Show 1 I CONGRESSMAN GROSVENOR'S DEFENSE j jI I On Monday 1 March 19 19 lIon Hon Charles H II Grosvenor con congressman from Crom Ohio replied to the tho crUcs who had h condemned condemned cond con con- d tho the United States arm army In the Philippine Philippines for Cor or the lie result of or the battle hattle on time the island of oC Jolo Job Ills His n address dr s swill will be lie read with In Interest anti and Is la given Ii In full below A few Cew days das ago no startling Information ion tion reached the people of or the time United States that a ft collision occurred occUlTed between between be be- tween the thc military forces Corces of oC th tIme gov- gov the Island of Job Jolo In the time archipelago o of th time the Philippines and a certain band or force forc of oC Moros Th The startling feature of or it naturally was In Iii tit the lie disparagement In the numbers a of till the stain slain and the tIme further fact that It was said hl that lint women and children had been hecim killed by the forces Corel's of the lie United States soldiers I With very Im un- Imperfect p perfect information gentlemen on this floor saw nw fit lit to a savagely attack th the army almy of oC the United States Slates and send forUm forth to lo hit tho country and to the he world unstinted criticism reflecting upon the general In command rolled i lug Ing upon Ullon the thc officers cers in immediate command of oC the troops and b by natural c reflecting upon the valor and Integrity and good name of or the time American arm army The President of the thc United States saw sa tit lit to send to lo congress a message and amid In th time the saute same occasion transmit a a. copy y of a letter which he himself had hind written n to the secretary of war commenting com corn upon the character of or the tran transaction and amid we knew kime by the publication cation In the public press that the President had congratulated the troops troop In the Held fIeld with wilh as full knowledge of oC all that had hall taken place a as an any one pr poison on has and amid with possibly cr very greatly superior opportunity of oC knowl edge His Ills letter or telegram of congratulation congratulation con con- has been spread before the AmerIcan people so that the assault made upon ulOn the mm army and the attack upon the good name of the time American people on the lie floor of this house went wenta a aa as a rebuke to the time President and the condemnation of oC the conduct of or the time army o oC over C I a direct compliment that I Ithe the President had made so that when gentlemen assail the army the they assail sall also the Iho President of oC the United States Now the President can taJ take lake e care calc of himself However Howe I may sa say that hat th the President dent lent of the United States State has some somo I knowledge c of war has some knowledge of what Is due duo soldiers operating under these circumstances has some patriotic patriotic pat pat- regard md and affection for fm good conduct and efficient soldierly behavior While he Is ili au an admirer of oC gallantry and soldierly courage e he pe is at the time same time line Imbued with a rare spirit of oC condemnation for anything eo cowardly co 0 for any ami n act of unnecessary brutality and ani he hO would no more moore countenance coun coun- or justify an aim act of unnecessary sary cruelty cruelly than harm he would do an any oth other I mean acL act So when time Iho Pi Pre Fred Fred- evi evident l- l dent with as a. I have said aId a better knowledge than the public in ill general had of the circumstances Indorsed the thc conduct of oC our troops It went a long longway longway longway way to satisfy the lie American people had hal been heeti inflicted that no wrong I wish to speak a few words In iii defense de tie- tense Cense of the soldiers of the Iho aria ann army who vho made that desperate hattie bailie 1 wish to tp ur argue ue it hI fairly and present enl nn an answer an an- swUm to lo the Iho criticism as far as possible and I will rill read something which i 1 consider a mL fair fall synopsis ls of oC the time ground of or D time tile complaint made mado on omi the tho other J Jiho attack on the tIme gen gen- enral en- en craf ral and t l the lie t to o p part pait in lii the thc action at Mount 1 Dam in him the 1 island of oC Jolo 1010 Job has Ims been based base on the lie following fol l ca causes auses e First the tho large number of casual casual- casual I ji jiLies Lies of time tho enemy time Iho fueL fact that I women and children were eie among the killed third that thal no prisoners were taken and amid fourth as to the lie method of attack With n reference to tn time the la lan lage go c number of oC casualties It Il I Is iii to lo be bo nb observed ea that of or the lie troops operating in iii the attack atlo eighteen W were vere killed and two fifty wounded u IL total of