The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-23
Made an Investigation.
Mr.. Taft said:

when I was civil governor of the
Philippines an article was published in
a Manila newspaper containing an in
situation that some member of the
commission was interested in invest
ments in the Philippine islands. This
was the occasion of an investigation
which I instituted to ascertain whether
any member of the then commission
had made any investment in land or
otherwise in the Philippines at that
time, and I learned by personal inves-
tigation that no American member of
the commission had any such invest
ment in the Philippines. OF course the
Filipino members of the commission
We're known when appointed to be own
erS of landed estates.
Would Take Time to Find Out.
With reference to the question
whether any officer Of the army have
any interests in lands or have obtained
an option for the purchase of them
along the line of projected railways or
elsewhere, I beg to say that certainly
10 per cent of all the officers of the
army have been at some time or an
other since American occupation, on
duty in the Philippines, and that in
curry directed 10 the question whether
any Of these officers who number some
5000 have the interest mentioned in
be answered by personal statements
from each officer Of the army under
four months"
MacArthur's Orders.
The secretary quoted a circular is
sued by General Macarthur at Manila
in May. 1900, while commanding the
army in the islands during military
government, saying it is presumed that
IFS lOiunPf ion WAS OhpUad
General Macarthur, in the circular,
quoted the following article from Gin
structions for the government of
armies in the field"
Neither officers nor soldiers are al
lowed to make use Of their position or
power in the hostile country for pri-
vate gain. not even for commercial
transactions otherwise legitimate. Of
lenses to the contrary committed by
commanding officers will be punished. Z"
Asks Instructions.
Mr. Taft said, in conclusions:
I'm view of the very burdensome
character of the investigation neces-
sary to discover whether among 5000
persons there may be one who has an
interest in land in the Philippines, I re-
spectfully request the further instruc-
ton Of the senate with a view to posi-
bly, narrowing the scope of the inquiry
in accordance with the information or
report of which the resolution was pre-
sumably based, so that full answer may
be made in A shorter time than four
months. SO far as the investigation in
the ownership of lands in the Philip
pines by officers of the navy is con-
cerned, ] beg to point out that I have
no jurisdiction to make inquiry with
resDect to them, and have according
~ forwarded a copy of the resolution
Ito the secretary of the navy for such
action as may be deemed proper"
Statement by Wright.
In his reply to my request for a state
ment, General Wright said:
Il have not now and never had at any
time any interest, direct or indirect, in
lands or any other property in the Phil
ippine islands, any option for the pur-
chase thereof, except household per-
sonally necessary to the comfort of
myself and family"
He added that there are three Fill
ipino members of tia commission, each