The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-06-17
uN.AMERlCAN METHODS,

The army does not gain by the ef-
forts Of some Of its officers 60 cXtenuate
the water cure" Nothing excuses
torture as an instrument OF law and
order. and the American people, far
from anticipating their own need OF re-
Duke. have never thought TO excuse II
In others. The war that gave US a
footing in the Philippines was widely
hernlded as war for humanity.
8pain's cruel treatment Of the Cubans
was held to justify H. How is II pos
able, then. for US. in trying to govern
a population which we have rescued
from Spain to outdo Weyler himself In
harshness and barbarity? How IS II
possible for us 10 do this and sun ma
excuses that either calm the conscience
or convince the Judgment?
General Charles King is one OF the
defenders OF the water cure and this
is part of his plea;
DO the exigencies Of Philippine war
fare ever Justify acts which TO citizens
at home seem unwarrantably cruel
often From a whole string OK houses
in East Pace they fired on our wounded
and attendants the day OF santa Ana,
and those smiling homes went up In
smoke. From the walls and towers of
a church far within our lines, and one
We had guarded against possibility of
Dissertation, they fired on our people
for hours That church was burned.
At the battle OF Santa Ana, to escape
our charging line, battalion threw
down it's arms on the bank of the Pa
sig, and was safe. Other insurgents
threw arms and selves into the Pasig
ana failed to reach the other shore.
Certain papers made furious cutlery at
this. saying we slaughtered helpless
natives IN cold blood" We didn't. We
were following strictly the laws Of war
the world over.
General King begs the question.
When houses or churches are used to
conceal a firing line the laws of war
say they shall be burnt That Is not
objected to; II Is not the point at issue.
Nor is there any reason why an escap-
ing enemy, in or out of the water
should not be fired upon. Nobody In
America, entitled to serious hearing,
differs much from General Kings opin-
ion in this respect But what have
these matters to do with the water
cure?" in what way do they extenuate
the forcible injection of half-barrei
of fluid into a man to make hin tell,
at the point OF bursting, where arms
are hidden or an enemy concealed?
General King says:
Finally, be patient enough to remem-
Der that neither Indian nor Malay was
ever successfully handled with gloves;
that despite all the trimming and hui
manizing in the course of centuries of
the laws OF war war is still what hu-
man nature makes and Sherman called
il.
Weyler might have made that ex-
ouse for the horrors of RECOMMENDATION
Aut il would have been met in America
BY an cutlery for war In which General
King would probably have Joined. Let
ii be admitted that Indians and Malays
are barbarous. but is ii not our bust
ness to set them a civilized example?
Must we show that we are worse bar
barians than they? If so what Is to
bring about the chief end of the war,
namely, to win them over and trans
form them into contented, industrious
and loyal citizens of the United States?
Surely they cannot have hope OF JUS
tice from a people who, when they
want to get the testimony of an un-
willing witness, subject him to an or
deal of torture which would have al
most shamed the savages of the Span
ish inquisition. Against barbarity
such as that they are quite justified In
bearing arms.