seventy which Is more lucre than tItan 10 per cent of those engaged which would Indicate that the engagement was vis not nol wholly one sided That Thai wa was especially so 10 when we consider that lint the urine arms of oC time the American American Am Ammi- troops sere necessarily IiI superior super super- to lo those of the Mores fh The Tho fact the lie killed that there heie I wore CIO among women and anti children line has been hen vel very clearly explained in the thC telegram from General Wood und It II Is not known linOW a village e could be he attacked or om a camp campIn In iii which women unit awl children wore nome mixed indiscriminately without some som and children b being as a mailer mattei taut mat tel ler of oC fact killed V As to tn this state state- tat meat ment of oC General Woods Wood's 00 18 1 I of the Iho number killed who hib himself had hai ordered order order- ed d l the thC succor of the among amono the he he natives is ht that this statement is any ha basis 18 whal whatever clO of or truths truth As s to the casualties amon among time the Moros loro Iho tho official report m states that there were were about killed Title This of course Is 15 not mint an aim or om an excessive lve number r of oC killed where time the fiction action lasted several c days against that number number num num- ber bee of ane nail and the light fight terminated In a to hand charge as us appears s to have ha been the time case at the crest cLeat of Mount Every precedent and especially every CI precedent In time tho history history his his- tory of th the Mores Moros shows very clearly that had time Iho been to the Iho same extent reversed cd no iio American soldier would have lived to tell th the lie lal tale talc Now It Is IC but fair Call to suppose that when th the full till tact facts are arc known it willbe will willbe be found that quite a number of prisoners prisoners pris pris- were vem-e taken amid 1111 a great man many wounded cared cam for COl or in iii the hospitals and by the medical officers of or the he army and that among these thee prisoners prison prison- I ers will be a great number of oC women and amid children As lo tim the method of attack attach it has hWi been tu suggested that lint this this' mountain should have been surround sun ed The Time gentleman from Virginia who I believe is a farmer falmer mer am-mer by bl pro plO f ion staled slated as aN a matter of or military strategy y that at that mountain moun moun- alit tain which some of or orIS us tic have u seen and I ji which he himself had imad an aim opportunity to see sec CC ought to have havo been surrounded h by the troops I am told lold that a condon cordon con cor don of or troops to have ha successfully surrounded sum that mountain to prevent an nn incursion or ox excursion of Mores Moros would have o required a n force fm-ce of or from eight to fifteen thousand men That Thai mountain I Is not n a mere apex It IB is a amoun moun mountain lain miles In circumference and therefore tho time whole story I t 01 or whole Idea that It ou ought hl to have been heen surrounded stir sur rounded falls tails to the ground In the thc first place never sui nover-sui- sur render This gang Jang of Mores Moros as aK I I Ivill will show you as I go JO alon along belong to a class of pirates professional thieves an in organized baud band of m murderers who never nC surrendered and fight until the tIme thelast last armed man maim of t them Is IN dead death Now tho the gentleman scenic to lo havo have thought this was waR a sudden outbreak something some seine thing that came caine jUt just suddenly upon ulon our troops and amid th they went scent right at It and murdered all of or these inoffensive pirates but hut the fact about It was that thal for or more than a year this band ol ci pirates have ha been occupying time the crater of oC that thai mountain For moro more than z year their hint expeditions of lIC murder an anti robbery have havo been going on from that thai stronghold and all attempt to lu Induce them to surrender long ago fall tailed ell and the was wac presented t lo to lotho the thC commander of oC these troops or 01 the lit governor of that thai Island or 01 whoever er put pul the military force once Into action tc C allow them theta lo to continue In that stronghold strong strong- hold made matle strong h by nature ant ane made stronger h by art a place ar arstrong arstrong strong against an a assault of as Gibraltar Is against an aim as assault aull J b art artillery III cry to maintain that thai hotly body ol ci criminals that hod body of or murderers ers that gang ang of oC of r P condition which I will show you ou ha har existed over o a hundred years in thu Island of Job Jolo or clo go o to lo work tedo It te- do exact exactly what he dill did do Time Tile thing had become intolerable The mailer 1 had become a 11 cause clUse of murder mm-der of