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‘ Law):
, , 'i‘ HIE, ‘F is TIHV ,5; ., . l
f ,MORE. REVELATIONS on I Roorisliinb, PAST. 4 ,
‘By Frederic; Franklin Schrader ' ‘ . V
IT is important to remember that in dealing with Mr. Elihu Root,
’ the inspiration and most eloquent mouthpiece of the Allies in
the United States, we are dealing with :1 person possessed of one
of the most subtle minds in America. It is said of a formerly
great factor in’ linancial operations who employed Root as his at-
torney thatllie used the words, “Other lawyers can tell me what
not to do, but Root can tell me what to do and not get caught.”
Root passed into American history with the memory of the
greatest political liiglibinder in the dirty affairs of New York City,
more than a generation ago--Boss Tweed, whose attorney he was.
Tivced was sent to prison to expiate his crimes. Root rose to be-
'come Secretary of War, Secretary of State and United States
Senator from New York. d
It is strange that neither Root nor Roosevelt raised their voices
in behalf of Belgium until shortly after the Belgian Commission
came over and called on the ex-president in the autumn of 1914.
In September of that year Roosevelt wrote in the Outlook: "We
have not the smallest responsibility for what has befallen her (Bel- '
85%)." After the Belgians had seen him he wrote: "When Ger-
many thus broke her promise, we broke our promise for failing at
once to call her to account."
Some strange, mysterious influence had worked on Roosevelt's
mind between September, 1914, and the visit of the Belgian C031‘
. mission. And it was not long after that event that Root as mys-
teriously revcrscd liimsclf and began to, denounce Germany for
her invasion of Belgium. In an address made by him in the spring
Of 1914 as president of the American Society of International Law,
be said (July number of the -Anierican-Jaimie! of 1'1ll"Wl50”“'
“It is well un ci-stood that the exercis of the right 05 59”‘
Dreservation ma , and frequently doc!-, C; ‘W3 "‘ “5 em“ b"'
Ypnd the limits of the territorial jurisdiction of the State eager-
cising it. The strongest example probably would be the mobiliza-
tion of an army -by another power immedlalely 3C1'055,‘l.‘9
.f"0ntier. Every act done byithe other DOWCI‘ ma)’ be Wnh"; .
Its own territory. Yet the‘ country th"3i"-“Ed bY “He, 5”” "
facts is justified in protecting itself by immcdm” W3" ( ,
What had transpired to change Root's mind between the Spring
of l9l4 and the summer of 1915, when he first began f0 “ii”
Public denunciations of.Germany for doing what as Pftfsldelft 9‘
the American Society bf Ihternational‘Law he had so lucidly 105"‘
lied her in doing to protect herself P.
I RECENTLY showed that Mr. Root with the decreP3t“d9 0‘ age
has developed a lamentable lapse of memory “'3” 35,3 "5'
markable facility for changing his opinions -accordlnt: 30 ““"“”'f'
stances. He forgot that he stands accused by 3 ‘70mm‘,it“ "f ‘?‘“‘”’
can citizens of supplying one of the blackest chap“?! "1 0"’ h‘swr?"
in his address on the “enslavemcnt of Belgium" 3‘ Camhgie
.H3”. Dcceinber 15 last, he drew this picture 05 ‘hi’ German amen
‘“ claim: I . . d we
"In Roman times the standard of mud?“ pmmite liii
Carrying off of slaves to the mines:.Dc1’m1“‘d afgpimg
0 Drisonersfpermitted the sacking of towns. S bad as.
0f the Thirty Years Wat‘. 0133855 ldmmt 3 ' ecord
(those whch h ’ b er etrated in .Bt'-181"“ “"3" "‘ 3
' 3” cc" P p ld- but we thought
“’"h the practice and acquiesence of the wor , d ct that
that we had been building up new standards of co;
l e world had grown more compassionate, and mo tabmhing
and it had. The public opinion,0“h" W.0'.1“ “’“ff ,1 of con-
had established. a more humane and Christian 5”.“ “W beaten
duct. both in Deace andrin war. That standard 1,9‘ “"8 ‘wnain
dP‘Vn. it is ‘destroyed.’ it is set at nauizht And ‘ Win silent
Silent. if therzreat neutral iJc0PlC5 0f lb’ world “ma ’
e standard is gone forever." ' .
. he-1'e,is more of this in the same V
‘if 3 paid attorney in a desperate case. VVl13t
9 is accused of havin beaten down these very . .
“OH while Secretary if ‘Var under Roosevelt. The accusation is
‘,1! these words:‘ ' . A V i
. "Mr. ‘Root; then. is the real defendant “‘ ‘i“c;,,%f,;,,'i,-ha:
‘ "5SDonsibilitY for what has disgraced“: Atmge investigated.
i is door. "He is conspicuogslx the gwiggvg that ha 35 mg .
