Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1902-04-03
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ment. AguiRaldp himself has taken the
position zQf &estly urging his country.
hSK q a1&pf1ur sovereignty, and most
Ofsth14hs 1eAv01geready followed his advice.
It y not perceived that any additiora1
CATIONS pf Cubans and rto Ricans to the
RhNthllnes or by bringing delegations.
from the Philippines to 4 the United
s&tetee, an advance Of the choice Of official
deiesates provided for by the bill now
pending In congress. n the other hand. It
wOuid be very difficult to keep such pro-
cee6ing free from spectacular and sensa-'
tional features. which would be injurious.
1t 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 hue
manttysand magnanimity on the part Of the
United States army.
.ELWU ROOT.
@ Secretary of War;
Presideht Subscribes His Approval.
Conclusions Of the secretary of war are
hereby approved.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT. .
white House, March 6. 1902
Then follows the list Of q officers Of the
insurrectionary 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. lisa mass of mat
ter consisting Of reply from Lieut.. Gen.
Miles received by Secretary Root. and
lengthy review by the latter covering prac-
stically 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 letter
transmitting, for the purpose of an In
vestigation by the military authorities. a
report by the civil governor Of the province
OF Tayabas, containing in general terms
and without specifications or names, seri.
GUS charges against the military adminis-
tration in that province and against tho
conduct OF the army generally in itssrela.
lions to the civil government. This report
was on the 10Th of February sent to Gen.
Chaftee 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 q careful
inquiry to be made concerning these state.
ments and II they be found true that the
necessary administrative and disciplinary
measures be applied to correct these evils
and also to make full report of the In
vestigation 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. Chafree,
upon whose particular command the
charges reflect, an opportunity to be heard,
Gov. Taft's letter shows that the civil
governor Of the Philippines was unwilling
to accept the charges as true without an
Investigation.
Motive shown.
AS the lieutenant generals memoran.
dunn OF March "a was not made until after
the introduction OF a resolution In the house
of representatives 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 az
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 course is much
to be regretted. Such charges ought moi
to be published against our countrymen
whom we have sent to labor and fight un.
der our flag on the other side of the worlG
before they can. be heard in their own de,
tense. lgsFgg s9s&g .sEnI g@Sss7
(signed) "EL1HU ROOT, Y
sfs RI Secretary of War"
sPresident'sg Strong Approval.
white House. Washington, March q,
1902 sN 80
:, The mem6randum4 of the secretary Of
war is approved as whole and as to every
to the wisdom of denying Gen. Miles, re.
quest these papers would remove such
lsigneD THEODORE ROOSEVELT"