be struck
where it would hurt them the worst. They
are the wolves and hyenas of the human
family, and have to be handled that way.
Our soldiers who are engaged in this
Wort; must be allowed to do the job their
own way. There is no danger of their
administering the water-cure, or doing
| anything cruel and unjust to the Filipinos
proper. But when they get after devils
who roast, murder, torture, mutilate, and
rob the peaceful neutrality-suspicious. they
come up with fiends who have been tOrtur,
ing their comrades-they should be al.
lowed a very free hand in settling &C.
counts in the way that will strike terror
TO the hearts of the evil-disposed. Those
soldiers are our own sons, and we can
trust them TO do the right thing and wha,
/ each particular occasion demands.
| THE Poles are complaining bitterly OF
/ the way in which the Germans are Ger
nlanizing Poland. Among other things,
all names of places have to b. German
izc,l. by which WrOclaw becomes Breslau,