Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-28
AMERICANS BRUTAL.
Anti-imperialists Tell of De-
 mora1ization Tn Army.
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT.
Grave Charges Formulated Against Our Troops In the Philippines on Alleged Reliable Testimony.
 Roosevelt Urged to Act.


 Roosevelt Urged to Act.
 LAKE GEORGE, N. Y., July 2S.-
 At meeting of representative anti-im
 perialists held in New York city last
 spring a committee was appointed te
 investigate army conditions in the
 Philippines. That committee has since
 then been prosecuting it's inquiries
 President Roosevelt's recent review of the court martial of General Jacob H.
 Smith seemed to the committee to de mand some reply, and at a meeting Just held at Lake George an open letter to the president was adopted. The let ter was signed by Charles Francis Ad- ans, chairman; Carl Schurz, Edwin Burritt Smith, Moorfield Storey and Herbert Welsh. It says:
 We desire to express the gratifica- ton afforded us by your review of the 14th inst. as commander in chief of the findings of the court martial in the case of General J. H. Smith. Tax en in connection with the previous memorandum of April 15, that review will, provided 1t be followed by corre- spending general action, in our opin- ion, do much toward the re-establish- ment of the national prestige and the restoration of the morale of the army. Especially opportune, in our judgment, is your very comIsendable reminder to officers in high and responsible posi- tions that in a warfare with national dependents, such as that recently waged in the east, it behooves all such officers to be peculiarly careful in their bearing and conduct so as to keep moral check over any acts of an i'm proper character by their subordi- nates.'
 While thus, however, expressing our sense of obligation, we wish most respectfully to call7 your attention to certain conclusions which we have in the course of our own inquiries found ourselves compelled to reach. Coming directly to the point and speaking his- torically, our Investigations have led us to conclude that the demoralization of the 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 well as pronounced than might be inferred from your review of the court martial findings in the case of General Smith.
 Meanwhile we would respectfully submit that the good of the army and the future of our eastern dependencies demand that investigation should not stop at this point or with results all ready reached"
 The letter then discusses the t'kil1 and burn" order and says, ''As the not result of military operations so inspired an official report indicates that out of a total population in a sim gle district of 3O0,OO0 not less than 100000 perished.'fI 9s D
 The letter then aHudes to the. water cure, saying that theo first reports of { its practice met win denials, while evidences before the senate Philippine proved conclusively that this and other forms of torture had been used, and adds: ''Finally every se- yerity known to the state of war, prac- tices which have excited the special of the American people when reported as features of the hos hhties in Cuba under the Spanish re- gime or in South Africa during the Boer WAR; have been of undisputed and frequent occurrence in the Philip pines. From the early beginning of operations there it has been the gen. eral practice, if not actually the or Ter, to kin those wounded in conflict"
 The letter then quotes a communi- .ation to the senate by Secretary Root ,n Feb. IA in which Mir. Root said, The war in the Philippines has been sonducted by the American army with 'crupulous regard for the rules of civ- fixed warfare, with careful and gen. line consideration for the prisoner and he noncombatant, with self restraint md With humanity never surpassed, if .ver equaled, in any conflict, worthy ,nly of praise and ref1ecting credit lpon the American people, s'These vords," continues the letter, "of sweep ng commendation and unqualified in- lorsement were written by the honor LbIe secretary when all the essential acts since brought to light were with D his official cognizance. The draft | ID our credulity thus presented is arge, but we accept your assurance. Meanwhile permit us to point out that ueh very sweeping and somewhat un- alled for commendation and approval, | Co Ixrs 1Axn AA-