Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-28
MAKE GRAVE CHARGES
Anti Imperialists on Army
in Philippines.
ASK INVESTIGATION
REPLY TO PRESIDENTS REVIEW
OF SMITH CASE.
Specific Cases Of Gross Brutality and
Crime Cited in the
Letter.

| A dispatch from Lake George, N Y, last
night says: At meeting of representative
anti-in.9erialists held in New York city last
spring committee was appointed to in
vestigate army conditions in the Philip.
pines That committee has since then beer
prosecuting it's inquiries President Roose-
velt's recent review Of the court-martial
| of Cen Jacob H. Smith seemed to the COM
mittee to demand some reply, and at a
| meeting just held at Lake George an open
| letter to the President was adopted. The
! letter was signed by Charles Francis
| Adams, chairman; Carl Schurz, Edwin Bur-
| rift Smith, Moorfield Storey and Herbert
Welsh 1t says:
I'VE now desire to express the gratifica-
| ton afforded us by your review of July IA
as chief, Of the findings of
! the court martial in the case of Gen. J. H.
Smith. Taken in connection with the prev
ious memorandum of April 10, provided it
be followed by corresponding general &C
ton, that review will, in our opinion, do
much toward the establishment of the
national prestige and the restoration of the
morals of the army. AT this time,
therefore, it is Of more than national it
is distinctly of international service, for,
| brought into new relations with remote and
testify above all desirable that the United
States should aim to elevate others to a
higher standard rather than itself sink to a
lower.
Commends Presidents Attitude.
Especially opportune, in our judgment,
is your very commemorate reminder to Off
GERS in high and responsible positions that
in a warfare with national dependents,
such as that recently waged by us in the
east it behooves all such officers to be
peculiarly careful in their bearing and con-
duct, so as to keep moral check over any
acts of an improper character by their sub
ordinates. The level here reached is lofty,
and in healthy contrast with that spirit,
far too prevalent, which seeks excuse, if
not justification, for the excuses of the
present in every instance Of inhumanitv
which can possibly be exhumed either from
colonial history, otherwise happily forgot
ten, or from the regrettable records of our
Indian warfare.
While thus. however. expressing our
sense of obligation. wish most respect
fully to call your attention to certain con-
clusions which we have in the course of
our own inquiries found ourselves COM
PEELED to reach. These conclusions, we are
not unaware, may be somewhat at variance
with those reached by you; none the less,
in stating them, our desire is to contribute,
If In our power so to do. toward the more
complete realization OF the ends set forth
in the memorandum to General Chaffee OF
April Is.
Coming directly to the point, and
speaking historically. our Investigations
have led US to conclude that the demorali
cation of the officers and soldiers of our
army in the Philippines, including all
branches of the service and all grades of
rank, was far more general, as we'll as
pronounced, than might be inferred from
your review of the court-martial findings in
the case Of General Smith The essential
facts charged in this case, we believe we
nave reason to say, were rather notorious
than exceptional Demoraliztng influences,
very preJudlclal to any high standard of
military morale, We're, under the circum-
stances, inevitable This led to lamentable
results, calling for the firm hand and stern
correction found, and most fortunately APP
pied, IN your orders of April 10 and July
II For that application, while the coun-
try is under great obligation to you, the
army is, in our estimate, under obligation
still greater.
Gen. Chaffee'= Instructions.
In the Chaffee memorandum of April
10 Is this language: The fact that any such
acts OF cruelty and barbarity appear to
have been done indicates the necessity of a
most thorough, searching and exhaustive
investigation, and you will spare 70 effort
TO uncover every case which may have oc-
CURED, and bring the offenders TO Justice
Ihese words, and the inquiries and courts
martial instituted in obedience, thereto, I'M
q o., had most clarifying effect:
Their influence was Immediate, great and
beneficent. Meanwhile, we would respect
1uily submit that the good of the army,
and the future Of our eastern dependencies,
demand that investigation should rot stop
at this point, or with results already
reached. The inquiries we, as a committee,
nave made. necessarily imperfect, have yet
been sufficient to satisfy us that General
smith and Major Waller were not the sole
culprits; nor should they suffice in the
character OF scapegoats.
In your review Of July IA, you say
that these cases were exceptional Your
means OF information on this point should
unquestionably be infinitely better than
me war Department.; we have not Mean
While, 1t Is always to be borne in mind
that one side only Of this painful story
nj! mas been heard, and that side only in part.
mas been 3ea!ously and Systematically sup
pressed. judicial and impartial examina-
tion on the spot has been denied, or pro-
hcunced lmpracticable. From the very ma
tlons are much the same everywhere, and a
recent foreign experience, still very fresh
IN pubic memory, forcibly suggests what
may De expected from military tribunals
ana investigations when the esprit de corps
Is enlisted or the honor of the army is
thought to be involved
IN the present case, occasionally and by
ACCIDENT merely, have fragments of infor-
NoAAS " SSuSIdl Ohcll
glimpses only have been permitted to reach
the pubic eye. Certain facts have been
eicited In the proceedings before the Senate
nnilppine COMMITTEES, or through the i'm
perfect reports Of evidence given In the
more notorious OF the courts-marsial pro-
e.eedlngs; but these, though very sugges-
i've. are far from complete. much less ex-
massive To our minds they indicate I'M
mlstakably condition of great and general
communication. OF this the findings of the
e e;H referred to afford conclusive
EVIDENCE, as also do the published orders
OF commanding officers and the reports of
provincial governors.
general. for instance, high in COM
mand. permits himself to say: will burn
everything that stands, and kill everything
that lives In Batangas to have peace II
nothing else, this is Suggestive of another
memorable utterance. of the same ma
tureman utterance with which the name
ot w rsaW Is mournfully associated AS
eighteen centuries ago. so now-.solitudinem
1aelunt, pacem appellant Another general,
a a. degree only less high in grade is on record
as declaring In language not classic GER
taniy but. though l@ss terse. equally for