ol both bolh men inca and women and amid unparalleled as I J will show you am ane there them was no alternative but to get go gothem et them hem out of that crater There wa only one way to get et them out an am anc that was sas exactly the way that hr skill of the tIme American soldier executIng executIng Ing the command of his l superior officer of of- fleer succeeded In iii doing and thc im Is absolutely absolute right when hr tele telegraphed with full knowledge of or orall all that thai had been going tong on then therm during dining all this pet period of or time that it was a n si significant ami anc am commendable feat cat of oC arms A careful stu study of tIme the facts will Jh gir to 10 our friends on oil time the other othel side chic wh wit whore ore arc so anxious for tor the safety safely and antI hap I of oC th these se thIeves and pirate some seine information In Iii regard to the time son for of people they are arc agonizing about Here it ma may bo be well said Is a ho hoor bod hod bodor hodor or professional proCessional criminals ol organize organize- for Cor murder organized for Cor larcen piracy ella crime In every form and haing ha lma In ing no pretense of a government outlaws put out laws absolutely luti In a i. moun mountain tam lain tain pl pass S where wimer great skill had mall mad what was WI believed to be he an aim im fortress 8 an and amid after waiting for fOl more than a year aft a all III Ii had hall milled failed and It 11 became absolute but extreme force would dislodge thi V band of thieves and amid murderers th tim gallant mon men of oC the United States arm and amid marched up to the time crater three or tin four fout lays s of con constant they dr force iII Ihl it he be said taid that an any more mor force wa wit u used ed than necessary lr I deny deity it fl I J JIt should hiv ha It to bo he heald saul said that thal boon been gentler m moans moans' I point out Iut ht would have havo been con un gentler gen I r means I rivalling Sc So I conclude that the t dislodge l' I G heto bandits was d 5 that all appeals for fo a cessation of mui mu del and arson and robbery m hall hail mile of mit effect It II became time the dut duty duly of or Gel Gee oral em-al Wood and his officers to lo th these outrages with force COIC enough t accomplish the time result and ami they woj we not Hot to lo Imperil ime lives hives of their heir ow men to an extent h beyond time the abs absolu lul n necessities tics 11 it semmie to lo hn have e boon n S ski fully done domme successfully Cull done domie 1 0 a itt an when th Limo Iho is ii finally made It H Inot t I not nol to lo he lie h believed that hint there thee was us an considerable number of oC wom n a an i children sacrificed If Ir thieve there wore were th lot lol the faull ill fall upon time Iho th m n n b h month made It II Impossible to lo to destroy the ine ties nos of vipers without the Incidentals lii thu lIw were required o Strangely ng ly enough Cl Just when lIll this ii is at 01 attack attack tack Is resounding through the lie hall hallof hallof hallof of time th United States StateR congress the tho hit h ii II formation received l shows that the tho so sti SU dales ai ill tan taxi of oC Sulu SuI and his principal lim still congratulating General Wood iVind 0 o othe h h. h which thich i the lie killing of oC th time the outlaws I made possible o the he tilling of th time the field So at one ono end of thin tho line lino w we find lh tin tini 1111 i lie Iho authorities such suh as UM they are Irian Ir U ian uC of POlo Olo and ami ala ih Is principal dates datos ai am aimen men under the tIme direction of or if lie Iho leadIng load lead loading ing datos dates formed in columns and carrid car cam rid water vater lo to time the It II is sai sal that this attack was tras delayed for fOl si 11 months month whilo Governor GO Scott was en endeavoring to Lii persuade the thc outlaws t I surrender r hut but th time the defiant attitude I made it al Rt the tho loaders leaders of or the Iho outlaws Impossible to lo hope for Cur succo except by time the methods which wOre were u u used Time The curdling blood accounts of or t th ti h killing killing- cf cit women and antI it i-i-it I In h h came cam from Manila from rein time the SIJ t n I I Ial i ial al newspaper men over ovel th there m J. J r. r j 1 jing i ing jug constantly contradicted by hy thi lh h. h I n jest st t Information and yet the A 11 a i l people arc are lold told by congressman the lie world Is b being told by congiv m that thai the Iho American army has hos boon bet n Ji I Ity ty of butchery butcher and amid ii ii 1 of life Ufe and anel that the Pi cM l i ihas has indorsed it Mr 11 Chairman It is most unfix tun ate that there Is such a tendency t t make malte capital against the time good nan if namo i th time tho American people and the tho Amt rl can cun army wherever thc these c outbreak oc cur CUI |