Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-17
Senator Carmack on General
Smiths Retirement.
rs HIGHLY PLEASED
SAYS IT SUSTAINS THE CoNTEN-
TON OF DEMOCRATS.
Advises a Thorough Investigation in
the Whole Management of
the Philippines.


Washington experimenting the production
and distribution of democratic campaign lit
erature. Is highly pleased at the action of
President Roosevelt In summarily retiring
General Smith. Senator Carmack went into
details on the Philippine question as 1t pre-
sents itself in view Of this action. in which
he concludes with recommended ton to the
President not 10 stop with his action re-
gardug General Smith but to at once in
stitute a thorough and searching inyest-
cation of the whole question of the army
In the Philippines.
The Presidents action in the Smith case
is. In my opinion. the direct result of the
fight the democrats have made to expose
and put end to the outrageous violations
OF all the rules of civilized warfare by some
of our officers in the Philippine Islands"
said the senator.
The President has done right in repri-
handing Smith. but he has not done right
in seeking to palliate his brutal and inha-
man order.
1T cannot be said that the violent and in
temperate language in which Smith orally
communicated his order to Waller express
more than he intended. Smith himself In a
letter over him own signature in the Ma
Mia Critic glOried in what he called ms
fire and sword policy in this province. He
intended TO make il a bowling wilderness,
and he glories in the fact that he had
done 50.
Sustains the Democratic Contention
The outcome of this case sustains the
contention OF democratic senator's and re-
flutes the plea made by the supporters of
the administration. Smith was openly de-
Tended and excused and eulogized on the
floor of the Senate Republican senators
commended that the soldiers were so infu-
riated by Filipino outrages that they could
not be restrained from acts OF vengeance
The democrats commended on the other
hand that the outrages committed in This
province were the acts of Smith and thu.
the soldiers and subordinate officers were
the unwilling instruments of his ferocity
The democratic contention is sustained
by the President. 1t is true that a good
deal has been said about the awful cruel
ties of the FtlipinOs Offering an excuse
Tor retaliation. but Smith himself is n Wit
ness against this theory In the signed let
ter to which l have referred he bears wit
ness TO the cordial and friendly relations
between the soldiers and the little brown
brothers, and said 1t seemed almost inlpos-
siDie 10 make his officers and men under
stand that the natives were not little an
gels.
Such was the feeling between natives
and soldiers when Smith appeared on the
scene with a fire and sword policy ready
made Inc massacre of BalIangtga was no
excuse whatever for the desolation of an
eHtire province. That massacre horrible
ana brutal as 1t was, was simply the upris-
ing OF people of a single town against acts
Oh the most brutal oppression
Inc Secretary of War tries to find prec-
euents 10 Justify this bowling wilderness
poicJ ana 10 show that it was necessary
IN order to make effective the subjugation
OF tne country In so far as he succeeds
ne simply shifts the responsibility upon the
Instruments of this policy to the policy IT,
seit according to Secretary Root, slaugh-
Ter and fire and famine and desolation are
necessary part of Philippine policy
IL That BE- true ii Is time for the hororabIa
secretary 10 abandon the self-imposed task
OF offending the army which nobody has
attacked and find some defense for the
eIthois CT this policy that has shed so
Philippines - VIC
doubt very much whether the plea Of
the secretary OF tn Treasury. Mr. Shaw
mat W. are doing all this to get new mar
kets VIII excuse it II the American peopIe
especially after they have figured a little
on the value Of the market
Does Not Relieve the Administration.
DO YOU think the dismissal Of Gen. Smith
relieves the administration" was asked.
II does not" the senator replied en-
phatiCally. "A policy Of subtugation. es-
pecia!!y u a distant people and an inferior
race. VIII always Be attended with crlrelrjes
on both sides, and must Frequently go all
most 10 the limit OF determination to be
Complete There has been a systematic er-
Tort 70 suppress the truth as to these hor-
rors in the Philippines As Gen. Macarthur
himself has shown. CDurt-rnartial proceed
ihsS against the perpetrators of cruelttes
Upon the natives have been a trayesty upon
Justice He protested again and again
against the ridiculous inadeouacv of TIn
lshnents Of the most brutal Of crimes But
Ihe coIrts-rnartlal have continued Just the
same 70 excuse criminals. We have talked
ABOUT the SaVagery OF the FiipinOs vet We
nave employed the fiendish Macabebas and
stu employ them. though Gen Wheaton
admits that they are given 10 robbery rape
and murder. and that the American com
hiahders 81 these savages have sought to
cover UP their crimes
II Is a known fact Of record that an IN
SesiEatl3n Of charge involving the n,I,r-
Ger " prisoners was stopped upon a recon-
nenddii"N q Judge Advocate CroWder
uP,E lt.t express ground. stated by him
mat I the accused was subjected to
couft-ii-:-t4l he would plead the order of
MS superior officer. and the facts developed
"ul-d probably rnpiicate a good many
oiherS- Yet when an officer in the army
mac q report sustaining the truth of Ger
tain charges Of the most brutal and inhu-
man conduct. the Secretary OF War selected
this sar2- Lieut. Col Crowder TO make an
other Investigation and another report.
Letters of Soldiers.
There IS another singular fact about The
investigations conducted by the War De-
partment based on letters from soldiers In
the PHILIPPINES. In numbers of these cases
retracti0ns have been secured from the au-
traction involved a confession OF SANDER
against superior officers in case has
such a soldier been punished. In one case
a lieutenant in the army wrote a letter
over his own signature. in which he claim
&c 10 De an eyewitness 20 the ld-blooded
murder Of a HELPLESS prisoner by his
perioT officer. He subsequently, made a
contrary statement, and yet was suffered
10 hold. and believe stiI holds a commits
Sion in the American army. All these facts
no h..4 -Yt1SyG h..F
the Philippine committee.
These facts ought To suggest to the
President the Importance of making a
thorough investigation. The investigation
before the Philippine committee DELHI
erately strangled by the majority. In spite
OF the solemn promise of the chairman that
II should be allowed to proceed as soon as
the civil government bill was passed They
deliberately refused to issue subpoenas for
important witnesses or to give them an op-
portunity to be heard. They did everything
they could TO suppress the truth. The War
department seems to have acted through
out with like motive.
There IS opportunity for the