The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-28

'Gienn's Brigade Whether it was pos sibie for officers to be engaged in such acts without the personal knowledge Of the general upon whose staff they were serving at the time. namely, Brigadier General Hughes, I leave for others to conjecture. I was informed that 1t was common talk at the places where officers consregated that such treatment had been carried on either with the conniyance or approval of some commanding officer.
 found that with certain officers the impression prevails that such acts were justifiable. and felt it my duty, in or- der to correct such erroneous and danger ous impressions and to prevent the possi- bility of such acts being committed in the future. which must impair the rood name of American arms and bring dis credit to our service for all time, to ad- dress to the division commander a let- ter of instructions"
 Then follows an order addressed to the commanding general of the Philippines under date of February g. 1soa in which General Miles calls attention to reports Of atrocities and directs that any orders or circulars of personal instruction which would inspire or encourage any act of cruelty be annulled.
 In Violation of Law.
 SOhAAAuihB hiS ICPOtL LO the SeCTGtdIY General Miles directs attention to the acts of concentration by General Bell, and claims that they were in direct violation of law. He says that the law was also violated in handling and buying large quantities of rice which was sold at a profit. The people who were in the con- centrauon camps, were, says General Miles. considered prisoners of war, but were compelled to buy food from those who held them at large profit"
 General Miles characterised this as un- precendented. He speaks of the magni- tude of the transaction which involved A.ooe.oOo pounds of rice and other sup plies at cost of $306.320.
 A reply to the foregoing portion of the report has been prepared by Judge Advo- cate General Davis in a letter to the Sec retary of War, in which he says
 Special Investigation.
 ''The incidents which are set forth in the report have been made the subject of special Investigation: in some instances these have been conducted by court mar uals. and their findings and sentences have been duly promulgated in orders; in others the inquiries have been entrusted to inspectors or to officers designated for that purpose by the commanding general in the Philippines. As to some phases of these inquiries the investigations are not yet complete. and reference of the pa- pers to the Philippines Islands or officers who are now serving in the United States has been necessary. Whether the neces- sity for any further administrative &C., tion. in addition to that already taken will be disclosed as a result of such investi- gation can only be determined when the replies are received at the departments. General Davis explains that the inquiries are especially difficult because the inei- dents complained of were not made known at the time, and officers and soldiers of the volunteer army have been named to be discharged"
 He discusses at some length the distri- button of rice in the provinces of Batan- gas and Cavite, which is a matter that has been considered in the Department 1t is explained that in order to restore civil order and to provision the people in the concentration camps, 1t was deter mined by General Bell that purchases of rice should te male by the Subsistence Department the latter to be reimbursed by the military government.