Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-08-11
AN OPEN LETTER
BY PROMINENT CITIZENS TC
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT.
Representative Anti.lmperialists Give President
Roosevelt Some Food for Reflection.
Secretary Roots Report Severely Criticised.
Some Very Grave Charges Alleged.

At meeting of representative antrim
perialsts held in New York City last
spring, committee was appointed to in
veStgate army conditions in the Philip
pines. That committee has since then
been prosecuting its inquiries. President
RooSeveltS recent review of the court
martial of Gen. Jacob H. Smith seemed to
the committee to demand some reply, and
at meeting held at Lake George an open
letter to the president was adopted. The
letter was signed by ChaS Francis Adams,
chairman; Carl Schurz Edwin Burritt
Smith, Moorfirld Storey aud Herbert
Welsh. 1t says:
"We desire to- express the qualification
afforded us by your review of the t4tli
inst, as commander. in-chief, of the find
ings of the court-martial in the case of
Gen. J. H. Smith. Taken in connection
with the previous memorandum of April
18th, that review will, provided it be fol.
lowed by corresponding general action, in
our opinion, do much toward the re-es-
Enlistment of the national prestige and
the restoration of the morals of the army.
ESPECIALLY opportune, in our judgment,
is your very commendable reminder to
officers in high and responsible positions
that, in warfare with national dependents,
such as that recently by us in the east, it
behooveS all such officers to be particular
ly careful in their bearing and their con-
duct so as to keep moral check over any
acts of an improper character by their SUI
coordinate officers
1.-THE level here reached is hearty and is
in healthy contrast with that spirit, far too
prevalent, which seeks excuse. if not juSti-
fcation, for the excess, for the present, in
every instance of inhumanity which can
possibly exhume either from colonial his
tory or from the regretable records of our
Indian warfare.
"While thus, however, expressing our
sense of obligation, we wish most respect
fully to call your attention to certain con-
illusions which we have in the course of
our own inquiries found ourselves COM
PEELED to reach.
"Coming directly to the point, and
speaking historically. our investigations
have led us to conclude that the demorali-
cation of officers and soldiers of our army
in the Philippines, including all branches
of the service and all grades of rank, was
far more general, as we'll as pronounced,
than might be inferred from your review
of the court martial findings in the case of
Gen. Smith. The essential facts charged
in this case, we believe we have reason to
say, were rather notorious than exception
al. Demoralizing influences very prejudi-
cial to any high standard of military NOR
ais, were, under the circumstances, inevita-
Bile. This led to lamentable results, calling
for the firm hand and stern correction
found, and most fortunately applied, in
your orders of April IS and July a.
"Meanwhle we would respectfully sub
nit that the good of the army and the flu
ture of our eastern dependencies demand
that investigation should not stop at this
point, or with results already reached. The
inquiries we, as a committee, have made,
though necessarily imperfect, have yet
been sufficient to satisfy us that Gen.
Smith and Major Waller were not the sole
culpritS, nor should they suffer in the char
acter of ScapegoatS.
I'm your review of July IA you say
that these cases were exceptional. Your
means of information on this point should
unqueStonably be infinitely better than
ours. Meanwhile, it is always to be borne
in mind that one side only of this painful
story has been heard. and that side only
in part. The testimony of representative
Filipiaos has been jealousy and