The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-15
PLAIN TRUTH WANTED.
No Pleading "the Baby Act" In the
Philippine investigation.
Army and Navy Journal.

Army and Navy Journal.
1t is amazing to find journals of known
loyalty to the administration at Washing
ton-like the Philadelphia Press, for ex-
ample-engaged in jealous but misdirected
efforts to exempt the President and the War
Department from the responsibility for Gen.
Smiths conduct of the campaign in Samar.
The Press says that Gen. Smiths order
was not approved by our government or
known to It," Now, what are the facts?
Gen. Smiths orders In the province of
Samar and Gen. Bells in the province of
Batangas were submitted to Maj. Gen.
Chaffee. He approved them and submitted
copies of them to the War Department at
Washington, where not a word was said
against them or against the operations con-
Quoted in accordance with them until it
was discovered that IL had been necessary
to use harsher means than ~syringes loaded
with cologne water to put down the in
surrection. THE order was not approved
by our government" says the editor of the
Press, but the Washington correspondent
of the Press, IN direct contradiction of his
chief, says that, as everybody familiar with
army routine knows must nave been the
Smith were forwarded by Gen. Chaffee to
the War Department, and there is no record
of any diSapproval." Not only was there
no disapproval, but upon the surrender of
Malvar, the insurgent commander In Ba-
tangas. the secretary of war. by direction
of the President, cabled to Gen. Chaffee,
and Gen. Chaffee transmitted to Gen. Bell,
the hearty congratulations of the govern
ment upon the conclusion of his brilliant
and arduous campaign. We believe, more
over, that the same deserved recognition
would have been extended to Gen. Smith
but for the absurd and unreasonable clam
or which has npn0 raised against him. ~
far as the responsibility for the conduct of
the campaign In Samar, Batangas and
other provinces Is concerned. Gen. Chaffee,
Gen. Smith, Gen. Bell and every man under
them were acting as directly with the ap-
prevail OF the government as If their orders
had been written at the White House and
counterSigned at the War Department.
This is no time TO plead the baby act in
behalf of the President and the secretary
Of war. We don't imagine that they want
anything of the sort. Wherefore they
friends. The plain truth and a fair meas
ure of common sense are all that is needed
to vindicate the government and the army
with equal t~horoughness. Harperis Week
ly takes what seems to US wholly unneces-
sary pains TO deny that Secretary Root Is
preparing 20 resign because he has got
the administration into trouble by his pol
icy Of concealment." There has been no
such policy: ii has never been the habit
within our knowledge for the departments
of the government to make public all Off
cial documents, without regard to their
character. The intention was, apparently.
to withhold the report of Mai. Gardener
until the matter could be inquired into,
and this was entirely proper. 1t is the bus
mess of the War Department to protect its
officers against indefinite complaints quite
as much as it is TO hold them responsible
when definite charges are made. 1t is, or
should be a point Of honor to do this.
Obligations are mutual. and If the duty of
unquestioning obedience is imposed upon
the officer. it is equally demanded of the
President of the United States that he
should interpose the shield of his high Of
fee to protect the officer against public
d~isapproval when he does only the duty
tina obedience demands of him.