The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-04


A good deal of the talk that has been
heard of late about the fiendishness
of American soldiers in the battle of
Mount Dajo is undoubtedly due to the
fact that General Leonard Wood is in
charge of the troops in the Philip
pines. The name of that officer, for
influence on certain people and news
papers, who seem willing to go out
of their way to accept and advance any
sort of charge against him. 1t will
be remembered that when he was in
command of the American troops in
Cuba he was accused of serious mis-
demeanors-of being jealous OF his
superiors, of claiming credit for acts
not his own, and of accepting presents
from those with whom he had official
relations. His enemies at that time
were very aggressive, but in the end
they failed to make their charges
stick. The confidence of the president
and of the country was mistaken, and
in due time Wood was promoted and
sent to the Philippines.
Jealousy Caused Criticism.
The favorite charge aginst General
Woodland it has had it's birth in the
ranks of jealous officers, over whom
he has climbed to a lieutenant general
ships that he is not soldier at all,
| but only a pill DOCTOR" His prefer
ment, it is alleged, has come about en-
| tirely because of the gross and unfair
| favoritism of President Roosevelt. 1t
is quite the thing in certain quarters
to refer to Wood as DIR. Wood" and to
follow with the suggestion that he is
more at home with the pillbox and
lancet than in generals uniform.
Obviously, this being the case, as the
was heard to the effect that it was
| a surgeon and not a soldier who Or
dered heroic treatment for the Moros
and decided that determination was
! the proper remedy. But the campaign
of abuse against Wood will fail, just
as it has failed heretofore. 1t must
run it's course however, and the coun-
try will have to try to be patient under
it.
A good deal is being heard to the
| effect that the Moros died because
they preferred death to conquest,
and that they devoted their lives and
those of their wives and children "tO
the defense of their homes and their
freedom" The public should be care
full not to be misled by such state
ments. This particular band of Moros
was made up of desperate outlaws and
fugitives from justice. men and women
entirely without the pale of the law
who for years had been terrorizing
the community which they infested
All efforts for their subjugation by
peaceful methods had failed. The con-
flict between them and the American
troops was necessary in the interest
of the peace and quiet and the Sc
curity of the law abiding natives and
of the integrity of American author
ity
1t would be just as truthful to say
that the members of the Jesse James
gang preferred death to conquest. >
and that they devoted their lives and
the lives of their wives and children
ito the defense of their homes and
their freedom" Or 1t would be just
as truthful to make similar assertions
regarding the Molly Maguires, who
once infested Pennsylvania. These
Moros We're professional marauders
knowing no law and having no respect
for any authority 1t was their habi,
to steal from and to murder, in colo
blood, their fellow countrymen, and
as the result of this course of action
ia wide territory was laid waste an6
thousands of innocent natives terror
lied. Obviously. it was not a pleasant
task to deal with them. Neither was
it pleasant to conduct campaigns
against the redskins of the Bad Lands
and the Lava Beds. But it was &
necessary work.
President Roosevelt has been advis-
ed of the facts, and the country may
take it for granted that his cable
grams of congratulation were not
written and sent until he had satisfied
himself that the Dajo incident was q
necessary part of the governments
| work for the E'ilipinOS