Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-16
CANNOT Be ALLOWED
The Presidents Attitude on
Use of Torture.
CHARGES TO BE PROBED
SECRETARY ROOTS DIRECTIONS
TO GENERAL CHAFFEE.
Allegations Regarding Gen. Smith,
Major Glenn and Capt. Ryan to
Be Investigated.

AS a result of the consideration by the
cabinet of the charges of cruel treatment
Of Fflipinos by United States soldiers, Sec
rotary Root has made public letter writ
ten by him yesterday to Senator Lodge, as
follows:
81 beg to acknowledge the receipt Of your
copy of the testimony of Sergeant Charles
S. Riley and Private William Lewis Smith,
late Of the 26th Infantry, taken before your
committee yesterday. 1 inclose copy of a
dispatch which has been sent today Q5th)
to Major General Chaffee, commanding the
Division of the Philippines. Directions
have been given to the judge advocate gen.
era1 of the army to take proper steps in
accordance with the dispatch.
The War Department will be glad to
ceive the earliest practicable information Of
any further evidence which may be elected
by the committee tending to fix RESPONSE
bility upon any one in the military service
OF the United States for any violation Of
the laws of war or of the regulations and
orders governing the operations of the
army of the United States in the field"
Directions to Chaffee
The dispatch to General Chaffee referred
to in this letter, is as follows:
ION February 10 a letter was sent you,
U
made by Governor Gardener of Tayabas
province, which contained general allega-
tons of cruelties practiced by troops on ma
tives, and generally Of an insolent and bru-
tai attitude of the army toward natives.
'On April q cable dispatch was sent you
urging action with all speed consistent with
thorough and searching investigation.
''On the 4th of March a cable dispatch
was sent you directing disciplinary meas
ures to produce obedience to the Presidents
instructions, subordinating military officers
TO civil government in pacified provinces,
and lnstructing you to relieve Major Edwin
F. Glenn and Capt. James A. Ryan from
duty and order them to Manila to await in
Vestigation into their conduct, in accord
ance with instructions to follow by mail.
'On the oath of March instructions were
mailed you containing statement Of charges
against those officers and General Jacob H.
Smith as the basis of the investigation or
dered by the cable of March 4.
Further instructions in both matters are
required by the following facts:
Press dispatches state that upon the
trial of Major Waller of the Marine Corps
testimony was given by Waller, corroborat-
H. Smith instructed him to kill and burn:
that the more he killed and burned the
better pleased General Smith would be;
that 1t was no time to take prisoners, and
that when Major Waller asked General
Smith to define the age limit for killing, he
replied Everything over ten
IF such testimony was given, and the
facts can be established, you will place
General Smith on trial by court-martial"
The Alleged Water Torture.
Yesterday before the Senate committee
on Philippine affairs Sergt Charles S. Riley
and Private William Lewis Smith Of the
26th Volunteer Infantry testified that the
form Of torture known as the water cure
was administered to the presidente Of the
town of Igbarras, Hoilo province, Island of
Panay, by detachment of the 18th United
States Infantry, under command of Lieut..
Arthur L. Conger, under orders of Mai
Edwin F. Glenn, then captain 25th Infan-
try, and that Capt and Assistant Surgeon
Palmer Lyon, at that time contract sur
geon. was present to assist them. The off,
GERS named or such of them as are found
to be responsible for the act, will be tried
therefor by court-martial. Conger and
Lyon are in this country. Both the 26th
Volunteer Infantry and 18th Infantry hay-
ing returned to the United States, and most
or the witnesses being presumptively here,
the Secretary of War directs that Mai E.
F. Glenn, 10Th Infantry, be directed to pro-
coed to San Francisco and report to the
general commanding the Department of
California, with a view to his trial by
court-martfal under charges alleging the
cruelties practiced by him upon a native
of the Philippine Islands at Igbarras on tho
9th of June, 1900.
IF you can discover any witnesses still
in the service of the Philippine Islands who
can testify in support of the charges or
II Maj. Glenn desires the attendance of anv
persons now serving in the islands as wit
neSSeS for the defense, you will direct them
to proceed to San Francisco for that pur-
pose. AS the two years allowed for the pros
ecut1on by the statute of limitations are
nearly at an end, no time is to be lost You
Will take such course in advancing or post
poning the investigations previously order
ed into the conduct of Gen. Smith and Maj.
no rod 70 I IL
execute these Instructions It is believed
that the violations of law and humanity, of
which these cases, if true, are examples
Will prove to be few and occasional and NOT
to characterize the conduct of the army
generally in the Philippines; but the fact
mat any such acts of cruelty and barbarity
appear to have been done indicates the
necessity of a most thorough searching
and exhaustive investiga ton under the
general charges preferred by Governor
Gardener, and you will spare no effort In
the investigation already ordered under
these charges to uncover every such case
which may have occurred and bring the
offenders to Justice.
The Presidents Attitude.
1.-The President desires to know in the
fullest and most circumstantial manner all
the facts, nothing being concealed and no
man being for any reason favored or Shield
ed. For the very reason that the President
intends to back up the army in the heart
lest fashion in every lawful and legitimate
method Of doing it's work. he also intends
10 see that the most rigorous care is exer-
cfsed to detect and prevent any cruelty or
brutality, and that men who are guilty.
thereof are punished. Great as the provo
cation has been in dealing with foes who
hab1tually resort to treachery, murder and
torture against our men, nothing can ius
tify or will be held to Justify the use of
torture or inhuman conduct of any kind on
the part of the American army"