The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-28

|
! tion in the past In some places locusts
/ have destroyed the crops. Pestilence has
prevailed. resulting in the reported death
| of nearly 900 people. while IL is esti-
mated that the number not reported is fully
/ as large"
On November .. 1902. General Miles sent
the following cablesram TO the Secretary OF
In my Judgment. five regiments. 15cO
men each; infantry and cavalry. should be
sent yearly. Four transports Will trans
/ port them. with all needed supplies. and
take returning regiments. The remaining
| transports should he used 10 bring out
, carabos and cattle 20 replace ~ per cent de-
stroyed- These people are suffering from
must prevail in six months unless prompt
and efficient measures are taken"
He says that In going from Calamba TO
BaiGngas. I'm November last. he noticed
that the people were very much depressed
Stopping at Lipa- he says. a party Of citi-
him and stated that they desired TO make
complaint of harsh treatment OF the people
OF that community. saying they had been
great indlgnities: that fifteen Of their peo-
pie had been tortured by what Is known
as the water torture. and that one man. a
highly respected citizen, aged s. years.
named Vincente Luna while suffering from
the effects OF the torture and unconscious.
was dragged from his house. which had been
set on IRE. and was burned to death They
stated that these atrocities were committed
by a company of scouts under command
people had been crowded into towns. $40
being confined in one building"
DIED OF SUFFOCATIoN.
A doctor CT the party said he was ready
TO testify that some OF the GO died from
sufrocatIon. General Miles says he looked
at the building, which was one-story in
height, eighteen or twenty feet wide and
possibly sixty or seventy feet long He
asked for written statement to be for
wardsd him at Manila, but says he never
received II. and adds:
II nave no reason TO disbelieve their
statements: in fact. the instances OF torture
the man Luna having been tortured and
burned to death. are confirmed by other re-
ports"
Concerning the failure to receive the
Whether any influence was brought &c
bear TO prevent their statement. either by
persuasion or coercion. j am not prepared
10 say at the present time"
General SfIies then refers to other cases.
saying that on the Island OF Cebu II was
reported and published in November. 1902.
that two officers. Captain Samuels. Forty
fourth Infantry, United States Volunteers.
and Lieutenant Feetsr. Nineteenth Infantry.
the people OF that island. Ii IL also re-
ported that at Laoag. on the Island Of Lu-
zon. two natives were whipped to death
AT Tacloban- Leyte. II was reported that
Major Glenn ordered Lieutenant Caul1eld.
Philippine scouts. to take eight prisoners
out into the country and that IL they did
gent Quison he WIS not to bring Their back
It was stated that the men were taken out
and that they either did not or could not
do as directed.
:. One of the men who had son among
the scouts was spared. but the others were
or four respectively. and while tied together
twere all murdered by being shot or bay
onetted TO death. some being IN a kneeling
The pretcnse was made that they were
killed Wills attempting to escape but 500
far as T-Enow no official report was ever
have been reported by Major Watts. who
investigated the case Besides Lieutenant
Cauifelf. Civilian. Scouts Ramos, Preston
Corn and Mckeen-were participants.
&; AT Calhayog. Sanar. II Was reported
that several men in that district had been
subjected TO the water torture saw three
men who had been subjected to this treat
ment-
"one was the presidente of the town. Mr..
RozaleF. who showed me long, deep scars
on his arm which. he said. were caused by
the cords with which he was bound cut
ing into his flesh.
PRIESTS TORTURED.
The second man was named Jose Borja
and the third was Padre Jose Diaznes.
who stated that he WAS one Of three priests
who had been subjected TO torture by the
troops under command Of Lieutenant Gau-
jot. Tenth Cavalry: that his his front teeth
had been knocked out. which was apparent;
that he was otherwise mslreated and
! 1T was stated that these priests were
taken out to be killed and were only saved
FiCst Infantry. who sent out for them.
Lieutenant GsuJot was tried. pleaded guilty
and was given the trivial sentence Of three
months suspension from command. forfeit
ing $50 per month for the same period. His
pleading guilty, prevented all the facts and
circumstances being developed.
TT appears that Major Glenn. Deutenant
Conger and party OF assistants and ma
tive scouts were moved from place TO place
means Of torture. and It became so notorf-
ous that this party was called 'Glenn's
BriEade' Whether it was possible for Of
the personal knowledge Of the General upon
whose stan they were serving at the time.
namely. Brigadie- General Hughes. leave
for others TO conjecture.
These facts came to my notice in a
casual way. and many others Of Eimilar
character have been reported in different
parts OF the archipelago In fact, 1 was
informed that 1t was common talk at the
places where officers conGregated that such
transactions had been carried on either with
the connivance or approval of certain COM
manding officers II Is. however. most grati-
flying to state that such atrocities have
been condemned by such commanders as
Generals Lawton. Wade. Sumner. Lee,
Baldwin and others.
EXCUSED BY OFFICERS.
"I found that with certain officers the
impression prevails that such acts were
justifiable. and felt IT my duty, in order
impression and to prevent the possibility Of
such acts being committed in the future
which must impair the good name of
American arms and bring dLScredit TO our
service for all dme. to address to the di-
vision commander the following letter OF
instructions:
Then follows an order addressed 10 the
Commanding General OF the Philippines. un-
der date of February D. 1905, In which Gen
eral Miles calls attention to the reports
OF atrocities. and directs that any orders or
circulars OF personal instruction which
would inspire or encourage any act OF
cruelty be annulled The order says that
the excuse that the unusual conditions
Justify the measures herein condemned is
without foundation"
Continuing his report to the Secretary,
General Miles directs attention to the acts
of RECOMMENDATION by General Bell. and
claims that they were in direct violation OF
law. He says that the law was also vto-
lated in handling and buying large guam
titles Of rice. which was sold at a profit
The people who were In the reconcentration
camps were. says General Miles. -"consd-
cred prisoners OF war. but were compelled
TO buy food from those who held them at
a large profit"
precedsnted- He speaks of the magnitude
of the transaction, which involved I.0000oo
pounds OF rice ana other supplies at n cost
OF S06.22o. He says that IAN extraordinary
feature of this transactio Is that the action
was disapproyed by a division commander
who assumed command and who turned the
matter over to the civil authorities. and
that II has been carried on under an act of
the Philippine Commission"
A reply TO the foregoing portion OF the re-
General Davis in a letter to the Secretary
OF War In which ne says:
DAVIS REPLIES
ssThe fnrfdants urbgoh 49, -.t SorSk a., tha