New-York tribune., 1902-06-13
THE PHILIPPINE INQUIRY.
SOLDIERS SAY NATIVES WE'RE IREAIhD
KINDLY. EXCEPT IN ISOLATED
INSTANCES.

WASHINGTON June I2-Mark II. Evans. or DeS
Moines Iowa. formerly a sergeant OF Company
F SD Volunteer Infantry testified before the SEN
ate Committee the Philippines to-day concerning
the administration of the water cure to Fil1plnos
on four different occasions during his service IN
the islands He also related the particulars of
the burning of several native villages He was
questioned by Senators Patterson Beverage ana
McComas. All these occurrences. the witness sald'
were in 1900. in the province of Batan, island Oh
Luzon. and in or near the town of Orano, where
his headquarters Three of the cases OF
water cure occurred outside the town. In one
case the cure administered by native scouts
and in the others by an American soldier. Inc
first case occurred at little town where there
were supposed to be some insurgents The scouts
picked out the suspected people, and taking one
OF them to a nearby creek. poured a quantity OF
water into his mouth from a canteen- The pur-
pose in this, in other cases. was TO secure a
confession.
On another occasion, in an expedition to neigh
boring islands the witness said that he had seen
an American soldier take two suspected natives
into the water and duck them, holding them un-
der for perhaps half a minute time. He Sc
cured a confession a to the hiding of guns in one
case. but in the other After the first case
of ducking, the victim seemed. the witness said.
to have been disabled. being apparently so weak
that he was unable to rise. In another instance
of the administration of the water cure in Orano
a tooth of the victim knocked out. but SO
far as he knew other injury was inflicted.
Mr.. Evans said he had been present at the
burning OF four or five native villages and that
the destruction OF those places had been due TO
the presence of insurgents. The orders were to
destroy all the native huts along the coast near
the mountains for thirty miles in Batan Province.
10 force the natives to come IN. and this, ne
said. done.
witness said the orders to the troops were to
treat the natives humanely and. with the excep-
tions noted. their treatment had been in accord
with in Srr
on the other hand shown any appreciation of this
consideration. They refused TO give Information
in their possession. and in many cases they sub
jected the American troops to indignities. In one
case, he said whore two soldiers were killed their
ears were cut off
private in Company L. 18th United States In
fantry. the witness at the afternoon session.
He served two years in the island OF Panay- liy
Norton said that. except in isolated cases, the
treatment of the natives by United States soldiers
was humane and all that could be expected or
desired
In the Isolated cases referred to. he said. the
treatment was not consistent with humanity and
the laws of He then related from hearsay
the story or the administration of the water cure
the vice -presidente of San Miguel and ma
he had assisted in giving the cure 10 a native.
The mans mouth. he said. was forced open with
a stick and the water poured down HIS throa t
The effect Of the treatment temporary stran-
gnlation. In this the native. after receiving
the cure. gave UP a number Of rifles and pistols
1t the practice in marching through VII
natives. Immediately TO burn their houses"
He said the Filipinos regarded the kindness of
the troops toward them as weakness. and be
came bold in consequence; also that the general
understanding In the army was that the policy Of
manity He took issue with Senator Culberson
the subject of burning villages. and declared
1t to be military necessity.
The committee adjourned subject to the call OF
the chairman.