Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-29
CONCENTRATION CAMPS
WHAT COL. WAGNER SAID IN
YHE PHILIPPINES.
Protection of the Natives - Generals
Sumner and Bell Governed by In
structions From Headquarters.

Ihe Senate committee on the Philippines
today heard the testimony of Col A l.,
wagner, assistant adjutant general of the
army, who spent two and one-half years in
the philippines. He was questioned about
the concentration camps, and described the
system by explaining the details of one
particular camp. In that camp the people
were assembled according to villages, so
that the people would in all cases have
their old neighbors near them, and so far
as ne had been able to observe there was
no evidence of want among the people
there congregated. Moreover, they were
surprisingly contented. They were at lib
erty to go outside the line from 800 to 500
yards, but beyond that distance was what
was called the dead line, beyond which the
people were not permitted to go. The ma
tiFes were given to understand that if
they crossed this line they would be shot.
but in reality the orders were not to shoot
any helpless persons or any others If the
shooting could be avoided.
Purpose of Concentration.
Col. Wagner also said that one of the
prlhclpai purposes of concentrating the ma
tive people in the Philippines was to pro-
tect them against the ladrones, which had
been admirably accomplished, SO that in
many cases what was called the dead line
was In reality life line Another object
OF the camps had been that of facilitating
tn tne collection OF the rice supplies in order
TO starVe out the ladrones and g,ierrillas
The result had been that hostile parties
mad practically disappeared and their lead
ef, Maivor, captured. The army had been
much ike a blind giant. 1t was strong
enough to cope with the enemy. but was
not able to see where the danger was The
poilcS mad been necessary to protect life
ana property, and he did not see how any
other policy could have been successful
Replying to Senator Beveridge the wit
ness said the people were fed and given
medical supplies and the sanitation of their
camps looked after. The American camps
III .He fhIEppines m could no more be COM
pared to Weyler's reconceutrado camps in
Cuba than could mercy be compared to
cruelty.
Bells and Summers Policies.
A number of questions were asked bv
Senator Culberson concerning Gen. Belts
policy in comparison with that of his pre-
decessor. Gen. Sumner
Gen. Sumner" said the witness, was
not allowed to take as severe measures as
he deemed necessary, because he told me
that he was severely handicapped by his
instr notions from department headouar-
terS.'
Continuing, he said that neither Sumner
nor Bell had been responsible for the policy
OF department commanders. III Sumner
had remained in command he said, "he
would have been required to carry out the
same policy that Bell did"
Gen. Chaffee's Orders.
He supposed, he said, that the orders had
originated with General Chanee but he did
not understand that the orders were writ
ten. The policy had been justified by the
fact that all the people congregated had
now returned to their homes and on the
4th of July the provinces of Latangas and
Laguna were to be restored to civil rule.
Referring to the policy of burning VII
lagos. the witness said that indiscriminate
burning was not countenanced by the rules
of war, and that the practice of burning
the property of non-combatants was mex
cusable except in cases in which it was i'm
possible to separate it from that of hosti,es
and in cases in which the enemy was max
ing use of it.
Col. Wagner said he had no personal
knowledge of the torture of natives in the
Philippines, but he gave several instances
In which he had heard of reports of tor
ture. In most of these it was found. upon
examination. that the reports were either
untrue or exaggerated.
Cob Wagner had not concluded when the
committee adjourned until Saturday.