Abilene weekly reflector., 1902-02-27
CHARCESOF CRUELTY
Reports That yilipinss Are Tor
tursd BY American Denied.
INVESTIGATING The WATER CURE"
4 Letter from 0es. Faastes Declaring .
Statement sn "Atroeious Lis"- F'lipisos
Cosdaeting the War with BAR
bsfOus Cruelty.


bar0us Cruelty.
Washington, Feb. 20.-Responding
to an inquiry from Senator Lodge,
the secretary Of war yesterday sent
to him large number Of papers bear
ing upon the charge that cruelty is
practiced by the American troops on
the natives Of the Philippines. Sem
ator Lodge presented the documents
in the senate.
Among the documents forwarded
are the records Of 13 Investigations
into such charges, and the secretary
says that "svery report or charge Of
this description which has at any time
been brought to the notice of the war
department has been made the sub
ject OF prompt investigation" He
adds that in substantially every case
inquired into the report has proved
to be either unfounded or grossly
exaggerated. lie also says the de-
partment is now engaged in conduct
ing an investigation into the charge
made in the senate last week that
the "water cure 10 the favorite tor
ture of the Americans and especially
of the Macabebe scouts to force the
natives to give information, and that
soldier who was with Gen. Funston
had stated that he had helped to 3D.
minister the "water cure" to 100 ma
tives, all but 26 of whom died. He
encloses copy of letter received
from Gen. Funston dated February 2,
1902, in which he declares the state
ment to be an "atrocious lie, with
out the slightest foundation Of fact"
and also letter from Lieut.. Batson,
the commander of the >Macabebe
scouts, to the same effect.
Copies of the army regulations pro-
hibiting cruelty also are forwarded,
as are the memoranda in "A cases of
officers, soldiers and camp followers
who have been tried, and 80 Of them
convicted for violation Of these or
ders.
Presenting the other side Of the
picture, Secretary Root says:
"The war on the part of the Fill
pinos has been conducted with the
barbarous cruelty common among
uncivilized races and with general dis
regard to the rules Of civilized war
fare. They deliberately adopted the
policy Of killing all natives, how
ever peaceful, who were friendly to
our government, and in literally thou
sands of instances these poor crea-
lures, dependent upon our soldiers for
protection, have been assassinated
The Filipino troops have frequently
fired upon our men from under pro-
lection of flags of truce, tortured to
death American prisoners who have
fallen into their hands, buried alive
both Americans and friendly natives
and horribly mutilated the bodies of
the American dead. That the SOL
diers fighting against such an enc
my, and with their own eyes wit
Messing such deeds, should OCCASION
ally be regardless of their own orders
and retaliate by unjustifiable Sc
,erities is not incredible. Such
things happen in every war, even be-
tween two civilized nations, and they
always will happen while war lasts.
That such occurrences have been
sanctioned or permitted is not true.
A constant and effective pressure of
prohibition, precept and discipline
has been maintained against them.
That there has been any such practice
is not true. The cases have been few
and far between, scattered infre-
quently over great area of country
along the course of three years of
active conflict, through thousands of
engagements and among many thou
sands of troops. That these occa-
siona cases have characterized our
army or its conduct is not true, any
more than the deeds of lawless vio-
lence which constantly occur in every
large city characterize the people of
the city. The war in the Philippines
has been conducted by the American
army with scrupulous regard for the
rules of civilized warfare, with care
full and genuine consideration for the
prisoner and the non-combatant, with
self-restraint and with humanity,
never surpassed, II ever equaled. in
any conflict, worthy only of praise,
and rejecting credit upon the Ameri-
can DeODle."