The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-20
Observation-Disclosures
GEN. GROSVENOR REPLIES TO
ATTACKS MADE UPON THEM.

He Says the Attacks We're Made on Impef-
feet Information mt the Reflections
on the valOr and Integrity and Good
Name OF the Soldiers We're Unjust,
WASHINGTON, March 19,-General debate
on the Legislative, Executive and judicial
Appropriation bill was concluded in the
House to-day. len. Grosvenor Rep., Ohio
took occasion to defend the American
forces engaged in the recent battle on
Mount Dajo, Jolo, from the attacks made
upon them last week by Messrs. Jones
Dem. Val and Williams Dem, Miss).
with imperfect information" he said,
gentlemen on this hoor saw fit to savagely
attack the army Of the United States and
send forth an unstinted criticism rejecting
upon the General in command, rejecting
upon the officers in command OF the troops
and, by necessary inference. rejecting
upon the valor and integrity and good name
Of the American army. This attack was
based On the following causes: First, the
large number OF casualties OF the enemy;
second, that women n children we're
among the killed; third, that no prisoners
were taken; fourth, the method OF attack
After discussing these Gen. Grosvenor
said:
This gang of Moros belonged to a class
of pirates, professional thieves, an organized
band Of murderers who never surrender and
who fight until the last armed man OF them
10 dead. The gentlemen seem to have
thought this was a sudden outbreak, some
thing that came suddenly upon our troops,
and they went right at 1t and murdered all
these inoffensive pirates; but the fact was
that that band Of pirates had been occupying
that crater for more than a year. Their
expeditions of murder and robbery had
been going On oil that time, and every
attempt to induce them to surrender had
failed. The situation had become intoler-
able, a cause OF murder OF both men and
women, and Of robberies unparalleled
There was no alternative but to get them
out OF that crater, and only one way to get
them out. That was exactly the way that
the skill OF the American soldier, executing
the command Of his superior officer, sue
oeeded In doing, and the President was
absolutely right when he telegraphed, with
full knowledge Of all that had been going on
there, that It was a significant and COM
mendable feat of arms"
Mr.. Williams Dem; MISSY repeated the
sarcastic illusions to the victory expressed
in his p~araphrase of Tennyson's Charge
OF the Light Brigade and said he recalled
several familiar lingo expressions in Gen.
Grosvenor's remarks. He called attention
to the fact that two accounts oabled from
Manila have been Of the killing OF the
women and children and asked which was
true and whether or not another account
was to be expected II those already made
did not satisfy the American public.
If We have made any error about the
BATTLE he said, -and II we have COM
mented upon the fact that there were no
wounded and no prisoners 1t is not our
fault, but the fault OF the men who did
not report the battle 60 completely as they
ought to have done.
Il do not know but what future history
may show that the battle Of Mount Dajo
was not as first reported. II that history
shall show it, then, OF course, remarks
made about it as first reported will be ex-
actly in that far m n will be
exactly In that far a matter of regret to
those who ave made the remarks, but
we cannot change u opinion upon the
mere supposition, upon the mere predio-
ton of the chief prophet of the Republican
party that there perhaps may be prisoners,
that there may perhaps be wounded to b.
reported later officially, and now unofactally
suggested by him.
The committee rose with the conclusion
Of general debate and at 4:55 the House
adjourned until tomorrow.