| Show I CRIME TO KEEP UP WARIN WARI WAR IN PHILIPPINES PHILIPPI TAFT SAYS Washington Feb 4 Gov Taft Tf to today to- to day continued his narrative before the Senate Senates Committee on on the Philippines concerning conditions in the Philippine archipelago Referring to his testimony of yesterday yesterday yester yester- day he sal said he feared that he had ad given givena a wrong impression concerning the he part the te army had ha played in bringing the Insurrection in insurrection insurrection In- In to an end but if lf s sd so this was I due to the fact that he could not present present present pre pre- sent a correct Impression of the whole I situation from one point of ot view JUST DUES TO ARMY Then in order to give the army its just dues he took up and analyzed its Is work in the islands He recalled that as soon as Gen Otis had received reinforcements rein rein- sufficient for tor his purposes the Philippine army had broken up and scattered Into guerrilla bands On this point Aguinaldo and Luna Lura Lura ha hag had i differed Luna advocating the continuance of ot the war on the old lines So sharp was this difference he said that had alp directed and secured the as asas ion of Luna thus leaving the 3 l Op for forthe forthe the carrying out of his Js own plans ACTIVE WORK NECESSARY He would not he said report the In Incident incident In- In It if It had not been I re reported reported reported re- re ported to him by Gen Funston Aguinaldo AgInaldo AgI- AgI Agui- Agui naldo said that if i he did not kill ki Luna Luna would kill kl him Indeed the custom custom custom cus cus- tom was to order a mans man's death i Ui his absence and have him killed upon his return The presence of these guerrilla bands rendered it necessary to place garrisons everywhere there being at atone atone atone one time as many as of them This rendered the work before the army very arduous and the activity and the bravery of ot the American troops were such as to soon render the enemy tired tred of the warfare I I This led him to speak of ot the traits tais of the Filipinos one of ot which he said said- saidI I l. l was cruelty He had been bean told by ly American officers of many instances of ot s r. r mutilation of ot the corpses of ot our sot sol sott t v diers This being true It was not surprising surprising sur sur- t that there has been some retaliation retaliation re- re r- r talaton on the part of ot the small bands of ot Am lc soldiers CURE i WATER ATEn He had heard of no charge of ot mutila- mutila tion ton but there probably were some cases of unnecessary killing some cases of whipping and some cases case of ot i what is called cled the water cure this method of punishment consisting of f pouring water down the throats ot of men until they would swell up and becoming be be- coming frightened would tell tel what they might know as for instance as asto asto to where guns could be secured aj CONTRARY TO ORDERS In this connection he called caled attention to the orders of Gen as asto asto to these practices which were he said sad very Ery strict When these Intra Infractions of ot propriety had occurred he was sure sur they had been ben in the face of ot direct orders or or- dens ders to the contrary REPLIES TO SE SEN CULBERSON After reading a part of Gen Bells Bell's order Senator Culberson a asked ked If he stil sUI entertained the same opinions previously previously previously pre pre- expressed as to the te military mitar policy in the Philippines To this Gov Go Taft replied The Te war has been all over these islands and that which remains is a crime against civilization It I is also a crime against the the Filipino people to keep up a a. a state of ot war under the circumstances They have worn out the right to any treatment treat treat- melt ment but that which is severe and within with with- within in the laws of war war |
