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The Lodge Committee began in January 1902 and adjourned on June 28, 1902. It was a Senate investigation into the alledged war crimes of the Philippine-American War. Jump to: navigation, search (Some entries on this page have been duplicated on August 1. ...
Jump to: navigation, search 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ...
The Philippine-American War was a war between the armed forces of the United States and the Philippines from 1899 through 1913. ...
Ironically, a remark on November 4, 1901, to a Manila News reporter by newly promoted brigadier general General Jacob H. Smith triggered the committee that would lead to Smith's own court martial and conviction. Smith said that he intended to set the entire island of Samar ablaze and would probably wipe out most of the population.[1] Jump to: navigation, search November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ...
Jump to: navigation, search 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
Jump to: navigation, search General Jacob H. Smith was a veteran of the Wounded Knee massacre and well known among Indian campaigners. ...
Jump to: navigation, search General Jacob H. Smith was a veteran of the Wounded Knee massacre and well known among Indian campaigners. ...
Samar is an island in the Visayas, which is in the central Philippines. ...
Senator George Frisbie Hoar had been demanding an investigation after increasing evidence of war crimes from the Philippine-American War. After Smith's blatant comments, Teddy Roosevelt's apologists were forced to respond. To try and mute the investigation apologists insisted that the committee be part of the standing U.S. Senate Committee on the Philippines headed by imperialist Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. George Frisbie Hoar (29 August 1826–30 September 1904) was a prominent United States politician. ...
The Philippine-American War was a war between the armed forces of the United States and the Philippines from 1899 through 1913. ...
Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 – November 9, 1924), was a Republican statesman and noted historian. ...
Anti-imperialist justifiably feared a white-wash. Lodge had been avoiding investigating mounting allegations of war crimes so much so that the U.S. Senate Committee on the Philippines had been inactive for several months.
- The committee included anti-imperialists:
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- The committee included Republicans (who tended to be imperialists):
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The hearings often degenerated into shouting matches between the imperialists and anti-imperialists. George Frisbie Hoar (29 August 1826–30 September 1904) was a prominent United States politician. ...
Eugene Hale (6 June 1836 - 27 October 1918) was a United States Senator from Maine. ...
George Frisbie Hoar (29 August 1826–30 September 1904) was a prominent United States politician. ...
The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the Spanish-American War. ...
Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 – November 9, 1924), was a Republican statesman and noted historian. ...
Albert Jeremiah Beveridge ( October 6, 1862 – April 27, 1927 ) was an historian and United States Senator from Indiana. ...
Redfield Proctor (June 1, 1831–March 4, 1908) was an American politician in the Republican Party. ...
William Boyd Allison (March 2, 1829 - August 4, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician. ...
Julius Caesar Burrows (January 9, 1837 – November 16, 1915) was a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. ...
The witnesses
First Witness: William Howard Taft i Governer William Howard Taft had arrived in the Philippines in June 1900 with the Taft Commission to set up a civilian government. Taft was the first to testify in the Lodge Committee, and was questioned for nearly a month. As a lawyer, Taft would be assumed to have been a safe witness for the imperialists, but he conceded under questioning that "the torturing of natives by so-called water-cure and other methods" had been used "on some occasions to extract information".[3] Jump to: navigation, search William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the 27th President of the United States, and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. ...
Taft was immediatly followed by three pro-imperialist witnesses, who often made embarrassing remarks and self-damaging confessions.
Second Witness: General R.P. Hughes (i) [4]
Third Witness: David P. Barrows (i) [5]
[6] Elwell Stephen Otis (1838 - 1909) was a U.S. general. ...
Charles S. Riley and other famous letter-writing soldiers (A) Riley, a sergeant in the Twenty-sixth Regiment, described as "the son and brother of reputable men well known in Northampton", Massachusetts wrote home on November 25, 1900: Jump to: navigation, search November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ...
