The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-28
Anti-lmperialists Address a Warm
Letter to Roosevelt.
GRAVE ALLEGATIONS MADE AND INVES-
LEGATIONS DEMANDED.
Letter Says that the Record of the Army i'm the
philippines is Discredtabe to the Good Name
OF the Country-Text of Communication.

Lake George. n Y. July 2T.-At a meeting
of representative ant-imperasts held iu
New York City last spring committee
! was appointed 10 investigate army condl.
lions In the Philippines. That COMMITTEES
has since then been prosecuting its inquiries.
! President Roosevelts recent review OF the
court martial Of General Jacob H. Smith
seemed TO the committee to demand some
reply. and at a meeting lust held at Lake
George an open letter to the president was
adopted The letter was signed by Charles
Francis Adams, chairman Carl Schur1. Ed
win Burritt Smith. MooreHeld Storey and
! Herbert Welsh II says
I'VE desire to express the eradication
afforded us by your 'rtvicw OF the i4th
! inst. as commander in chief, Of the findings
Of the court martial insthe case of General
| J. Il Smith. Taken In accordance with the
previous memorandum OF April IL that re
/ view will. provided It be followed by CORE.
! spending general action. In our opinion. do
/ much toward the re.cstahlishmcnt OF the
| National prestige and rho restoration Of the
morale Of the army. Especially opportune.
in our Judgment, is your very commcndable
reminder to officers in high and responsible
| positions that. In warfare with National
| dependents. such as that recently wagcd by
us in the East. It behooves all such officers
to he peculiarly careful In their acaripc
aud conduct MS TO keep a moral check over
any acts Of an improper character by their
subordinntes.'
The level here reached Is lofty aud IN
healthy contrast with that spirit, far too
prevalent. which seeks excuse If not Justi
hcation, for the exccsseS Of the prcsen.
in every instance Of lnhumanity which can
possibly be exhumed either from colonial
history or for the regrettable records Of our
Indian warfare. We say this however
expressing our sense of obligation that
wc wish most respectfully TO cari your az;
tention to certain conditions which we have
In the course OF our own inquiries found
ourselves compelled to mention.
DECENTRALIZATION IN THE ARMY.
Coming directly to the people interested
and speaking atstorttnly} oisr inv fssscns
have led us to conclude that the dcguoriliza
tion Of the officers and aoldiers Of our
army in the Philippines including I'll
branches Of the service and all grades N
rank, was far more general. as well as pro,
review Of the court martial findings In the
case OF General Smith The essential facts
charged In this case we believe we have
reason 20 sas, were rather frequent than OK
ceptIons. Demoraliznr influences. which
are prcjudlclal 10 any high standard OF
military morals. were under the circun-
stances Inevitable This led to lamentablo
results calling for the firm hand and stern
correction found. aud most fortunately ap.
piled in Your orders Of April and July IL.
Meanwhile. we would respectfully submit
that the good Of the army and the future OF
orr Eastern dependencies demand that In
vestigatlon should not stop al this point
or with the results already reached. The
injuries we. ms q committee have made,
though necessarily imperfect have yet been
snfficicnt Ia satisfy US that General Smith
and Major Waller were not the sole oulpriis
nor should they suffer in the character of
scapcgoats In your review n July IA
you say that these eases were exceptional
Your means Of Information on this point
should unquestionably be infinitely better
than ours.
FACTS KEPT FROM THE PUBLIC
''Meauwhir. 81 is always 10 be borne IN
mind that the outside only of this painful
story has hccn heard ana that side only mi
part. The testimony Of representative Fiji
pinos has beer jealously and systematically
suppressed Judicial and impartial exam
inatlon on the SPOT has been denounced or
pronounced impractic6hlc In the present
case. occasionally and 10y accden; merely.
however fragments 81 information con.e 70
General knowledge broken glmpses only
have bcon pcrnittcd TO reach the public
owe. To our minds they indicate unmlsiaR-
ably condition n great and general demon
alization. OF this. the dudnes Of the court
martial referred to snord conclusive cyl /
dence IS also do the published orders Of
commanding officers, and the reports 81 pro- /
vinc!ai governors"
The letter thcn discusses the xiii and I,
burn order. and SAYS; "As the not IN
natural result Of military operations 50
inspired. an Official renort indicates that |
out OF total population in a single dis
trict Of the Philippines OF thousand not /
less than one hundred people were Killed. /
The letter then alludes TO the water /
curc saving that the FIRST report % ITS |
practice met with denlals, while evidences /
before the senate Philippines commission /
provcd copclusIvely that this and other /
forms 81 torture bsyc been used, aud ADDS;
where Inquiry revealed tho systematic |
use Of fortunes by suhordinatrs. the OH
Ger in responsible command 81 pronounced
free from blame on the ground that bis
pralseworthy absorption In other duties
~ his position was so complete thai suca
trivial Incidents failed 90 attract his no
iice. such finding is certainly susges
tive.
Finally. every severity known % the
state Of war practices which have excited
The special reprobation Of the American
people when reported as features q tae
hcstiiities IN cuha, under the Spanish
regime, or In South Africa during the
Boer war--and which are OF Vadisast,i