Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-27

AS SEEN : BY MILES
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violation of the law. He says the law was
also violated fIJ handling and buying large
quantities of rice, which was sold at a
profit. The people who were in the recon-
centration camp we're considered prison
ers OF war, but were compelled to buy food
from those who held them at a large
profit. which Gen. Miles says was unpre
cedented. Gent Miles speaks of the magni
tude OF the transaction which involved 81
OO0,O0O pounds of rice and other supplies al
cost of 1905 ,32o. ole says IAN extraordi-
nary feature of this transaction" was that
the action was disapproved by a division
commander. who, assumed command and
authorities, and that it has been carried
on under an act of the Philippine commits
sion.
Judge Advocate Generals Statement.
A reply to the foregoing portions of Gen.
Miles report has been prepared by Judge
Advocate General Davis in a letter to the
Secretary of War, in which he says:
THE incidents which are set forth in the
inclosed special report have been made the
subject Of special investigation. In some
instances these have been conducted by
courts-martial and their findings and SEN
fences have been duly promulgated in or
ders; IN others the inquiries have been in
trusted to inspectors or to officers desig-
mated for that purpose by the command
ing general in the Philippines. Where ad
ministrative action has been called for as
result Of such Investigations it has been
taken by the proper military commander,
II the parties continued within his Jur1s-
dlction; In other cases the matter has been
submitted to the department with a view
to resort to such punitive remedial orders
as were deemed appropriate, and these rep
reservations have resulted in number Of
q tn n
these inquiries the Investigations are not
yet complete and a reference of the papers
to the Philippine Islands or to officers who
are now serving In the United States has
been necessary. Whether the necessity for
any further administration action, In addition
to that already taken will be disclosed as
a result Of such investigation can only be
determined when inspection reports are re-
ceived at the department"
Gen. Davis explains that the inquiries are
especially difficult because the incidents
time and officers and soldiers of the vol
unteer army named have been discharged.
Dealings in Rice.
He discusses at some length the distri-
button of rice in the provinces of Batan-
zas and Cavite which, he says, is mat
ter that had been considered in the De-
partment. 1t is explained that in order to
restore civil order and to provision the
people in the concentration camps it was
determined by Gen. Bell, with the approval
of the commanding general, that purchases
of rice should be made by the subsistence
department, the latter to be reimbursed by
the military government. Upon that point
Gen. Davis says:
1.-THE measures resorted to were dictated
by military necessity, they were under
taken with the approval of the local mill
tary commander and were calculated to
meet an emergency or impending famine
in such way as to relieve actual distress
III, fhn y1<ff ton,
and without casting the burden of their
support upon the insular treasury when
public order had been restored and the
provinces relegated to civil control. AS the
distress increased after the military occu-
patton had terminated and the demand for
relief continued without substantial abate
ment the balance of profit accruing from
the sales Of rice by the military government
was transferred to the insular treasury
and applied by the civil government to the
relief of the widespread distress occasioned
by the prevalence OF cholera and famine
In the provinces Of southern and southeast
ern Luzon."
Comment on Military Conditions.
Gen. Miles makes detailed report of
his inspection of military conditions in the
Philippines. He found several things to
deprecate and many more to commend
and makes number of radical recommen-
dations for the benefit of the native IN
habitants and for the improvement of the
military service.
Referring to his visit to the Moro coun-
try In Mindanao he says:
THE problem of reducing controlling
these people (Moros) In case of continued
hostilities does not appear to be a difficult
one. They are very poorly armed, and
have no means Of withstanding our noun
tain artillery and field motars. Their
forts possess but slight resisting power, and
can easily be destroyed by modern artil-
lery."
Soldiers Employed as Laborers.
In connection with his visit to Iligan he
refers to the employment of soldiers as
laborers in the following words:
1.-The troops are now employed in the
construction of a permanent road five miles
along the coat and then up the Agus river
to intersect the old road at a point about
eighteen miles from Iligan. At the time
of my visit there were 600 of our men at
work on tiis road. The heat was intense,
and there were at the time seventy men
sick and some 200 men attended sick re-
port Heavy timbers were being cut. and
in every respect a road of a permanent
character was being constructed Unless
there be some great military necessity
and know OF none-this work should not
be performed by troops. 1 was informed
that the Moros had made propositions to
peared to be very great dissatisfaction and
Just ground for complaint. Officers and
men, dressed in 1aboring clothes. with an
armed guard, were moving about in the
heat and dust At the rate at which the work
is being done it does not appear possible
that it can be completed in less than twelve
months, as the work Is very heavy and
difficult. 1t appears that the permanent
character of this road is being considered
in order that electric road may be
operated later, the power for same being
generated by using the falls on the Agus
river about half mile above its mouth
lv,Fo me ha
listed at this point, and all who have any
possible grounds are asking to be dis
charged It was stated that in one COM
pany all of the non-commissioned officers
and a large percentage of the men had
asked for their discharge under the recent
order reducing the number Of troops in the
islands If troops are to be used unneces-
sarily in such labor without compensation
it is evident that the service in these
islands will be made exceedingly unde-
sirable, while the performance of such
labor. unless absolute military necessity
law. The attention of the division COM