- Arriving at Igbaras at daylight, we found everything peaceful; but it shortly developed that we were really "treading on a volcano." The presidente, the priest, and another leading man were assembled, and put on the rack of inquiry. The presidente evaded some questions, and was soon bound and given the "water cure." This was done by throwing him on his back beneath a tank of water and running a stream into his mouth, a man kneading his stomach meanwhile to prevent his drowning. The ordeal proved a tongue-loosener, and the crafty old fellow soon begged for mercy and made full confession.... The presidente was asked for more information, and had to take a second dose of "water cure" before he would divulge.
He also stated that the town was burned to the ground. The Water Torture. ...
Before the Senate Committee Riley testified, and his testimony was confirmed, that "the presidente was tied and placed on his back under a water-tank holding probably one hundred gallons.
- The faucet was opened, and a stream of water was forced down or allowed to run down his throat. His throat was held so he could not prevent swallowing the water, so that he had to allow the water to run into his stomach. He was directly under the faucet, with his mouth held wide open. When he was filled with water, it was forced out of him by pressing a foot on his stomach or else with the hands"; and this continued "from five to fifteen minutes." A native interpreter stood directly over this man as he lay on the floor, and "kept saying some one word which I should judge meant 'confess' or 'answer.'"
When this unhappy man was taken down and asked more questions, he again refused to answer, and then was treated again. - Q. In front?
- A. Yes, on the stone walk. They started to take him inside the building, and Captain Glenn said, "Don't take him inside. Right here is good enough." One of the men of the Eighteenth Infantry went to his saddle and took a syringe from the saddlebag, and another man was sent for a can of water, what we call a kerosene can, holding about five gallons. He brought this can of water down from upstairs, and then a syringe was inserted one end in the water and the other end in his mouth. This time he was not bound, but he was held by four or five men and the water was forced into his mouth from the can, through the syringe.
Question by Senator Burrows: Julius Caesar Burrows (January 9, 1837 – November 16, 1915) was a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. ...
- Q. Was this another party?
- A. No, this was the same man. The syringe did not seem to have the desired effect, and the doctor ordered a second one. The man got a second syringe, and that was inserted in his nose. Then the doctor (Dr. Lyons, an American) ordered some salt, and a handful of salt was procured and thrown into the water. Two syringes were then in operation. The interpreter stood over him in the meantime asking for this second information that was desired. Finally, he gave in and gave the information that they sought, and then he was allowed to rise.[7]
General Arthur MacArthur (2nd time) (i) [8]
'safe' ex-soldiers i [9]
ex-Corporal Richard T. O'Brien (A) [10]
General Crozier (i) [11]
Bishop James M. Thoburn (i) [12]
ex-Captain Fred McDonald (i) [13]
Colonel Arthur L. Wagner (i) [14]
Sergant Mark Evans (i) [15]
Admiral George Dewey (i) [16]
footnotes - ^ Found in the S. Doc 166, p. 2
- ^ Benevolent Assimilation: The American Conquest of the Philippines, 1899-1903, Stuart Creighton Miller, (Yale University Press, 1982): p. 212
- ^ p. 213-214
- ^ p. 216
- ^ p. 216
- ^ p. 216
- ^ p. 218 Philippine Investigating Committee/Lodge Committee Report summary on wikisource
- ^ p. 239
- ^ p. 241
- ^ p. 241
- ^ p. 241
- ^ p. 241-242
- ^ p. 243
- ^ p. 243
- ^ p. 244
- ^ p. 244
Further Reading Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lodge Committee - The Philippine "Lodge committee" hearings (A.K.A. Philippine Investigating Committee) and a great deal of documentation were published in three volumes as S. Doc. 331, 57th Cong., 1st Session An abridged version of the oral testimony can be found in: American Imperialism and the Philippine Insurrection; edited by Henry F Graff; Publisher: Little, Brown; 1969. ASIN: B0006BYNI8
- See the extensive Anti-Imperalist summary of the findings of the Lodge Committee on wikisource. Listing many of the attrocities and the military and government reaction.
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