The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-05-23


stance of where 600 Of the natives
had been imprisoned in a building so
small that several died of suffocation
1t is necessary to go back to the
"Black Hole of Calcutta" for paral-
lei. Under the pretext of military
necessity" the greatest and presum-
ably the most progressive nation in
the world is charged and truthfully
charged with methods contrary to all
rules and regulations Of warfare. How
will it look in history? And the
damnable part of the whole execrable
business is, that the American people
have been betrayed. The people do
not countenance such methods. They
have been deceived by their war de-
partment. We as people, have to
assume the responsibility for unjusti-
fable acts said to be done under the
stress of military necessity" Never
before has this country or any other
modern civilized country perpetrated
upon any people, whether civilized or
savage, such atrocities as the water
cure. That this torture was generally
practiced there can now be no doubt.
The report says that Major Glenn
with a party of assistants, were
moved from place to place for the
purposes of extorting statements by
means Of the water-cure torture. This
charge, at first so vehemently denied,
is now admitted, but the defense is
that it was done without the knowl-
edge Of the commanding general. Gen
eral Miles comment on this defense
is as follows: "Whether it was pos
sible 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,
Brig. Gen. Hughes, 1 leave for others
to conjecture"
The honor Of the army can no long
er serve as defense. 1t will not do
for the war department to call those
who call attention to military abuses
TRAITORS and defamers of the army"
1t would appear to be an impossible
task to defame those responsible for
Philippine methods. The war depart
ment has itself been guilty Of the most
unblushing piece Of work against army
discipline. 1t invited and solicited
subordinate officers to take issue with
the commanding officer of the army
OH his report and recommendations
The replies of these officers are at
tached to the report. This was done
to discredit the highest officer in the
army and to humiliate him before the
people. Secretary Root has failed in
his attempts. The American people
know General Miles and his record;
they knew him long before they had
an introduction to Secretary Root. His
reputation and standing with the
American people is fixed. They owe
him a greater debt of gratitude for
this last act of courage and manliness
than for all the rest of his distin-
guished career as a soldier. For while
we cannot make amends for what has
taken place, we can, now that we
know the horrd history of the bust
ness, put stop to such methods for
ever. The ''honor of the army" means
nothing when there is no honor. In
France under the cry save the ''honor
of the army" officer after officer was
led to give false testimony in the
Dreyfus case. General Miles is striv-
ing to save the army from the methods
of the war department.. The Ameri-
can people. it will he found. have no
false sentiments about the ''lonor of
the army" The honor of the Ameri-
can nation is what we must save,
even though it be necessary to dis
close the dishonor of one department
of our government.