The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-07
HERBERT wELsH,s LETTER.

HEhGGhi WE(Sf - LIZ En-.
The following is the letter written to
President Roosevelt by Herbert Welsh. OF
Philadelphia, regarding the ACCESSIBILITY OF.
| ordering a court-martlal 10 Try Brigadier-
General Frederick Funston as being re-
sponsible for the alleged murder of FL
| ipino prisoners:
| Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President of
the United States. Washington, ID. C:
/ Sir:-As d citizen Of the United States l
/ venture 10 draw your attention 10 an al
/ legged case that occurred early IN the cam
paiga in the Philippines OF a violation
+ OF the rules Of war This case seems TO
! call for executive action I approach you
! on this subject in This open manner be-
! cause efforts TO secure justice made in
! less conspicuous ways have failed. and
! because this matter vitality affects the
/ discipline and good name Of the army and
the honor OF the nation
/ L make this appeal TO you on the basis
! OF the declaration OF your own attitude in
regard To violations Of the rules Of war
as expressed in an official telegram sent
J by the honorable secretary OF war on
I April 10, 1872, To the general commanding
| in the Philippines. This message was
issued on the day following that on which
/ a witness sergeant Riley. Of North
ampton) had testified before the senate
J committee to the fact that torture had
been used in his presence by certain regu-
| lar officers Of the United States army
/ for the purpose of extracting from a
| prisoner information OF military ma
! ture. Referring to this fact, Secretary
/ Root telegraphed General Cha1ee as fol-
| lows:
THE president desires to know in the
fullest and most circumstantial manner
| all the facts. nothing being concealed
| and no man for any reason favored or
| shielded. For the very reason that the
| president intends TO back up the army
| in the heartiest fashion in every lawful
and legitimate method OF doing its work,
| he also intends to see that the most rigOr-
! Gus care is exercised TO detect and pre-
| vent any cruelty, and that men who are
guilty thereof are punished. Great as
the provocation has been IN DEALING
WITH FOES WHO HABITUALLY re-
J sort TO TREACHERY, MURDER. AND
TORTURE AGAINST our men nothing
can justify the use of TORTURE OR IN
| HUMAN CONDUCT of any kind on the
part of the American army" Capitals
| mine.)
| This statement. ii viii he seen at a
! glance, was most specific and satisfac-
| tory as indicating your attitude as COM
mander-in chief of the army in regard
| 70 the violations of the rules of war in
| volving torture murder or similar atrOci-
| ties. The dispatch cantained. however.
an implication, to which attention should
now be drawn. that the violations of the
rules Of war that had occurred under
our flag were the result of a national re-
venge-that they were done in retaliation
for murders, tortures, and the like in
/ ficted on our men by the enemy.
The case TO which now draw attention
! is of especial Importance because If the
| allegation of facts contained in il is true
We were the first TO be guilty Of such vio-
lation of the rules OF war not the Fill
| pinOs. The charge in question is preferred
against Brigadier-General Frederick
| ston. 1t accuses him of having bers~
| the battle of Caloocan, conveyed verbal
| instructions to officers of the Twentieth
| Kansas TO take no prisoners in that
battle" IL accuses Major Metcalf and
Captain Bishop. officers in that regiment.
of having shot with their own hands Ger
tain Filipino prisoners while the latter
were on their knees begging for mercy.
If the allegations referred TO are true
General Funston is liable to the punish
| ment of death for this oTense. under ar
ticle Il of general order number 100. Fur
Their. if the allegations are true it is evil
| dent that the Filipinos might justly plead
that their offenses against US in viola
tons Of the rules of war were mere retail
iation, while we are estopped from use
of that plea since no charges are made
mitted by them prior TO the battle Of Cal
| ocean, when, if the allegations are true,
We murdered Filipino prisoners. The
truth then would appear to be exactly
the reverse of what the honorable secre-
tary Of war declares and supposes il to
be.
The Filiuinos gain a pailiation Of and
for whatever atrocities they may have
committed while we correspondingly lose
it. but the most vital fact established, If
the charges are sustained. is that an
officer who is now a brigadier-general Of
the United States army. not only grossly
violated the rules of war by issuing or
ders which resulted in the brutal murder
Of prisoners. but that he did this at a
critical moment-at the beginning Of
war which since then we know was stain
ed by atrocities 50 remarkable in their
frequency, and so abhorrent 20 the spirit
of modern times in their nature, that they
are unparalleled in these days and among
civilized people. For this result the ac-
cused would be held largely responsible.
since his alleged act would naturally
prove the incentive TO young men Of am
bilious disposition. or vicious tendencies,
Of whom some will be found in all armies.
TO conclude that the road 10 promotion
and honor was in the commission OF muir
ders and the infiiCtion of tortures. Col
FuustOn's advancement TO brigadier-
generalship plainly taught this lesson.
In a speech delivered you you sir. on
the 2Sth of August, 1902 at Weirs. Y
H, you are reported to have said: The
temptation TO retallate for the fearful
cruelties Of a savage foe has been very
great and now and then il has been
yielded TO. There have been a few and
only a few such Instances in the Philip
pines. and punishment has been rneted
out with unflinching justice 70 the Of
tenders But the case here mentioned
is evidently an exception 70 the general
rule which you assert has been followed
No justice has been meted out 70 these
alleged offenders. nor was any adequate
inquiry ever made into the charges
against them. General Otis declined to
permit a Court-maTtial 81 soldier-1ne
Brenner-who through the agency 81 a
private letter addressed to his parents in
Kansas. first made the story known 10
the general public. u is important 20
note that this proposed c0urt-rnartial
was aimed not TO punish those charged
with numbering prisoners but AZ tire IN
nocfut revealer Of what the evidence On
my possession leads me 70 believe was an
atrCCi0us crime committed nv his superior
officer. This unjust hlow doubtless would
have been struck at the soldier boy Bren-
neT. had IL not been for the fear that
II would recoH or his sIperiors. These
were Colonel Funston. Colonel MetcaIf
and Captain Bishop.
These are General OTIS reasons for de-
nyinR cOuTt-uartlal: After mature de-
liberation ] doubt the wisdom 81 q court
martial IL this case. as & would give the
insurgent authorities knowledge % what
was taking place. and they would ASSERT
positively that our troops had practicea
inhur1anitics. AND IT - Not
A 81