The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-26
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GENERAL CHAFFEE's CONCLUSION
Glass;.

Pr General Chaffee's partial disapproval OF
the findings of the courts martial in the
cases of Major Waller and Lieutenant
Day gives another turn to an episode Of
q war that is now over, which will doubt
less be followed by another change In
the popular view Of the killing of the
treacherous guides. 49,
When it was first reported that Major
Waller had put natives to death without
trial some placed little credence in the
report and others felt that Major Walters
sufferings, physical and mental, had re-
duced him to a condition of irresponsi-
bility. AS the trial progressed and the
conditions of warfare in Samar were
brought out the popular feeling was that
the natives were f'served right whether
Major Waller was technically justified or
not When he was finally acquitted the
verdict was received with approval.
But General Chaffee seems to think that
Major Waller was entitled to acquittal on
the charge Of murder only because he was
in degree not responsible. He does
not concede. that Major Waller had the
power of inf1icting the death punishment
in retaliation, a power that belong to
commanding officers only. He points out
that Major Waller was in telephone COM
munication with General Smith, the re-
sponsible officer, and should have referred
to him the demand of the soldiers for
vengeance. ..
In other words General Chaffee is of the
Impression that, there was no adequate
cause for the shooting of the guides and
that even if there had been Major Wal
Ter should not have directed it on his own
responsibility. The general considers
the affair one of the most regretable in
the annals Of the American army. and ex-
presses the judgment that Lieutenant Day
should have dared to- disobey the order
he received from Waller to have the ma
tives shot, or st least have delayed their
execution until there should have been an
opportunity to alter the order The lieu
tenant, General Chaffee thinks should
have looked upon the order as tainted .
and should have risked disobedience
But the lieutenant besides having posi-
tive sorders from his superior is also en-
titled to some of the charity that is
thrown around Major Waller. Overcome
like all the soldiers with desire for
bloody and summary retaliation he was in
no mood to disobey agreeab BILE orders. Yet
General Chaffee does well to maintain
that American officers must, above all
personal considerations, guard the honor
and the name of their country. The per-
sonal considerations called for vengeance,
the honor Of the army and the country
called for deliberation and orderly justice.
1nasmuch as General Chaffee has thor
oughly approved Of the concentration poll
icy and is a stern soldier who will, when
necessity demands enforce to the letter
the cruel laws Of war, the country will
have to accept his judgment that those
laws did not justify retaliation by death
in this case, and that retaliation was or
dered by an officer who was without the
authority to do so, since he was in COM
munication with seperior
Farmers of the whole country will watch
with great interest the growth of the CO.
operative wheat handling and -four maxi
ing movement in Kansas. The co-opera-
tive elevators seem to have been too much
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