Show Kill AND BURN OK No Such Instruction Ever Given by Gen Smith I COL GROESBECK TALKS I Former JudgeAdvocate Division of I the Philippines and Chief Roview ing Authority in tho Trials of Mnj Wailer and Gen Smith Both of Whom Were CourtIiLartialed for Methods Used in Samar Campaign Discuss the Cases Believes Water Cure Humane Method I San Francisco July 20Col Stephen W Groesbeck formerly judge advocate of the division of the Philippines hm arrived here from Manila en route to Chicago where he will lake station I an judge advocate oC the Department of the Lakes Col Groosbuck was chief reviewing authority in the trials of MaJ AVallcr and Gen Jacob 31 Smith bolh ot whom were courtmar tialcd for methods used In the Samar campaign DISCUSSES WALTER CASK Discussing the Wailer trial Col Groesbeck characterized Maj A Vail or asa as-a tactician not a leader In reviewing that case ho said J could only give a qualified approval of the ndIngs of the court because I believed him responsible re-sponsible largely for time conditions that caused his men to commit the offenses of-fenses charged YAJJLBHS 1fARCH An attempt was made to lead a detachment de-tachment of his command consisting of four ofliccrs fiflyfotir enlisted men and thirty timmee > Cargodores from east to west across the island of Sa mar In search of the enemy antI when mldwny of his eoursw he fouud himself In the heart of in uninhabited mountainous moun-tainous section without rations and without medical allendancc I NOT PROPERLY PROVISIONED The march had bognn without prop CI provision being made The mens shoes hnd won away their clothing huiiR In tatters many were attacked with fever their feet bruised and bleeding their m bodies lacerated by thorns and adding to their wretchedness wretched-ness the leeches which abound attacked at-tacked and greatly aggravated their exposed wounds CARGADORES EXECUTED To the cry for food the Cargadores it Is alleged did not efficiently respond and the supplrIon arose In the minds oC the starving men that the Cargadores were conniving at their destruction For this they were placed under guard and all of thoso from whom a cry of retaliation retalia-tion came were executed NO KILL AND BURN ORDER Referring to the famous kill and burn order alleged to have been issued 1 Is-sued by i Gen Smith Col Groesbeck said No such order was ever Issued I by 1 Smith but be Is an Impetuous and erratic man and when going over the ground al I Halnngign after the massacre massa-cre of an entire company of the Ninth Infantry he remarked to Waller that they would be justified In killing and burning as they went SMITH A FINE OFFrCER He did not think that Waller or any of the officers of his command should be held accountable for the lives destroyed de-stroyed but l he believed that had more careful provision been made when the fatal march was begun It would not have ended with such disaster He spoke of Gen Smith as a fine officer and expreosed regret at the humiliation attached to the recent order for his retirement re-tirement BELIEVED IN WATER CURE Col Groesbeck Relieves in the water cure and said that In all the complaints causad by this method of forcing the insurgents to give information as to where arms were hidden etc It had been abused only by young officers overealous and inexperienced in their work WATER CURE HUMANE I believe said he the water cure as practiced by tho Americans the Philippines to be the most humane method of obtaining Information from criminals of war that is known to mod err warfare IN ISLANDS TO STAT On the Philippine question In general gen-eral Col Groesbeck ald We are there to stay The price that has been paid for the Islands demands that we bold them but to civilize and establish a government that can he ultimately given Into the keeping of the natives is a lrisk beyond the comprehension of those unacquainted with the treachery that t has been Inntlllcd Into the people by their former rulers The uplifted 1010 is the only law that they have feared for agos and strenuous means must be adopted to eradicate such ideas |