Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-05-02

which refers to misconduct of officers
and soldiers in the Philippines.
Natives Tortured.
Gen. Miles report on his Philippine
observations is dated February 10,
1908, and is addressed to the secretary
of war. He says that in going from
Calamba to Batangas in November
last he noticed that the country APP
peared devastated and that the people
were very much depressed. Stopping
at the Lipa he says party of citizens
headed by the acting president met
him and stated that they desired to
make complaint of harsh treatment of
the people of that community, saying
that they had been concentrated in
towns and had suffered great indigni-
ties, that Is of their people had been
tortured by what is known a. the wa
ter torture, and that one man, highly
respected citizen, aged. IS years,
named Vincente Luna, while suffering
from the effects Of the torture and
unconscious, was dragged from his
home, which had been set on fire, and
was burned to death. They stated
that these atrocities were committed
by a company of scouts under COM
mand of Lieut.. Hennessey, and that
their people had been crowded into
towns, 600 being confined in one build
ing A doctor of the party said he
was ready to testify that some of the
500 died from suffocation. Gen. Miles
says. he looked at the building, which
was one story in height. IS or 20+feet'
wide and possibly so or 70.feet long.
Shot Down by Scouts.
Gen. Miles then refers to other
cases, saying that on the island of
Cebu it was reported and published in
November, 1902. that two officers,
Capt Samuels, Forty-fourth infantry,
United States volunteers, and Lieut..
Feeter, Nineteenth infantry, had com
mitted similar atrocities against the
people of that island. 1t is alsereport-
ed that at Lacags on the. island of
Luzon, two natives were whipped. to
death. At Tacloban, Leyte; itswas re-
ported that Maj. Glenn ordered Lieut.
Caulfeld, Philippine scouts, tosstake
eight prisoners out into he eailntry
and that if theysdid not gflide him
to the camp of the insurgent Quison,
he was not to bring them back. 1t
was stated that the men were taken
out and that they either did not or
could not do as directed. One of the
men, who had son among the Scouts,
was spared, but the others were sep
arated into two parties, numbering
three or four respectively, and while
tied together were all murdered by be-
Ing shot or bayoneted to death, some
being in a kneeling position at that
time. The pretense was made that
they were killed while attempting to
escape, but SO far as know n official
report was ever made of the circurn-
stance. These facts have been report
ed by Maj. Watts, who investigated the
ease. Besides Lieut. Caulfeld, Civilian
Scouts Ramos, Preston, Corn and Nc
Keen were participants.
Recommendations
Continuing his report to the secre-
tary, Gen. Miles directs attention to
the acts Of recommendation by Gen.
Bell and claims that they were in di-
rect 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 reconcentration camps
were, says Gen. Miles, considered
prisoners of war. but were compelled
to buy food from those who held them
at a large profit" Gen. Miles charac-
terizes this as unprecedented. He
speaks of the magnitude Of the trans
action, which involved 1000 coo
pounds of rice and other supplies at a
cost of $306,32o He says that AN ex-
traordinary feature of~this transac-
ton is the action which was disap-
proved by division commander who
assumed command and who turned the
matter over to the civil authorities and
that it has been carried on under an
act of the Philippine commission
Cen. Davis Reply.
A reply to the foregoing portion of
the report has been prepared by Judge
Advocate General Davis in a letter to
the secretary Of war in which he saws:
1.-The incidents which are set fort h
in the inclosed special report have been
made the subject of special investiga-
tons; in some instances these have
been conducted by courts martial and
their findings and sentences have been
duly promulgated in orders: in others
the inquiries have been Entrusted to in
spectors, or to officers designated for
that purpose by the commanding gem
eral in the Philippines. Where admin
1strative action has been called for.
as result of such Investigations. it
has been taken by the proper military
commander, if the parties continued
within his jurisdiction; in other cases
the matter has been submitted to the
department. with view to a resort to
such punitive remedial orders as were