Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-23
TAFT REPLIES To
SENATE'S QUERY
NO AMERICAN COMMISSIONER
HAS PHILIPPINE LAND
Secretary Says He Cannot Answer
for Army Officers, as at Least
5000 Have Served In
the Islands
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 22.-secretary
Taft today sent to the senate state
ment In response to a resolution calling
on him for information as to whether
any member Of the Philippine commits
sion or any officer of the army or navy
of the United States, directly or in
directly owned on December /, 1905, or
now owns any land in the Philippine
islands or had at any time or now has
any interest or right In such land of
any character, and If so what such
ownership, 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"
Mr.. Taft said:
when was civil governor of the
Philippines an article was published in
a Manila newspaper containing an in
sinuation that some member of the
commission was interested in invest
ments in the Philippine islands This
was the occasion of an investigation
which 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 learned by personal inVes-
the commission had any such invest
ment in the Philippines. OF course the
Filipino members of the commission
were known when appointed to be the
owners of landed estates.
with reference to the question
whether any officer of the army has
any interest in lands or has obtained
an option for the purchase of them
along the line OF projected railways or
elsewhere beg to say that certainly
rs per cent of all the officers OF the
army have been at some time or an
other since the American occupation
on duty in the Philippines, and that
inquiry directed to the question
whether any of these officers, who num-
ber some 5000, have the interests men
toned in the resolution of the senate,
could not be answered by personal
statements from each officer Of the
army under four months"
Orders Issued by Macarthur
The secretary quoted a circular is
May, 1900 while commanding the army
in the islands during military govern
ment, saying it is presumed that it's
injunction was obeyed.
Gen. Macarthur, in the circular,
quoted the following article from In
structions 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 for commercial
transactions otherwise legitimate. Of
fenses to the contrary committed by
commanding officers will be punished -
Mr. Taft said in conclusion:
In view of the very burdensome
character of the investigation neces-
sary to discover whether among 5000
persons there may be any one who
has an interest in land in the Philip
pines, I respectfully request the fur
ther instruction of the senate with a
view to possibly narrowing the scope
OF the inquiry in accordance with the
Information or report on which the
resolution was presumably based so
that full answer may be made in
shorter time then four months. So
far as the Investigation of the owner
ship of lands in the Philippines by
officers Of the navy is concerned, I beg
to point out that have no jurisdiction
to make inquiry with respect to them,
and 1 have accordingly forwarded a
copy Of the resolution to the secretary
of the navy for such action as may
be deemed proper.
I'm his reply to my request for a
statement, Gen. Wright said:
General Wright's Statement
"T have not now and never had at
any time any interest, direct or indi-
rect, in lands or any other property in
the Philippine islands, or any option
for the purchase thereof, except house
hold, personally necessary to the COM
fort of myself and family He added
that there are three Filipino members
of the commission, each of whom is
a man of considerable property, and.
as I happen to know, all three Of
them are large land owners. The lands
owned by them, however, ! am in
formed have not recently been ac-
ouired, and / should be very much as
tonished If they have recently acquired