Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-05-07
MILES, REPORT
OF AMERICAN CRUElTIES IN
THE PHILIPPINES
Tends to Preserve the Honor Ct the Army
NOtDishonor II. or Allow It's Officers to
Dishonor the Service, Departmental
Toadies to the Contrary Notwithstanding.

Toadies to the Contrary Notwithstanding
Gen. Miles report OF American atroci-
ties in the Philippines is calculated to do
more for the honor Of the amy than all
the suppressions by Secretary RIOTS war
department md all the whitewashing by
Senator Lodges star chamber committee,
says the Chicago Public.
Gen. Miles does the army the service
O. exposing the villaines OF its unworthy
officers, with view to having their VIII
lainy distinguished from its honor !;
whereas Lodge and Root, having iienii-
fed the atrocious conduct o! some army
officers with the army's honor, as if those
two things were one, have weakly tied
to shield the former from exposure on
pretense OF saving the latter from dis
grace.
The only disgrace that attaches either
to the American army or to the American
people, in connection with atrocities the
previous reports OF which Gen. Miles SO
! plainly confirms, is in consequence not
OF the shameful acts but OF their official
and popular conformation. No one is re.
sponsble for the crimes Of another,
though his own agent, except as he
makes them his own by approval or con-
cealm INT, and to this sensible rule neither
governments nor peoples are exceptions.
Unhappily, however, that is what the
war department and Lodges senatorial
committee have done. They have APP
proved or concealed. 1t mighssbe said,
also, that majority Of the American
people also have done this, were it not
for the fact that they have acted without
knowledge. having been misguided by
our trusted public servants at Wash
ington.
The Chicago Record Herald Ia leading
indepe ndent republican paper truly
says, in an editorialaof it's issue OF the
2Sth on the subject Of American outrages
IN the Philippines:
"F'rom fret to last the government has
not dealt frankly with the people on this
subject. 1t began with censored dis
patches; it purposely withheld reports
that were finally forced from it there are
other reports that it has never published;
there is continual complaint about the
impossibiity Of getting at things in the
war department. What the baffled in
vestigators and the people actually do get
is the self-puffery Of officials and lingo
commentator OF the country and the
army all in overweight superlatives.
On the subject Of the press dis
patches we speak with absolute certainty
when we say that the policy of the war
department was to suppress news, and it
was in no position to affect a superior
virtue when the subsequent charges OF
suppression were made. On the contrary,
it was distinctly under suspicion, and the
unwilling way in which it dribbled out
documents to the senate had bad look.
Manifestly such facts cannot be over.
thrown by the superlatives which sound
like cheap rodomontade. Tho whole
policy of suppression has been wrong in
principle it has resulted in wrong to this
people and to the Fllipinos it is likely to
prove wrong in the long run as matter
Of political expediency."
The report by Gen. Miles was itself
suppressed for more than two months.
Though it went to the war department
February 10, it was not given out until
April q; and then it was forced out.
The official explanation of this suppress
sion is ridiculous. Because army inspec.
ton reports are usually withheld from
publication lest the inspecting officer
might fear the effects upon himself Of be.
ing too candid, therefore-behold the
therefore" Therefore Gen. Miles re-
port was withheld. Think of it! One
can conceive OF timidity ON the part Of
inspecting officers in reporting conditions
for which officers Of higher grade might
be accountable, and to that extent there
is good reason for the rule; but what has
the military head OF the army to fear?
Who could punish him-the secretary Of
war always excepted-for making over.
candid reports? Bosh! The report was
evidently withheld for no such reason. 1t
was withheld for the same reason that
other reports exposing the wickedness Of
our Philippine invasion have been with.
held; namely, to conceal the shameful
facts.
Why pay $500 year for part of
the local news each day, when you