Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
COL. WAGNER RESUMES
TELLS MORE OF WHAT He SAW
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
American Officers Were Uniformly
Anonymous Charge Discredited.


general Of the army continued his testi-
mopy before the Senate committee on the
Philippines today. He said several barrios
had been burned in the province of Batan-
gas before General Bell assumed command
there. In one instance village had been
burned in retaliation. In that case an
Americanisto "a native friend of the Amer
icans) was killed in plain view Of people
In several houses. but the inhabitants had
refused to testify against his murderers.
Ihe houses of these people were burned as
punishment for this course of conduct.
Asked by Senator Beveridge for his esti-
mate of the character of Gen. Bell, the
witness replied: Il have known Gen. Bell
intimately for twenty-eight years. and
nave never known a drawer or more hu-
name man. From what I know of him it
would be matter of pain to him to in
Hlct suffering on any one, and / know
personally that he was anxious that there
should be no unnecessary suffering on the
part of the people Of Batangas and La
guna."
He also spoke in this connection of the
soilcltude of Gen. Wheaton on this subject
Humanity of the Officers.
He also said in reply to questions from
Senator Beveridge that the conduct of
American officers in the Philippines had been
uniformly kind and considerable. Prison
ers had received the same consideration
that was awarded to American soldiers
and their sick were taken care of in the
American hospitals. Moreover In every
case coming within his knowledge the peo-
pie of the concentration camps had re-
turned to their homes and to the perform
ance OF their duties as soon as the province
In which they had lived had become paci-
fed. He added that he had been in the
service for about thirty-two years. and
that so far as his observation and reading
had gone the war in the Philippines had
been conducted as humanely as any war
ever waged. He also advanced the idea
that the country had been given a wrong
impression as to the proportion of Fill
pinos who had been killed to those wounded
from the fact that many Of the slightly
wounded of the enemy escaped and their
cases were never reported upon.
The Witness Cross
Senator Culberson conducted the cross
examination and began with series of
questions intended to secure an opinion of
General J. H Smiths conduct at Cakpas
IN 1899. when, according to the generals
report. 200 or 300 natives marching up the
railroad track were fired upon, notwith-
standing they bore flag of truce.
Colonel Wagner said that in this case
there was some doubt as to whether the
troops which fired had observed the flag
Of truce. but if they had done so, their
course was. he said. In his opinion, con-
trary to the laws of war. ITO fire a
flag of truce when seen is unquestionably
violation of the laws of war he said.
Quoting an extract from General Hughes
testimony, saying that the war in the Phil
ippiEes lis not civilized warfare" Senator
CUlberson asked the witness if his obser-
walton was to the same effect. The latter
replied that it was not. He said, however,
that his observation had been confined to
the Island of Luzon.
Colonel Wagner said that he had no in
tn hn 1har of ay,tr
ton camps in the Philippines, but he was
of the opinion that there had been about
100000 persons gathered together in those
camps in the territory under General Bells
command. He said that all the property
left outside the -concentrat ton camps was
had lost heavily. They could, however,
have saved themselves this loss by taking
their property into the camps.
An Anonymous Charge.
Senator Culverson read letter from an
anonymous officer said to be a graduate
from West Point, which had been quoted
in the Senate by Mr. Bacon. in which the
officer described a concentration camp as
"a suburb of hell"
Did you ever see that Campo" the sena-
tor inquired. NO, did not" replied the
witness, nor do l believe that any such
camp ever existed. The statement is in
herently improbable, for if any officer in the
army should become responsible for its
existence he would subject himself to the
severest condemnation from his fellows.
Moreover, / cannot conceive of an officers
becoming aware of the existence of such
place without making official report
upon it, and 1 have heard of no such re-
port. Nor can 1 imagine an officer of the
army making such a statement as that
without insisting upon the use of his name
because of the reflection upon his superior
of