The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-29
ROOT IS SEVERE
 ON MAJOR HUNTER
Believes the Charges Against
 Major Howze False
LES ORDERED THE TRIAL
Sec. -, .. war says Major Hunter Was Simply Using Underhanded Methods to Remove Howze
 From Command.

Washington, May 2s.-Secretary Root today made public all the papers in con- nection with the charges made against Major Robert L. Howze to the effect that he authorized the brutal and fatal whip ping of hostile natives held as prisoners at Laoag, Luzon, In the spring of 1900.
 Secretary Root says in part: Howe s character and conduct afford a very strong presumption against the probabil- ity of his having done the things charged
 'The charges are sustained solely by ex-parte afhdavits of a large number of native Filipinos who were hostile to the American troops and who unite In telling a story which, if it is to be believed, ex- hibits the most revolting cruelty
 Major Hunter, who collected these affi- davits nearly three years after the in- cidents to which they relate. appears by his letters and the testimony of his brother officers to have entertained a bitter. personal animosity towards Major Howze It is clear that with the feelings which he entertained, Major Hunter was not likely to be capable of making a really impartial investigation and that for this reason he was an unfit person to be assigned to that duty.
 Statements Contradicted.
 "The statements of these native affi- davits are directly contradicted by the positive paths of Major Howze himself and ten American officers, who were sta- tioned at Laoga at the time and so sit- uated that it was impossible for them not to know whether the facts described in the ineupatory affidavits really oc- cured"
 Major Hunter, who made the charges, sent them to Governor Taft, and not through the regular military channels. The secretary says this was designed to secure Major Howze's removal from command, and was underhanded and most reprehensible"
 The secretary quotes from a report of the Philippine commission on the charges. It's findings were to the effect that the cruelties charged never existed.
 Believes Charges False.
 Secretary Root concludes as follows: "On all the papers now produced 1t ap- pears that the charges against Major Howze are false; that there were no such beatings as are described in the affidavits procured by Major Hunter; that Major Howzes report on his inves- tigation of the subject was a true report, and that Major Howze's administration of the affairs at Laoga at the time in question is not subject to any just criti- cism, but rather merits commendation.
 T am not satisfied, however, to leave the case here. resting on ex-parte af- fidavits. Major Howze has asked for a court of inquiry and 1 direct that board of three officers be detailed by the com manding general, division P. l.. to pro. ceed to Laoga and call before them the witnesses whose names appear on the affidavits procured by Major Hunter and all other witnesses whom they may find to have knowledge of the facts"
 Major Hunter. 1t appears from his re- port made the investigation under an or der issued by Lieutenant General Miles, commanding the army, dated at Manila, November 2S, 1902.