Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-04-16
Both Determined to Prevent Inhuman
Treatment Of the Natives.
WILL PUNISH OFFICERS IF FOUND GUILTY
President Says Army officials Must Rigidly
Obey Military Law.
WILL LOOK INTO GARDENERS STATEMENT
General smith, Accused of Issuing Or
der TO XIII and burn 60 Major
Waller, May De Court
martiaIed.

the consideration by the cabinet today OF
the charges of cruel treatment OF Filipinos
by United States soldiers. Secretary Root
has made public the following correspond
ence:
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON.
April 10, 1902.-My Dear Senator: l beg to
acknowledge the receipt Of your copy Of
the testimony OF Sergeant Charles s. Riley
and Private Lewis Smith. late of the Twen-
ty-sixth infantry. taken before your com
mittee yesterday. l enclose copy of dis
patch which has been sent today to Major
General Chaffee, commanding the Division
Of the Philippines Directions have been
given to the Judge advocate general Of the
army to take proper steps IN accordance
with the dispatch The War department
will be glad to receive the earliest practi-
cable information OF any further evidence
which may be elected by the committee
tending TO fX responsibility upon anyone in
the military service Of the United States for
any violation OF any laws of war or Of the
regulations or orders governing the opera
tion of the army OF the United States in the
Geld. Very respectfully.
"ELIHU ROOT.
Secretary Of War.
"Hon. II. H. Lodge, United States Senator.
Washington, d. C.
AHaEkGA Dy
WAR DEPARTMENT. WASHINGTON.
April 10, 1902.-Memorandum for the Ad-
sutant General: Cable General Chaffee as
follows: On February 10 letter was sent
you enclosing for investigation copy OF
charges made by Governor Gardener of
Tayabas province, which contained general
allegations of cruelties practiced by troops
on natives and generally Of an insoient and
brutal attitude Of the army toward natives.
Ion April a cable dispatch was sent
you urging action with all speed consistent
with thorough and searching investigation.
ION March a cable dispatch was sent
you directing disciplinary measures to pro-
duce obedience to the presidents instruc-
tlons subordinating military oficers to civil
government In pacifed provinces. and in
structing \you to relieve Major Edwin r.
Glenn And Captain James A. Ryan from
duty and order them to MInila to await
Investigation into their conduct, in accord
Rnce with Instructions TO follow by mail.
ION March "a instructions were mailed
you containing statement Of charges against
these oiscers and General Jacob II. Smith
as the basis OF investigation ordered by
the cable OF March 4.
Further Investigations into both matters
are required by the following facts:
Cnse of General smith.
"Press dispatches state that upon the
trial OF Major Waller of the marine CORDS
testimony was given by Waller, oorrob-
GRATED, by other witnesses. that General
Jacob II. Smith instructed him to kill and
burn; that the more he killed and burned
the better pleased General Smith would be:
that It 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 TO-" II such
testimony was give- and the facts can be
established. you will place General Smith
on trial by court martial.
Yesterday before the senate committee
'on Philippine affairs Sergeant Charles Riley
anu Private Lewis Smith of the Twenty
sixth volunteer infantry testified that the
fo;py Of torture known as the water cure'
wa administered to the presidente OF the
town OF Igbaras. Iloilo province. island of
Panay. by a detachment OF the Eighteenth
United States infantry under command OF
Lieutenant Arthur L. Conger. under orders
OF Major Edwin F. Glenn, then captain Of
the Twenty NTH infantry, and that Captain
and Assistant Surgeon Palmer Lyon at that
time contract surgeon was present TO
assist them. The oficers 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.
Most of witnesses Here.
4" Both the Twenty-sixth Volunteer In
lfantry and the Sixteenth infantry having
returned TO the United States and most
of the witnesses being presumptively here,
the secretary OF war directs that Major
E. F. Glenn. Twsnty-hfth infantry be di-
rected to proceed to San Francisco and re-
port 10 the general commanding the De-
partment Of California, with a view to his
trial by oourt-martial under charges al
leging the cruelties praeticed by him upon
native OF the Philippine islands a,
1Ebaras, on June "a. 1900
." III you can discover any witnesses still
In the service In the Philippines who can
testify In support OF the charges or Il
Major Glenn desires the attendance Of any
persons now serving in the islands as wit
nesses for the defense, you will direct them
70 proceed to San Francisco for that pur-
pose. AS the two years allowed for the
prosecution by the statute OF Limitations Is
nearly at an end. no time is to be lost
You will take such course In advancing
or postponing the Investigations previously
ordered into the conduct OF General Smith
and Major Glenn as shall be required tC
enable you to execute these instructions.
Violations Are Few.
1T is believed that the violations OF Law
and humanity OF which these cases, n true
are examples, will prove to be few anC
toooasional and not TO characteriEs the con
duct OF the army generally in the Philip
pines; but the fact that any acts OF cruelty
and harbarity appear to have been don,
indicates the necessity Of most thorough
- searching and exhaustive investigation int,
the general charges preferred by Governo
Gardener and you will spare no effort. Il
the Investigation already ordered unde
these charges 10 uncover every such cas-
which may have occurred and bring tn
offenders to Justice.
The president desires to know in tn
fullest and most circumstantial manner al
the facts. nothing being concealed. and n
lc..,t..... j. -. -