River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-04-03
GEN. NILES PLAN
MEETS DISAPPROVAI.
Congress Furnished with Correspondence Be-
tween Secretary Root and Lieutenant Gen
eral Relative to Latter's Suggestion
for Ending Philippine War.

ecessors and the conduct of civil affairs
by Gov. Taft and his associates in the Phil
ippine commission, have been able and
successful. Much more rapid progress has
been made toward the complete acceptance
of American sovereignty. the restoration
of peace and the establishment of civil
government than we had any right TO an
ticipate when the treaty of Paris was rati-
fed. The plan proposed in the within pa
per involves practically superseding the
officers mentioned in the control which they
now exercise. Not only is this without
justification IN their conduct. but should
regard ii as q most unfortunate interfer-
ence with the present satisfactory prog
ress. There have been exceedingly full
extended and long continued consultation
and counsel between the government of the
United; States ard the leaders of opinion
among the insurrectionary Filipinos, re-
sulting in full understanding and most
friendly feeling between by far the greater
part OF the Filipino people ard ourselves,
and participation by many members of
the AguiHaldo government in the civil gov
eminent under American sovereignty.
append hereto a list of % officers of
the insurrectionary government who now
hold positions of trust under our govern
ment Aguinaldo himself has taken the
position of earnestly urging his country
men TO accept our sovereignty, and most
OF them have already followed his advice.
at is not perceived that any additional
benefit would be obtained by taking dele
cations of Cubans and Porto Ricans to the
Philippines or by bringing delegations
from the Philippines to the United
States. in advance OF the choice of official
delegates provided for by the bill now
pending in congress. the other hand, it
would be very difficult TO keep such pro-
ceeding free from spectacular and sensa-
tional features, which would be injurious.
sit is not the fact that the warfare in
the Philippines has been conducted with
marked severity; on the contrary, the war
fare has been conducted with marked HUI
mainly and magnanimity on the part Of the
United States army.
"ELIHJJ ROOT.
Secretary of War"
President Subscribes His Approval.
Conclusions of the secretary of war are
hereby approved.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
white House, March 6, 1902.
Then follows the list of % officers of the
lnSurrecuonary government who now hold
positions OF trust under our government.
Subsequent Correspondence.
Following the letters Of Lieut.. Gen. Miles
and that of Secretary Root in transmitting
the same TO the president, is a mass of mat
ter consisting of a reply from Lieut.. Gen.
Miles received by Secretary Root, and a
lengthy review by the latter covering prac-
tically the same points of objection made
In the first communication sent by Secre-
tary Root to the president disappearing
Lieut.. Gen. Miles proposal. In addition
Secretary Root brings out the following
point:
The reference in the memorandum to
the letter of Gov. Taft to the secretary Of
war, dated February Z, 1902, is TO a letter
transmitting, for the purpose of an in
vestigation by the military authorities
report by the civil governor of the province
of Tayabas. containing in generalsterms
and without specifications or names, seri-
Gus charges against the military admins
tration in that province and against the
conduct OF the army generally in its rela-
ions 10 the civil government. This report
was on the 18th of February sent to Gen.
Chaffee with the following direction
There Is SO much contained in this re-
port rejecting not only upon officers of the
army. but the general conduct of affairs
and the administration of the military
branch of the government, that the secre-
tary of war desires you to cause careful
inquiry to be made concerning these state
ments and If they be found true that the
necessary administrative and disciplinary
measures be applied to correct these evils
and also to make q full report OF the in
vestgation herein directed as soon as pos
sible.
Regrets Action of Miles.
There has not yet been time for the
report to be made, and the direction for the
investigation can only just now have
reached Manila. IT is to be regretted that
the officer of the highest rank In the army
should assume the truth of charges reflect
ing upon the credit of the army in advance
of the investigation which has been or
dered. and without giving Gen. Chaffee.
upon whose particular command the
charges reflect. an opportunity to be heard.
Gov. TaftS letter shows that the civil
governor of the Philippines was unwilling
to accept the charges as true without an
Investigation.
A Motive Shown.
LAS the lieutenant generals memoran-
dunn Of March q was not made until after
the introduction of a resolution in the house
of representativ calling for all CORE
spondence and papers In the matter of his
application to go to the Philippines, the
putting into those papers of the specific
reference to the letter transmitting the
charges plainly evinces a design to procure
the publication OF the charges, and of the
lieutenant generals acceptance thereof as
true. in advance of the investigation of
their truth, and of report thereon by Gen.
Chaffee. In the interest of good discipline
and effective service such q course is much
to be regretted. Such charges ought not
TO be published against our countrymen
whom we have sent to labor and fight un-
der our nag on the other side of the world
before they can be heard in their own de-
Tense.
(SigneC) .ELIHJJ ROOT.
Secretary Of War
Presidents Strong Approval.
white House. Washington. March q.
1902
THE memorandum of the secretary of
war is approved as a whole and as to every
part. Had there been.any doubt before as
to the wisdom Of denying Gen. Miles re-
quest these papers would remove such
doubt.
(signedl THEODORE ROOSEVELT" !.