Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-27
AS SEEN BY MILES
Describes Conditions in the
Philippines.
ALLEGED ATROCITIES
REPEATS CHARGES WHICH HAVE
BEEN INVESTIGATED.
Statement of the Judge Advocate Gen
eral-Praises Appearance of the
Soldiers in the Islands.


The Secretary of War today made public
! the report made by Lieut.. Gen. Miles in
regard to his inspection of military condi-
| tions in the Philippines, together with the
comments thereon of the officers at the
! head of the different bureaus of the War
Department of matters treated in the re-
port affecting the work of their depart
ments.
Complaints of Harsh Treatment.
The report of Gen. Miles is dated Febru-
ary 10, 1903, and is addressed to the Sec
retary of War. He states that in going
from Calamba to Batangas in November
last he noticed that the country appeared
devastated and that the people were very
much depressed Stopping at IIpa, he says,
party of citizens, headed by the actlng
presidente. met him and stated that they
desired to make complaint OF harsh treat
ment of the people of that community.
They said they had been concentrated IN
towns and had suffered great ind1gnltles;
that fifteen of their people had been tor
tured by what is known as the water tor
ture and that one man, a highly respected
citizen, aged Sixty-hve, named N1ncente
Luna. while suffering from the effects OF
the torture and unconscious, was dragged
fcorl his house, which had been set on fire.
and burned to death" These atrocities
they sid, were committed by. a company of
scolr, under command of Lieut. Hennessy
Cora laint was also made that their people
haA been crowded into towns, SIX hundre0
bang confined in one building. A doctor of
ti,e party said he was ready to testify that
some Of these died from suffocation
Cen Miles says he looked at the building,
vrhink was one story in height, eighteen or
twenty feet wide and possibly sixty or
seventy feet long He asked for a written
state nent to be forwarded him at Manila,
but he says he never received It, and ADDS:
~ have no reason to disbelieve their state
merts, in fact the instances of torture In
the case of the man Luna having been
tcr.ared and burned to death are confirmed
by other reports" Concerning, the failure
to deliver the statement. Gen. Miles says:
Whether any influence was brought to
tea' to prevent their sending the state
meat either by persuasion or coercion,
ar1 l'ot prepared to say at the present
tYlct.t
Reports of Other Atrocities.
t}en. Miles says that ON the Island of
Cenu it was reported and published in No
vember, 1902, "that two officers, Capt.
Sanluels. 44th Infantry, United States Vol
unteers and Lieut.. Feeter, 10Th Infantry,
had committed similar atrocities against
the people of that island 1t is also re-
ported that at Laoag, on the Island of Lu
zon, two natives were whipped to death.
At Tacloban, Leyte, it was reported that
~. III, L
pine scouts. to take eight prisoners out into
the country, and if they did not guide him
to the camp of the insurgent Quison he
was not TO bring them 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 q. son among the
scouts was spared, but the others were sep
ar&ted into two parties, numbering three
or four. respectively. and, while tied to-
gether. We're all murdered by being shot or
bayoneted to death, some being In a kneel-
n nctf ftnf A.
made that they were killed while attempt
ing to escape, but, SO far as 1 know no
oflc1al report was ever made: of the cir
cuinstance: These facts have been reported
Dy MAJ. watts, who investigated the case
Besides Lieut.. Caulfield Civilian Scouts
Ramos. Preston Corn and McKeen were
participants.
Scars Caused by His Bonds.
AT Calbayog, Samar 1t was reported
that several men in that district had been
subjected to- water torture. I saw three
men who had been subjected to this treat
ment. One was the presidente of the town,
Mr. Rozales who showed me long. deep
scars on his arm, which he said were caused
by the cords with which he was bound cut
ting into the flesh. The second man was
named Jose Borja, and the third was Padre
Jose DiaZnes, who stated he was one of
three priests who had been subjected to
torture by the troops under command of
Lieut.. Gaujot, 10th Cavalry; that his front
teeth had been knocked out. which was
apparent; that he was otherwise mall
treated and robbed of $780, 1t was stated
that these priests were taken out to be
killed, and were only saved by the prompt
action OF MAJ. Darlington. 1st Infantry,
VINO sent out TOT them Lieut. Gaujot was
trled, piead guilty, and given the trivial
sentence of three months suspension from
command. forfeiting $50 per month for the
same period. His pleading guilty prevented
all the facts and circumstances being de-
veloDed. W.
1T appears that Major. Glenn, Lieut..
Longer ana a party of assistants and ma
sN 1--WE scouts We're moved from place to place
ior the purpose of extorting statements by
means OF torture and it became so notori-
GUS that this party was called 'Glenn's
brigade Whether it was possible for Of
the personal knowledge ofth general upon
whose staff they were serving at the time.
namely, Brig. Gen. Hughes, ] leave for
others to conjecture.
Condemned by General Officers.
Ihese facts came to my notice in
casual way, and many others of similar
character have been reportad in different
parts of the archipelago. In fact, 1 was
informed that it was common talk at the
places where officers congregated that such
transactions had been carried on either
with the connivance or approval of certain
commanding officers. It is, however, most
gratifying to state that such atrocities
have been condemned by such commanders
as Gems Lawton, Wade, Sumner, Lee,
Baldwin and others
Il found that with certain officers the
impression prevails that such acts were
5ustifiable, and I felt 1t my dlty, IN order
TO correct such erroneous ana dangerous
impression, and to prevent the possibility
Of OFFS such acts being committed IN the future,
which must impair the good name OF
American arms and bring discredit to our
service for all time. to address to the d.
VISION commander the following letter of
Instructions"
Then follows an order addressed to the
COMMANDING general of the Philippines,
Miles calls attention to the reports Of
atrociues, and directs that any orders, cir
culars OF personal .fnstruetion which would
inspire or encourages any act of cruelty. be
annuiled He says that ''the excuse that
the unusual conditions Justify the meas
ures herein condemned is without founda-
ton"
Act Of Reconcentration.
Continuing his report. Gen. Miles directs
attention to the acts of reconcentration by
Gen. Bell, which, he claims were in direct