Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-22
LAND IN PHILIPPINES
Secretary Taft Replies to an
Inquiry of the Senate.
ATTITUDE OF COMMISSION
Only Native Members Are Owners of
Real Estate.
NO INDICATION OF GRAFT
Would Take Much Time to Find Out
About Army Oficers-Gen. Mac.
Arthur's Orders Quoted.
.TTITUDE OF COMMISSION
NO INDICATION OF GRAFT

a statement in response to a resolution
calling upon him for information as to
whether any member of the Philippine
commission, or any officer of the army or
navy of the United States, directly or in
directly. owned on December l. 1905, or
now owns any land in the Philippine Is
lands, or had at any time now has any
interest or right in such land of any
character" and if so, what such owner
ship, interest or right is, where the land
is situated, particularly with reference to
the location of proposed railroads in said
islands, and who said officials are"
The Secretary stated that he brought
the resolution to the attention of Gov.
Gen. Wright and Commissioner Forbes,
both of whom are now in Washington,
and cabled to the members of the COM
mission in Manila for statements, the re-
plies from all being transmitted. Mr.. Taft
then said:
Charge Made and Retracted.
II max add that when l was civil gov
ernor of the Philippine Islands an article
was published in a Manila newspaper
containing an insinuation that some men,
Der OF the commission was interested in
investments in the Philippine Islands
which would be affected by legislation of
the commission. On the publication of
this article l challenged the truth of its
statements by letter and asked for specf-
fications. The insinuation was withdrawn
by formal retraction in the newspaper.
This was the occasion of an investiga-
ton which / instituted to ascertain
whether any member of the then com
mission, which was constituted at that
time of Luke E. Wright Henry c. Ide,
Dean C. Worcester, Bernard Moses and
myself. had made any investment in land
n. J-l- d.
that time, and / learned BY personal in
CURRY and investigation that no American
member of the commission had made any
such investment in the Philippine Islands.
OF course, the Filipino members of the
commission were known, when appointed,
to be the owners of land estates.
As to Army Officers
with reference to the question whether
any officers of the army have an interest
in lands or have obtained an option for the
purchase of them along lines of projected
railways or elsewhere, l beg to say that
certainly seventy-ive per cent of all the
officers of the army have been at some time
or another since American occupation on
duty in the Philippines, and that inquiry
directed to the question whether any Of
these officers who number some 5000, have
the interests mentioned in the resolution OF
the Senate could not be answered by per-
sonal statements from each officer of the
army under four months. If 1t be suggest
ed that land records in the Philippines
might be consulted, l beg to say that the
land records are to be found in thirty-five
thirty-six provinces of the archipelago,
and that It would require further inveSti-
CATION TO identify the land owners shown
there as army officers"
The Secretary then quoted circular is
sued by Gen. Macarthur at Manila in May,
1900 while commanding the army in the
Ill ,riT, ifar
II is presumed that its Injunction was
obeyed. Gen. Macarthur. in the circular,
quoted the following article from 'dnstruc-
lions for the government OF armies IN the
field"
Neither officers nor soldiers are allowed
to make use of their position or power in
the hostile country for private gain, not
even the commercial transactions otherwise
legitimate. Offenses to the contrary COM
mitted by commissioned officers will be
punished with cashiering, or such other
punishment as the nature of the offense
may require; if by soldiers, they shall be
punished according to the nature of the Of
Tense"
Mr. Taft said. in closing:
In view of the very burdensome charac-
ter of the investigation necessary to dis
cover whether among three thousand per-
sons there may be any one who has an In
terest in land in the Philippine Islands, 1
respectfully request the further instruction
of the Senate with a view to possibly mar
rowing thG scope OI the Inquiry III accord
ance with the information or report upon
which the resolution was presumably based,
so that fun answer may be made in a short
er time than four months. So far as the
investigation into the ownership of lands
in the Philippines by officers of the navy is
concerned l beg to point out that l have
TO jurisdiction to make inquiry with
respect to them, and l have accord
ingIy forwarded copy of the resolu-
ton to the Secretary of the Navy for such
action as may be deemed proper"