Evening journal., 1903-02-10
CARMACK ON
ARMY MURDERS
Declares HThat Crimes by
Soldiers Are Too Numer-
Gus to Investigate
n 0 FFORT MADE TO SUPPRESS Il

Washington. Feb lO.--In the sen
ate yesterday MT Carmack spoke on
the Rawlin's resolution, calling on the
secretary OF war for the proceedings
in a certain court-martial "The best
army that ever trod the earth,' Mr.
Carmack declared, could be sent TO
a distant tropical land, but when It
became known that crimes will go un-
punished awful consequences will en-
sue. just these consequences have
existed he said "and the charges
have been met with stoical and cyni
cal Indifference" He asserted that
there was an organized system Of
torture in the Philippines.
1T is a further fact" said Mr.. Car
mack, that. though this was notorious
throughout the whole army. it was con-
tinued for months and years No
effort was made to suppress it. and
no single torturer was ever punished
for the crime Il is a fact that men
of high character and standing, the
representives OF leading Republican
administration newspapers, went in
person TO the commanding general nd
told him that they mad not only seen
a perfect orgy of looting and plunder,
but that they had seen wounded pris-
oners butchered before their very eyes,
and, though he did not deny it. he ig.
nored it, It is further true that this
fact was brought to the attention Of
the secretary of war in a letter over
the signature of Robert NJ. Collins.
the chief agent and representative Of
the Associated Press in the Philip
pines, and it did not suggest the pro.
priety Of an inquiry or any investiga-
ton"
Murders by American soldiers in
the Philippines had become too com
mon. he said, ito bear investigation.
which answer seems entirely satisfac-
tory to our noble and generous and
humane secretary OF war. Courts-mar-
tial in the Philippines had been a
travesty on justice" he said, and he
cited the case of Lieutenant Preston
Brown, whom he charged with murder
ing an unarmed and unresisting native
years had been mitigated by the pres
ident to a nominal fne and a slight
reduction in rank
"To every wicked. vicious and de-
praved ruffian in the army" he said
"the order of General Jacob Smith t0
kill and burn in Samar meant that
there was no law, no restraint and nc
punishment and yet the president
calmly surveys the ruin he has
wrought. and like another great i'm
perialist. he is astonished at his own
moderation" He inquired how il hap
pened that the president who had de
clared his intention to probe crime:
in the Philippines, never heard of the
Captain Brownell case when Father
Augustin was tortured until he died
He declared the Filipinos were star
wing. The same vigilance that ona
bles the president to discover then
"as enjoying the greatest prosperity,
he said, should cause him to see tha
they are starving.
Time. he said. in conclusion. "wil
demonstrate the folly Of this business,
and he hoped It would find some cur'
for the blunder we have made
Mr.. Kean spoke on the statehood
bill for a short time. when he yielded
TO various senators. who INDUCED il
debate over the question of the infu
ence Of the Mormon Church in poll
tics. Mr.. Elkins also spoke at lengtl
in defense Of the claims of New Mex
leo to statehood.