The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-18
lNHUMANJTY AND CRUELTY WILL
NOT BE TOLERATED.
KILL and BURN ORDERS
And Officers Who Used the Water
Cure Will Be Investigated
by courtmartiaI.

Washington, April 15.-As a result
Of the consideration by the cabinet to
day Of the charges of cruel treatment
Of Filipinos by United States soldiers,
Secretary Root has made public the
following correspondence:
"War Department, Washington,
April 15.-My Dear Senator: I beg
to acknowledge the receipt of your
copy of the testimony of Sergeant
Riley and Private Leads Smith, late
of the Twenty-sixth infantry, taken
before your committee yesterday.
Il enclose a copy of the dispatch
which has been sent today to Major
General Chaffee. commanding the di-
vision of the Philippines. Directions
have been given to the judge advocate
general of the army to take steps in
accordance with the dispatch.
"The war department will be glad
to receive the earliest practicable in
formation of any further evidence
which may be ELECTED by the COM
mittee tending to fix the responsible
ity on any n in the military service
of the United States for any violation
of the laws of wal or of the regula-
lions or orders governing the opera
lions Of the army of the United States
in the field. Very respectfully.
"ELIHU ROOT, Secretary of War.
Honorable H. c. Lodge, United States
Senator Washington, D. G.
washington, D. G. April Is, 1902"
The cable sent to General Chaffee,
after reciting various instructions sent
him by the department during the last
two months continues:
"Press dispatches state that upon
the trial Of Major Waller, of the Ma
rine corps, testimony was given by
Waller, corroborated by other wit
nesses that General Jacob H. Smith
Instructed him to kill and burn; that
the more he killed and burned the
better pleased General Smith would
be; that it was no time to take pris-
oners and that when Major Waller
asked General Smith to define the age
limit for killing, he replied, Every
thing over ten
IF such testimony was given and
the facts a be established, you will
place General Smith on trial by court
martial.
Yesterday before the senate COM
mittee on Philippine affairs, Sergeant
Charles Riley and Private William
Smith of the Twenty-sixth Volunteer
infantry, testified that the form of
torture known as the "watercure" was
administered to the president of the
town of Igabariz, Iloilo province, is
land of Panay, by ~detachments of the
Eighteenth infantry, under command
of Lieutenant Arthur l.. Conger, under
orders of Major Edwin F.. Glenn, then
captain of the Twenty-ffth infantry,
and that Captain and Assistant Sur
geon Palmer Lyon, at that time a
contract surgeon, was present to as
sist them.
''The officers named, or such of them
as are found to be responsible for the
act, will be tried therefor by court
martial.
s'The two years allowed for the
prosecution by the statute of limita-
ton is nearly at an end and no time is
to be lost.
"The president desires to know in
the fullest and most circumstantial
manne all the facts, nothing being
concealed and no man being for any
reason favored or shielded.
For the very reason that the pres
ident intends to back up the army in
the heartiest fashion in every lawful
n legitimate method of doing it's
work, he also intends to see that the
most rigorous care is exercised to de-
tect and prevent any cruelty or brutal
ity, and that men who are guilty there
of are punished. z
Great as the ~provocation has been
in dealing with foes who habitually
resort to treachery, murder and tor.
ture against our men, nothing can
justify or will be held to justify the
use of torture or inhuman conduct
Of any kind OF the part of the Ameri
can army"
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