Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-04-30

our soldiers ana Believes 0toTIes VI
Barbarity Have Been Exaggerated.
New York, April 29.-En~a-yiengthy
interview published by The Herald,
General Joseph Wheeler rt@fed, who
is at the home Of his sister in Brook
lyn, has discussed the Philippines in
the light of recent developments from
his point of view after six months SER
vice there in command of a brigade.
My service was confined, he said,
''to that section of the country extend
ing for about 1873 miles above Manila
and some 80 or 40 miles in breadth.
1t is thickly populated country, it's
cities have schools and the people are
more or less educated The impress
sion | had from these people was that
all they want is an honest, fair, just
government, and found them very ap.
preciative OF kindness.
No Cruelty by Our Soldiers.
1--WE had a great many fights with
the insurgents, but in no instance was
there any cruelty by our soldiers, or
so far as l know, any killing except
according to the rules of war.
81 never heard of any water cure or
any other inhiction of torture upon
the Filipinos."
"Is it true" he was asked, that
Sherman's army on it's march to the
sea, was guilty Of such acts as have
been attributed to our troops in the
Philippines?'
1T is true that Sherman's army did
burn buildings, but never heard of its
ever killing or hurting-7a a -fon-cembats
ant" replied General Wheeler thought
fully.
My associations with the Filipinos,"
he continued, led me to believe that
they are not a malevolent people. 1t
is true, they were not always frank,
and this was due to the fact that the
insurgent chiefs were constantly de-
manding information and money from
them. and they were afraid to neglect
these demands, because, as they told
me. if they did so they would suffer
very severely in their property and
possibly in their lives if our troops
left. and there was constant impres.
sion among them that our troops would
only remain temporarily in that coun.
try.
There were some Instances of cruel.
ty on the part Of the Filipinos, but
they were very few All Alll4 tifif5es'At ttffe' prisoners
who were taken by them and who were
returned to us, whom | talked to
spoke enthusiastically of the kindness
with which they were treated with the
exception of Lieutenant Gilmore. He
complained of harsh treatment and al.
most starvation.
There was one case of cruelty by
General Akin, who, it is was said or.
dered three prisoners to be shot when
he was so pressed that he thought
they would be retaken by us.
Fiipinos Responsive to Kind Methods
My impression was that the Fill.
pinos are responsive 70 kind ma4b.
DDS and appreciate them, and their
general expressions to me were that
they should love to be citizens of tbe
United States if they can be eops,Tss ~ =
the Americans, but they do not want
to be connected with any government
where they will be regarded as infe
riors"
in your opinion" he was asked,
can the United States assimilate the
Filipinos without exterminating them?
With the exception of few locali-
ties peace and quiet and order exist
in the Philippines now, quite up to
the standard Of our own territories
and l am convinced this condition
will be universal throughout these is.
lands in very short time.
Americans VII 90 there because
they find advantages that are offered
by few countries, and in few years
they will be the controlling element in
those islands"