The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-16
Cspecial to The Post)

Washington, April lS.-Neithcr the war
nor navy departments have as yet received
any official confirmation Of the news that
Major Waller was acquitted by the court
martial which tried him at Manila and
some Doubt as to the authenticity Of that
news Is beginning to he manifested. Rep
resentative Burleson today offered 4 reso-
luton calling on the secretary Of war for
a full transcript Of the proceedings Of the
court. He assumes that II Waller was
really acquitted 1t must have been because
the court believed General Smith really
gave the orders to Kill and burn and the
object Of the resolution Is TO bring out all
the facts IN the case In this connection
It may he stated that as a result ~ the
consideration by the cabinet today Of the
charges OF cruel treatment Of Fillplnos by
United States soldiers, Secretary Root has
made public the following correspondence;
War Department, Washington. April IL.
1902 My Dear Senator: beg 10 ackuowl-
edge receipt Of your copy of the testt-
mony of Sergeant Charles S. Riley and
Private William Lewis Smith. late Of the
Twenty -sixth infantry, taken before your
committee yesterday. inclose copy Of
a dispatch which has been sent today to
Major General Chanee. commanding the
division Of the Philippines. Directions have
been given TO the Judge advocate general
Of the army 10 take proper steps in &C
cordance with the dispatch.
The war department will bc glad IN re.
celye the earliest practicable information
of any further evidence which NAY ne
ELECTED by tho committee tendlng to TX re-
spouslbility npoh any one in the military
service Tor any violation of any law Of
war or Of the regulations or orders gov
erning the operations Of the army Of the
| nited States in the Geld. Very respect
fully, Elihu Root,
Secretary Of War.
To Hon. n. C. Lodge, United states Sen.
ate, Washington, p. {.
War Department, Washington, April -,
1902. Memorandum for the sdiutsnt gen
eral Gable General Chanee rs follows;
On February letter was sent you iuclos-
ing for Investigation copy OF charges made
by Governor Gardner AZ Tayabas province,
which contained general allegations Of
crueties practiced by troops on natives,
and generally Of an Insolent and brutal at
htude of the army toward natives
On April 2 a cable dispatch was sent
you urging action with all speed consistent
with a thorough and searching investiga.
ton.
On March 4 a cable dispatch was sent
you directing disciplinary measures to pro.
duce obedience to the presidents instruc.
tions, subordinating military officers 70
civi government IN pacined provinces and
instructing you to relieve Major Edward
+. Glenn and Captain james A. Ryan from
J,,t, q, a.
investigation into their conduct In accord
ance with instructions to follow by mail
On March "a Instructions were mailed
you containing statement OF charges against
these officers and General Jacob II. Smith
as the basis Of the investigation ordered by
the cable of March 4.
Further instructions on both matters are
required by the following facts: Press dis.
patches stated that upon the trial Of Major
Waller OF the marine corps, testimony was
given by Waller. corroboTated by other Wit
nesses. that General Jacob H. Smith in
stIucted him 10 kill and burn that the
more he killed and burned the better
pleased General Smith would be; that It
took time to take prisoners, and that when
Major Waller asked General Smith to de-
fine the age limit for killing, he replied:
Everything over 10"
III SUCH TESTIMONY WAS GIVEN
AND THE FACTS CAS- BE ESTABLISH.
! ED. YOU WILL PLACE GENERAL
! SMITH on TRIAL BY COURT MARTIAL.
Yesterday before the senate committee on
Philippine affairs Sergeant Chas. Riley and
Private William Lewis Smith Of the TWEEN.
ty-sixth volunteer Infantry testified that
the form Of torture known as the water
| cure was administered to the president
Of the town OF IgbarraS, folio province,
island Of Panay. hy detachment Of Eigh-
teenth United States infaHtry under com
mand OF Lieutenant Arthur l.. oCnger, un.
! der orders Of Msior Edwin T.. Glenn. then
captain Twenty infantry and that
| Captain aud Assistant Surgeon Palmer
| Lyon. at that time contract surgeon. were
| present &C. assist them The officers named.
/ " such Of them AS are found TO be respon.
| sible for the act will De tried therefor by
court martial. Conger and Lyon are in this
couatry. Both the Twenry-sixth volunteer
| infantry and Eighteenth Infantry having re.
turned TO the United states and most Of
the witnesses being presumptively here, the
secretary OF war directs that Major e. +.
Glenn. Twenty -hfth infantry. be direct q
/ 70 proceed 20 San Francisco and report ia
Il u.