ORDERS TO CHAFFEE:
To Investigate Reports of
the Waller Trial.
COURT MARTIALS MAY FOLLOW
President Orders
Investigation of Alleged "Water
Cure" Treatment
of Presidente of
Igbarras—Major E. F. Glenn to Be
Ordered to SanFrancisco.
Washington, April 16.—As
a result of the cabinet consideration of the charges of cruel treatment of
Filipinos by United States soldiers, Secretary Root has made public some important
correspondence. It consists of a letter from him to Senator Lodge, chairman of
the Senate Philippine committee, acknowledging a copy of the testimony of
Sergeant Charles S. Riley and Private William Lewis Smith late of the 26th
infantry, taken before the committee. With
this letter the secretary encloses a copy of a dispatch which was sent to
General Chaffee, and the information that the judge advocate general of the
army has been directed to take proper steps in accordance with the dispatch.
The cablegram to General
Chaffee is as follows:
"On February 19 a
letter was sent you, enclosing for investigation the copy of charges made by
Governor Gardener of Tayabas province, which contained general allegations of
cruelties practiced by troops on natives, and generally of an insolent and brutal
attitude of the army towards natives.
"On April 2, a
cable dispatch was sent you urging action with all speed consistent with
thorough and searching investigation.
"On the 4th of
March a cable dispatch was sent you directing disciplinary measures to produce
obedience to the president’s instructions, subordinating military officers to
civil government in pacified provinces, and instructing you to relieve Major
Edwin F. Glenn and Captain James A. Ryan from duty and order them to Manila to
await investigation into their conduct; in accordance with instructions to
follow by mail.
“On the 24th of March
instructions were mailed you containing statement of charges against these
officers and General Jacob H. Smith as the basis of the investigation ordered
by the cable of March 4th.
"Further
instructions in both matters are required
by the following facts:
General Smith's Orders.
"Press dispatches
state that upon the trial of Major Waller of the marine corps, testimony was
given by Waller, corroborated by other witnesses, that General Jacob H. Smith instructed
him to kill and burn, that the more he killed and burned the better pleased
General Smith would be; that it was no time to take prisoners, and that when
Major Waller asked General Smith to define the age limit for killing he replied
"everything over 10”.
"If such
testimony was given and the facts can be established, you will place General
Smith on trial by court martial.
"Yesterday before
the senate committee on Philippine affairs, Sergeant Charles S. Riley and
Private William Lewis Smith of the 26th volunteer Infantry, testified that the
form of torture known as the
'water cure’ was administered to the presidente of
the town of Igbarras, Iloilo province, Island of Panay, by a detachment
of the 18th United States Infantry, commanded by Lieutenant Arthur L. Conger, under
orders of Major Edwin F. Glenn, then captain
25th Infantry, and that captain and Assistant Surgeon Palmer Lyon, at that time
a contract surgeon, was present to assist them. The officers or such of them as
are found to be responsible for the act will be tried therefor by court martial.
Conger and Lyon are in this country. Both the 26th volunteer infantry and 18th
Infantry having returned to the United States and most of the witnesses being
presumptively here, the secretary of war
directs that Major E. F. Glenn, 26th infantry, be directed to proceed to San
Francisco and report to the general commanding the department of California
with a view to his trial by court martial under charges alleging the cruelties
practiced by him upon a native of the Philippine Islands at Igbarras on the 27th
of June, 1900.
Witnesses to Come to San Francisco.
"If you can
discover any witnesses still in the service in the Philippines who can testify
in support of the charges, or if Major Glenn desires the attendance of any
persons now serving in the islands as witnesses for the defense, you will direct
them to proceed to San Francisco for that purpose. As the two years allowed for
the prosecution by the statute of limitations is nearly at an end no time is to
be lost. Yon will take such course in advancing or postponing the investigations
previously ordered into the conduct of General Smith and Major Glenn as shall
be required to enable you to
execute these instructions. It is believed that the violations of law and
humanity of which these cases, if true, are examples will prove to be few and
occasional and not to characterize the conduct of the army generally in the
Philippines; but the fact that any such acts of cruelty and barbarity
appear to have been done indicates the necessity of a most thorough, searching
and exhaustive investigation under the general charges preferred by Governor Gardener
and you will spare no effort, in the investigation already ordered under such
charges, to uncover every such case which may have occurred, and bring the
offenders to justice.
"The president [Theodore Roosevelt]
desires to know in the fullest and most circumstantial manner all the facts,
nothing being concealed, and no man being for any reason favored or shielded.
For the very reason that the president intends to back up the army in the heartiest
fashion in every lawful and legitimate method of doing its work, he also
intends to see that the most rigorous care is exercised to detect and prevent
any cruelty or brutality, and that men who are
guilty thereof are punished. Great as the provocation has been in dealing with
foes who habitually resort to treachery, murder and torture against our men, nothing
can justify or will be held to justify the use of torture or inhuman conduct of
any kind on the part of the American army.
"Elihu Root.
"Secretary of War.”
3) Philippine-American War--Wikipedia
4) Mark Twain comments on Moro War
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