The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
NO CRUELTY ABOUT IT, SAYS
Ex-SURGEON SIMPSON.
Not C~ountenanccd Nor Permitted ~
American General Onicers- Not OFTEN
Administered. Either what IL Con-
sists Of-Praise for the scouts.

sSts W- Praise Iof "o Sooo's'
The water cure az conducted by the
! Macabebe scouts In the Philippines was a
/ piece Of artistic work, absolutely harm
less and invariably effective In securing
information. The third degree worked
in American police stations IL fer more
disastrous to the victim than this process,
which had long been In use in the islands
and was taught TO the Mscsbebes by the
| Spaniards while they were In their service.
The seekers Of information, be they
| policemen or soldiers, and more especially
the latter must often use some form Of
coercion OF intimidation to force the nowl-
| edge o ght from an unwilling informant,
where persuasion only induces false state
ments, retarding rather than aiding the
| solution Of the difficulty.
The general officers under whom the
Macabebes served-Gens. Lawton, Young,
Macarthur, Schwan, Grant, Bell, Wheaton
\ and Funston-neyer o~ountensnced or adj
vised any form OF coercion During the
second wear orders were issued from De-
partment Hea dauarters strictly ~forbiddlng
snything Of this nature. and from that time
on II ceased, much to the detriment OF our
work.
These orders were induced by the great
cry that came from the States thst American
troops were maltrenting the innocent
native. II Is the old story Of o the poor
Indian.' ~reapplied.
The two immediate commanders OF the
scouts, Ma ior Batson and Col. Wilder,
wore always most careful and punished
their men for the least infringement OF
special orders issued In regard 10 the treat
ment OF the natives; and the natives were
taught that II was perfectly safe for them
TO present their grievances 10 the COM
handing officer and that these grievances
would be fully investigated and any Offend
ers punished
Our scouts we're In a peculiar position.
There was a strong racial hatred between
the Tagalo and the Macabebe, and the
Tia gallo was tho lnsurrecto in a ma jority OF
cases, tho minority consisting of the po-
litical mestizo and the ~tulisans. or brigands
outcast from the smaller tribes.
The American soldier looked upon the
Macabebe with distrust, expecting at any
time TO see treachery. Many Of the white
recruits that ca me out to the American
army In 1890, I am very sorry to say. were
OF a low. vicious type, n these men had
10 be under constant surveillance to pre-
vent looting and worse misdemeanors
Invariably when complaint was made
they put the onus upon the Maoabebe.
Frequently we had strong suspicion that
the insurrecto adopted the artful dodge Of
committing depredations disguised as Maca-
bebes, and. on ono occasion at least, we
secured positive evidence of this. The
officers felt that the scouts In their charge
were intrigued against by the insurrecto,
blamed by the native. and often had to
bear the name OF malefactor for deeds
hone by American soldiers. and they were
constantly on the alert 10 prevent all this.
As surgeon Of the command ! was called
upon TO examine every case OF alleged
injury and not in one Instance did ! find
anything 70 blame a Macahebe for. On
Feb. 81, 1890. / examined the Presidente Of
San Antonio, Zambales, who complained
OF maltreatment by the scouts. and found
a hale, hearty man. without an abrasion
Of the skin; his dignity may have been
marred a trihe.
On March 7, at Bagac, I was instructed
70 examine u native supposed to have been
injured. l was called in the night and
knew nothing Of the case at the time, be-
yond the fact that l was told he was the
relative of a prominent native lawyer.
] found an emaciated, sickly-looking
individual apparently gasping in the last
throes OF a fatal malady. A careful exami-
nation SHOWED no injury and gave me the
suspicion that It was a case of ~malingering
and / so reported.
l then learned that the man had been
arrested for giving information to Mescardo
and a counter charge was made that the
scouts had beaten him nearly to death.
This case. magnined, wa reported in Manila
and | have reason 10 think | recognized it
in one of the cases l have seen quoted in
the States.
On Nov. 0, 1900, / was en- route alone
from San Miguel de Mayuma 70 Caloocan
and made my way from post 10 post into
Quingua and there sought headquarters
for accommodation for the night. | was
received by a Junior Lieutenant. A few
moments later there entered the town,
from the opposite direction. a scouting
party Of some thirty Macabebes in charge
Of a native Sergeant.
l learned afterward that they were on
orders to join Gen. Grant and meet another
detachment in command Of a white officer.
They came 10 a halt and saluted the head
quarters flag while the Sergeant came for
wand, reported, and asked quarters for the
night, r,.r,o,,,, who rso.ivod them oo me-
into the building 10 speak 10 me. just
then the commanding officer OF the post,
whom | had not yet met, came from the
other side Of the building in great per-
turbation, denoUncing the entire Macabebe
outfit in general and lis officers in particu-
lar for permitting such an outrage as 10
allow these armed scourdrels 10 wander |
about the country without restraining |
authority, and declaring lie would put them
into the guardhouse, ana turn out a COM
Inand Of American troops 10 watch them
aud escort them from tho place on the
following morning. He asserted that they \
would rob, murder aud do all kinds OF
outrage il he did not take precautions.
The Lieutenant quietly called his atten-
ton 10 the presence OF the surgeon or
the AIacabebs scouts, ana The comman-
dor turned 10 me and IN a somewhat mod
fled manner repeated his fear of trouble. |
i suggested that II was a fine opportunity
10 make a test case, and | said that | would
assume all the responsibility / could as
sumo. IL he would quarter the scouts In a
building remote from the soldiers and
leave them free 10 go and come as they
pleased. - Il
He consented 60 do this and quartered
them In an old building on the side OF the
town moi occurred by Americans, but took
nreoautions quietly to watch them. In
the early morning ! family heard the SER
roayt's roll call and at breakfast the COM
mandant apolcgi2od TO me and stated
that the scouts never leit mo building