The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-05-15


John b. Weston has received an inter-
esting letter from Major Woodruff,
dated in the Philippines, March 18th.
In this letter, referring to the concentra-
ton camps, Mr.. Woodruff says: elm
stead of being called camps of concen-
tration, the proper name would be
camps of instruction and sanitation. |
really think, outside of the military
standpoint, the natives will be decided
ly improved by virtue of having lived
In these well regulated camps of in
struction and sanitation"
1t is the characteristic Of the repub-
l1can policy of today that modified
titles be applied to obnoxious methods.
"A rose by any other name would smell
as sweet" and the objections to these
concentration camps are not removed
when they are called camps of in
struction and sanitation"
We have very high authority on
this point. In a message to congress
under date Of December 6, 1897, Presi-
dent Mckinley said:
"The cruel policy Of concentration
was initiated February 16, 1896. The
productive districts controlled by the
Spanish army were depopulated. The
agricultural Inhabitants were herded
In and about the garrison towns, their
lands laid waste, and their dwellings
destroyed. This policy the late cabi-
net of Spain justified as necessary
measure of war and as means of cut
ting off supplies from the insurgents.
1t has utterly failed as war measure.
1t was not civilized warfare. 1t was
determination. Against this abuse of
the rights of war l have felt con-
strained on repeated occasions to enter
the firm and earnest protest Of this
government"
1t must be humiliating to every
American citizen that 1.-The cruel pol
ICY adopted by the Spaniards, the
policy which with Spain utterly failed
as war measure" the policy that was
mot civilized warfare" the policy
which Mr.. Mckinley branded as lex
termination the policy, indeed, to
which Mr.. Mckinley referred as this
>h'!se of the rights of war;" and con-
corning which he said: 81 have felt
constrained on repeated occasions to
enter the firm and earnest protest of
this government 1T is humiliating to
think that this same policy has been
adopted by the United States of Amer
lea.
In message to congress under date
Of April IL, 1898, Mr.. Mckinley pointed
out that Spain had referred to these
concentration camps as zones of cult
vation," but referring to these zones of
cultivation" Mr.. Mckinley said
'The unfortunates, being for the
most part women and children, with
aged and helpless men, enfeebled by
disease and hunger, could not have
titled the soil without tools, seed, OF
shelter for their own support or for
the supply of the citizens. Reconcen-
tration, adopted avowedly as war
measure in order to cut off the re-
sources of the insurgents, worked it's
predestined result. AS said in my
message of last December, it was not
civilized warfare, it was determination.
The only peace it could beget was that
of the wilderness and the grave"
So it will be seen that while we have
adopted for these concentration camps
in the Philippines the more agreeable
name of camps of instruction and san
itation," the Spaniards also adopted
the less harsh name of zones of culti-
vation" But Mr.. Mckinley, realizing
that the change in the name did not
involve change in the methods, nor
lessen the cruelties of the policy adopt
ed insisted that such methods were
not civilized warfare, but rather came
under the designation of "extermina-
tion," and, referring to these zones of
cultivation" Mr.. Mckinley said, THE
only peace it could beget was that of
the wilderness and the grave"
And SO it may be said of this same
policy even though it be adopted by
the United States of America. The
only peace it can beget is that Of the
wilderness and the grave, and it is of
no moment that the authorities seek
to designate that policy by more
agreeable name; in spite of all they
do and say, "the only peace it will be-
get is that of the wilderness and the
grave"
In his order TO General Chance, Sec
rotary Root said: Nothing can justify
or would be held to justify the use
of torture or inhuman conduct of any
kind on the part of the American
army" How did it happen that this
fine sentiment did not occur to Mr..
Root until the facts, which he held in
his possession for several months, be-
came public property through no act
of his? If Mr.. Root is so opposed to
the "use of torture or inhuman con-
duct as he now pretends to be, why
did he not enter his protest when the
terrible facts were laid before him?
Why did he file away in his pigeon
holes the evidences of the torture and
tnhuman conduct? Why did he cas-
tigate General Miles for saying. what
Mr.. Root knew to be the truth, that
the war in the Philippines was being
conducted with marked severity?
The ship subsidy steal is to be post
poned until the people are not watch
ing. With this warning the people will
be foolish if they permit the steal.