Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-28
LETTER 70 ROOSEVELT
Anti-lmperialists Find Much to
Commend in the Presidents
Course.
His Attention Called to Specific
Acts and an Investigation
Asked.
Rooseyelt's Review of the Smith
Case Commended-List OF
the Charges.

Lake George, n. Y, July 2s.-At {
melting of representative anti-ilnperial.
/ lists held in New York city last spring {
committee WAS appointed TO investigate
army conditions in the Philippines
That committee has since then beer
prosecuting its inquiries. president
Roosevelts recent review of the court
martial of Gen. Jacob III. Smith seemed
TO the committee TO demand some reply
and at a meeting just held at Lake
George the following open letter to the
/ president was adopted:
Lake George. y. ". July 30, 1909
! To the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, Presi-
dent OF the United States Sir: on the
| 10th of April last the secretary of war
under Your personal order, issued a
memorandum" of instructions sent to
! Gen. Chaffee, relating to outrages and
acts of torture alleged to have been
perpetrated in the Philippines Short
| ly after 4 meeting of persons interested
therein was held in New York. AT this
meeting we We're appointed a commits
tee TO take all necessary steps to effect
the full disclosure of all facts connect-
ed with processes and executions i'll the
course of military operations in the
Philippine islands," The duty thus inn
posed has since engaged our attention,
and. in the performance thereof, we
have investigated many cases of al
legged outrage, besides otherwise seek
ing TO inform ourselves in relation
thereto
In this connection we now desire to
express the qualification afforded us by
your review on the Nth inst, as COM
mander- n-chief, of the finding of the
court martial in the case of Gen. Jacob
III. Smith. Taken in connection with
the previous memorandum of April ID,
that review will, in our opinion. do
much toward the re-esta blishment of
the national prestige and the restora-
ton of the morale of the army. At this
time, therefore. it is of more than ma
tional. it is distinctly of international
service, for, brought into new relations
With remote, and, possibly. less devel-
oped races. II is manfestly above all
desirable that the United States should
aim to elevate others to a higher stand
ard, rather than itself sink to a lower.
Especially opportune, in our judg-
ment, is your very commendable re-
minier to officers in high and respon
sble positions, that. in 4 warfare With
national dependents such as that re-
Gently waged by us in the east, it be-
hooves all such officers to be peculiar
ly careful in their bearing and con-
duct, so as to keep proper moral
check over any. acts of an improper
character by their suoordinates. The
level here reached is lofty, and in
healthy contrast with that spirit, far
too prevalent. which seeks excuse, If
not justification. for the excuses of
the present, in every instance of inhu-
manity which can possibly be ex
humed either from colonial history,
happily forgotten, or from
the regrettable records of Indian war
fare.
While thus, however expressing our
sense of obligation, we wish most re-
TO call your attention to GER
tain conclusions which we have in
the course of our own inquiries found
ourselves compelled to reach These
be somewhat at variance by those /
reached by you: none the less, in stat
ing them our desire is to contribute.
If in our power to dc so, to the ends
set forth in the memorandum to Cen
aral Chaffee Of April l5.
Coming directly to the point, and
speaking historically, our investigat-
ons have led us to conclude that the |
of the officers and sol /
Tiers in the Philippines, including all I
branches Of the service and all grades
IF rank. was far more general, as we'll I
is pronounced, than might be inferred |
rom your review of the courier martial
findings in the case of General Smith. |
rhe essential facts charged in this
,ase, we believe we have reason to
say We're rather notorious than ex-
.eptional DemoraliZing influences,
.ery preiudical to any high stand
ng of military morale. were under
he circumstances, inevitable. This led
o lamentable results, calling for the
irm hand and stern correction found,
md most fortunately applied, in your
orders of April Il and June IA. For
hat application, while the country is
lnder great obligation to you, the army
$, in our estimate, under obligation
till greater.
In the Chaffee memorandum of April
. Is this language: The fact thar any
UGH acts of cruelty and barbarity APP
YEAR To have been done, indicates the
,ecessity of Il most thorough, searching
nd exhaustive investigation and you
,ill spare no effort to uncover every
ase which may have occurred and
ring the offenders to Justice" These
words. and the inquiries and court mar
ial instituted in obedience thereto. I'M
uestionably had a most clarifying eff
ect. Their influence was Immediate,
,reat and beneticent. Meanwhile. we
would respectfully submit that the good
+ the army, and the future of our east
IN dependencies, demand that investi-
alton should not stop at this point, or
With results already reached. The in
uiries we, as a committee. have made.
ecessarily imperfect, have not been
efficient TO satisfy us that General
smith and Major Waller We're not the
ole culprits, nor should they suffice in
he character of scapegoats.
In your review of July IA you say /
hat these cases are exceptional Your
leans of information on this point /
hould unquestionably be better than I
urs. for you have access tothe files of
he war department.: we have not t
leanwhie, it is always to be borne in /
mind that Que side only of this painful I
tory has been heard, and that side only i
1 part. The testimony of representa-
i've Flipinos has been jealousy and {
Systematically suppressed. Judicial and
iaJ ~ /;