New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-05-30
FILIPINOS WE'LL TREATED.
CONCENTRATION CAMPS DESCRIBED BY
COLONEL WAGNER.

Washington. Nay 2s-The Senate Committee on
the Philippines to-day heard the testimony of
colonel A. l.. Wagner, assistant adjutant general
OF the army, who spent two and half years In
the Philippines He questioned about the con-
centratlon camps, and described the system by
planning the details of one particular camp. In
that camp the people were assembled according to
villages, so that the people in all would have
their old neighbors near them. So far he had
been able to observe, there was no evidence of
want among the people there congregated. More
over. they were surprisingly contented. They were
at liberty to go outside the line from 300 500
yards. Beyond that distance was what was called
the dead line" beyond which the people were not
permitted to CO. The natives were informed that
If they crossed this line they would be shot but
in reality the orders not to shoot any help
less persons, airy others if the shooting
avoided
Colonel Wagner said that of the principal
purposes of concentrating the native people in the
philippines was to protect them against the la
drones. which had been admirably accomplished.
so That in many cases what called the dead
line was in reality the life line. Another object
or the camps had been to facilitate the collection
OF the supplies of rice, in order to starve the
ladrones and guerillas. The result had been that
hostlle parties had practically disappeared and
their leader. Malvar, had been captured The army
mad been much like a blind giant 1t was strong
enough to cope with the enemy. but was not able
to see where the danger was. The policy had been
necessary to protect life and property, and he did
not see how any other policy could have been sue
cessful
Replying to Senator Beverage, Colonel Wagner
said the people received food and medical supplies,
and the sanitation of their camps looked after
The American camps IN the Philippines
could be compared to WeylerS recoDcentrado
camps in Cuba than mercy could be compared to
cruelty.
A number Of questions were asked by Senator
Culberson concerning General Bells policy in
garson with that of his predecessor, General
Sumner.
General Sumner" sad Colonel Wagner was
not allowed to take severe measures he
deemed necessary, because he told that he
was severely handicapped by his instructions from
department headquarters" Neither Sumner nor
Bell had been responsible for the policy pursued,
as they were subject to the orders OF department
commanders. ''If Sumner had remained In COM
mand,' he said, "he would have been required TO
carry out the same policy as Bell did" He sup
posed that the orders had originated with General
Chafee, but he did not understand that they were
written. The policy had been justified by the fact
tnat all the people congregated had now returned
provinces of Batangas and Laguna were to be re-
stored to civil rule.
Referring t the policy OF burning villages the
witness said that indiscriminate burning not
countenanced by the rules of war and that the
practice OF burning the property OF non-combatants
was inexcusable. except In cases in which 1t was
impossible to separate it from that of hostiles and
Colonel Wagner said he had no personal knowl
edge of the torture of natives in the Philippines,
but he gave several instances in which he had
heard reports of torture. In most OF them 1t was
found on examination that the reports were untrue
or exaggerated.