3 standard of humanity me duty of investigating charges
I! - I I
gm, the heart-rendini-I 50135
Root ‘forgot was that
135? Person to‘be charged with
. W ’<h.'lf proved. recoil on him.
. 1
standards of civiliza- '
This indictment bears the names of Moortield Storey, Julian Cod-
man, George Francis Ada.ms,.Carl Schurz, Edwin Burritt Smith
and Herbert Welsh. ( , ‘ V ‘ I
The attempt has been made‘ to whitewash.Root of his record as
the destroyer of the standardsof civilization; as the man who,
these men said, “disgraced,the American name,” and at whose door
the real responsibility for the Philippine atrocities shouldnightfullyp
be laid. Root had his friend Lodge in the Senate to aid him in
hushing up testimony that was printed ‘at the time in every news-
paper in the land and proclaimed from every housetop by those '
who witnessed and participated in the atrocities. Henry Loomis
Nelson wrote to the Boston Herald, July‘ 28, 1902: ,’l
“Freedorntof speech on thissubject wouldrbe exceedingly,
dangerous. It is quite probable that when Gen. Smith comes
home, there may be further talk, in which event the (war) de-I
partment will endeavor to silence it; for silence on this subject .
is to be enforced. if possible. This incident in the history of
our warfarelin the Philippines is to be considered as closed,
it’ those who are responsible for the war can enforce their
determination on the subject. 4 Mr. Lodge’: committee will -’
probably never resume the investigation. wliich therefore (e- -,
‘iults in nothing; and the Republican ngzuspapers will help him
suppress the dangerous truth.” ' " ( 1 ' '
HE committee named above tested Mr. Root’s statements and
explanations. In their reportrtlieyprinted the statements as
well as sworn testimony brought out at courts martial but never
-permitted to reach the public through any other channel, for. Root
had to be saved, and to dose court proceedings were quashed and
annoying witnesses transferred to distant posts in order to protect
“the man higher up." What faith these eminent men'had in Root's it
charaetei‘ may be gathered from their conclusion& ' .
“That the statement of Mr. Root, whether as toithe origin of t
the war, its progress, or the methods by‘which it has been
prosecuted, have been untrue.” 7' . . 7
And this passage: ‘ . ‘. . ’ ‘
A "What weight ctm>hi'.r ‘coimtr men give to’ his (Rookie)
woydr; even in a long-com-idere and most important otiicial
enmmunicaliaiif Where in the Secretary's letter is there a note
‘of genuine manly indignation’ at, General Smitlfs inhuman
order? Wbsl is it but the best apology which he can make
for order: that would ..r:em: black in the annals of Turkey?’ .
AENERAL Smith‘ admitted titanic gave the orders to which
' these passages refer that "wotild seem black in the annals of ’
Turkey.” He. justified thernl "He " did not excuse them on the’
ground that his words were reckless tadk, not understood as an
order and not intended to be obeyed,” says the report. “On the
contrary, months after the act, when on trial for an ofeaise which
shocked the moral sense. of mankind, his counsel deliberately ad- ‘
mitted that General Smith ‘wanted everybody killed capable of bear-
ing a'rm:I’:” (PEEC 35)- V 3 if ' '
It is not necessary to go to the Thirty Years’ War to find an
analogyto the acts committed by the Germans in Belgium. Thty
can be cited by the score against Elihu Root‘ while Secretary of
War under his fellow-agitator,’ ‘Roosevelt. In his own letter to
the President of July 12, 1902, Root quoted General .Smith's order: ‘
“I want no prisoners.s I wish you to kill and burn; the i
more you kill and burn, the better you will please me."
The age limit was placed at ten years! The Manila ,Ti1iic.r‘oi‘.
, . V! I
March 15, 1902, wrote as follows:
. “In several instances natives who were captured were tied '
to trees and submitted to a series of slow tortures that finally
resulted in death,‘ in some instances the victims living ‘for
. an-cg or four days. The treatment was the most cruel and
brutal imaginable. Natives were tied to trees, and in order
to make them give confessions, they were shot through the
5 legs and left thus to suffer through the night, only to be
given a re etition of the treatment the next day, in some
instances t e treatment lasting as long as four days before
the miserable creatures were relieved by death."
It is an otiieer ofhistorle‘ name, then serving in the Philippines,’
, whose wife, at his request, wrote to the Philadelphia Ledger :1 let-
ter which was published
writersaid: V - or > .v ,
. “Our men have been relentless, HAVE KILLED TO EX-
.'rERMINATE MEN. WOMEN AND CHILDREN, PRIS-
November 11. 1901, and in whiclithe
‘ ONERS‘ ANDCAPTIVES, active insurgents and suspected '
an