The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-01
WOULD MEAN CHAOS
MAC ARTHUR TALKS OF PHILIP
PINE GOVERNMENT.
MILITARY A BLESSING.
FILIPINOS NOT READY FOR INDIE
PENDENCE.

Their own Unnided Efforts Would
in All Probability Prove AbOrtive.
Under the Tuition of the United
states the body Polite May Be
Nodded Into "A Consistent Common
wealth American Withdrawal
would Result in Permanent Fail
ure-He Explains Conditions of
Fighting in Islands.
Washington, April 30.-MaJ. Gen.
Macarthur to-day gave further testi-
mony before the Senate Committee on
the Philippines. He explained his
statement made yesterday that abso-
lutte chaos would result should indie
pendence be given the Filipinos, and
the United States forces be withdrawn
by saying the people of the Philippines,
being less prepared for self govern
ment and administration than any of
the Latin-American republics at the
time of their emancipation from Spain,
their own unaided efforts to accom-
plish regeneration would in all
probability prove abortive. The peo-
pie of the Philippines, he said, have
rudimentary ideas and aspirations, and
are therefore in an essentially plastic
condition, which, under the tuitionary
control of the United States would, in
his opinion admit of a rapid molding
of the body polite into a consistent.
self-supporting commonwealth. Amer
lean withdrawal from the islands
would. in his opinion, result in the per-
manent failure of Republican institu-
in M CT nd a fra fricid9I
which would continue until suppressed
by some exterior force.
He gave it as his conscientious belief
that the presence of the United States
in the Philippines is an unmitigated
benefaction to the Filipino people.
do you mean the Filipino people that
are left alive after they have been sub
jugated?" inquired Senator Patter-
son.
Gen. Macarthur declared that he
did not mean that there has been any
unusual destruction of life IN the ISL
ands. THE destruction" said he, is
simply incident to war, and of course
embraces a very small percentage OF
the total population, which is dense. "
"Thirty-three and a third per cent.
in one province" remarked Senator
Patterson.
Replying to this statement, Gen.
Macarthur said to Senator Patterson
if he preferred TO believe that, he (Mac-
ARTHUR could not help 1t.
Gen. Macarthur explained the dis
parity between the killed and wounded
among the Filipino and American
forces as being due to the fact that
the Filipinos know nothing of the dou-
BILE sight on their rifles. Senator Pat
terson asked If as a matter of fact
the contacts between our troops and
the Filipinos were not simply assaults
and pursuits.
He Explains Situation.
Gen. Macarthur disclaimed that this
was so, saying that since the affair has
reached the guerrilla state the United
States troops have had the greatest
difficulty in finding the Filipinos, so
that whenever the Filipinos attacked
it was in the nature of a surprise, the
Filipino posting himself in thick noun
tain gorges and firing first. Under
these circumstances our officers and
men would go in after them and then
the natural supremacy of the Ameri-
can showed itself and every man that
could be reached was killed.
Responding to a question by Senator
Carmdck, Gen. Macarthur said that
when he assumed responsibility for the
methods adopted in capturing Agui-
Hdluo ne ulu SO WlLlOul cOHIeiTlHB WIN
the authorities at Washington. The
plan was Gen. Funston's, he said, and
he (MacArthur) assumed the respon-
sibility of approving it. At no time,
said Gen. Macarthur, replying to an
inquiry from Senator Patterson, did
he violate the rules of civilized war
fare. His position on this subject, he
said, was emphatic.
BY strict party vote the committee
refused to subpoena Maj Cornelius
Gardener, Aguinaldo, Sixto Lopez and
Mabini.