Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-07-28

,.. George. n. Y, July 27-At a
.,."tlnr Of representative anti-lmper-
,n,.,s held in New York City last
EN- a committee was appointed to
sno.tiqate army conditions in the
=, I,n,opincs. That committee has since
.,a, been prosecuting It's Inquiries
49, ,,",.,,ont Rooseyets recent review OF
Ono court-martial Of Gen, Jacob H.
e's,,, seemed to the committee to de-
.nd some reply, and at meeting
.n,t held at Lake George an open let
~ % the president was adopted, The
' w. was signed by Charles Francis
sSams. chairman; Carl SEIZURE, Edwin
na,r,t smith, Moorefeld Storey and
psrbert Welsh. 1t says:
THE LETTER.
ovo aeslre to express qualification
no.SsA Ms by your review Of the
s. V Inst as commander-in chief, OF
! ~ sndIngs Of the court-martial in the
lne n Gen. j. II. Smith, Taken In
easv soctlon with the previous memo
co lI,r of April 10 that review will,pro-
Iss .'s /, be followed by corresponding
l VIZ. action, In our opinion, do much
go the re establishment OF the ma
.1,rsi nrestlge and the restoration OF
". .,vA morals of the army. Especially OPP
.n,,une In our Judgment, Is your very
ppor,mendable reminder to officers IN
s,sb and responsible positions that IN
worfare with the national depend
snts. such as that recently by us IN the
sat n behooves all such officers to be
,srtieularly careful In their bearing
mi their conduct so as to keep a moral
eSscE over any acts OF an improper
cSsraoter by their subordinate officers;
@The level here reached Is high ana
4. in healthy contrast with that spirit,
~r too prevalent, which seeks excuse
- moi Justification, for the excess for
~ nresent In every instance OF itNu-
~snity which can possibly be eXhumed
.I,hsr from colonial history or IRON
ths regrettable records Of our 1ndian
warfare, .,.,. o,,,,
while thus, however expressing our
ss,se Of obligation, we wish most re-
snsctfully 10 call your attention to GER
,sIn conclusions which we have In the
course Of our own inquiries found our
selves compelled 10 reach
Coming directly TO the point anu
usahng historically our Investigations
h,ye led US TO conclude that the DEM
salvation OF officers and soldiers OF
Sur army IN the Philippines, including
m branches OF the service and az
r,des OF rank, was far more general,
q well as pronounced, than might be
Inferred from your review of the court
martial findings in the case of Gen.
smith The essential facts charged IN
NM case. we believe We have reason
10 say. we're rather notorious than eX-
eeplonal Demorallzng influences.
y,ry preludcial to any high standard
dmIIitary morals, We're, under the CIR
eUmaances, unavoidable. This led 10
hnentable results, calling for the firm
and stern correction found, ana most
fortunately applied In your orders OF
April II and July IA. -.
Meanwhile we would respectfully
submit that the good of the army ana
the future OF our eastern dependeh-
eies that investigation should not stop
al this point or with results already
reached The inquiries we, as a COM
mttee. have made, necessarily lmper-
feet. have yet been sufficient to satisfy
Us that Gen. Smith and Maj. wafer
we're not sole culprits, nor should they
suffice in the character OF scapegoats'
In your review Of July II you say
that these cases were exceptional Your
means Of information on this point
should unquestionably be infinitely bet
zen than ours. Meanwhile, II Is always
70 be borne in mind that one side only
Of this painful story has been hearu'
and that side only In part. The tesu-
n0ny Of representative Filipinos mas
zealously and systematically been sup
pressed. Judicial and impartial exam
nation on the spot has been denied or
Pronounced impracticabe. In the
PRESENT case occasionally and by accl-
dent merely. have fragments of infor-
nation come to general knowledge
broken gllmpses only have been per-
nltted to reach the country, TO our
minds they indicate Enthusiastically a
coalition Of great and general demon
slzauon. OF this, the findings OF the
court-martlal referred to- afford con-
elusive evidence, as also do the pup
hhed orders OF commanding officers
md the representatives Of provincial
governors"
GEN. SMITHS FAMUoS ORDER.
The letter then discusses the XIII
hnd burn order, and says,
AS the not unnatural result of min.
iary operations so inspired and official
seport indicates that, out OF a total
population In a single district of SOO,OVO'
aot less han 100000 perished.
The letter then ailudes to the water
cure saying that the first reports OF
iS practice met with denials, while
evidence before the senate Philippine
committee proved conclusively that TINS
ana other forms Of torture had been
used, and adds
. USE OF TORTURE.
Where inquiry revealed the system
aIlc use Of torture by subordinates, the
olneer In responsible command Is pro-
louhced tee from blame on the ground
mat his praiseworthy absorption In