The Red Cloud chief., 1902-04-18
PROMPT ACTION
sarbarlties in Philippines to Be
Investigated.
ROOSEVELT ,StTS GRAVITY OF THE CAST


AZ a result of the consideration by
the cabinet last Tuesday of the charges
or cruel treatment of Filipinos by
United States soldiers. Secretary Root
has cabled General ChafIee at Manila
az follows:
Press dispatches state that upon
the trial of Major Waller of the ma
rine corps testimony vas given by
Waller, corroboratcd by other wit
nesses, that Gen. Jacob II. Smith in
atructed 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 pris-
oners, and that when Major Waller
asked General Smith to define the age
limit for killing he replied: Every
thing over ten
IT such testimony was given and
the facts a be established. you will
place General Smith on trial by court
martial.
Yesterday, before the senate COM
mittee on Philippine affairs. Sergeant
CHARLES Riley and Private LOWS Smith
of the Twenty-siXth volunteer infan-
try testified that the form Of torture
known as the water cure was admin
istered to the prcsidente of the town
of lgbarras, lloilo province, island of
Panay. by a detachment of the Eight
zenith United States infantry under
command of Lieut.. Arthur l.. Congcr.
under orders of Maj. Edwin +. Glenn,
then captain of the Twenty-ifth in
fantry. and that Captain and Assistant
Surgeon Palmer Lyon, at that time a
contract surgeon. We're present to as
Sist them. The officers named. or such
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 Twenty
sixth volunteer infantry and Eighteenth
infantry having returned to the United
States and most of the witnesses be-
ing presumptively here, the secretary
of war directs that Maj. +. +. Glenn.
Twenty-ffth infantry. be directed to
proceed to San Francisco and report
to the general commanding the depart
ment of California with a view to- his
trial by court-martial under charges
alleging the cruelties practiced by him
upon a native of the Philippine islands
~ ibDhi ~ VII tI' -ilH " Juil', lpN'.
7 IF you can discover any witness
still in the service in the Philippines
who can testify in support of the
charges, or if Major Glenn desires the
attendance of any persons now serv-
ing in the islands as witnesses for the
defense, you will direct them to pro-
coed to San Francisco for that pur-
pose.
LAS the two years allowed for the
prosecution by the statute of limita-
tions is nearly at an end, no time is to
be lost. You will take such curse in
advancing or ~postponing the investiga-
tons previously ordered into the on
duct of General Smith and Major
&lenn as shall be required to enable
you to execute these instructions.
1T is believed that the violations of
law and humanity, of which these
cases, IL 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 that any such acts of cruelty and
barbarity appear to have been done
indicates the necessity of a most thor.
ough, searching and exhaustive inves-
LSdIlOu Ill tuc bChViai W 6'o piS-
ferred by General Gardener. and you
\ will spare no effort. in the investiga-
> ton already ordered under these
charges. to uncover every such case
which may have occurred and bring
the offenders to justice.
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 shielded. For the
very reason that the president intends
to back up the army in the heartiest
fashion in every lawful and legitimate
method of doing it's work. he also in
tends to see that the most rigorous
care is exercised to detect and prevent
i, any cruelty or brutality and that men
] who are guilty thereof are punished.
Great as the provocation has been In
dealing with foes who habitually re-
sort to treachery, murder and torture
against our men, nothing can justify
or will be held to justify the use OF
torture or inhuman conduct or any
kind on the part Of the American
army. (Signed.)
'ELIHU ROOT,
Secretary of War"
annn