An early, sharply anti-imperialist editorial on U.S. crimes in the Philippines. A century before Abu Ghraib ‘waterboarding’ was widely used by the U.S. military beginning with the 1898 occupation. Sarcastically, sadistically referred to as a ‘water cure’ by the ‘brutes in blue,’ stories of the barbaric practice came to the United States with returning soldiers. This blistering denunciation from the Socialist Party of San Francisco peddles in none of the sentimental deference to the Empire’s soldiers that too much of the left have done since. Instead it connects U.S. barbarism overseas with an expanding empire grown fat on the barbarism employed at home. Though a trial was held (ending in acquittal) and investigations undertaken, no changes were made. The opposite in fact; waterboarding soon became a regular feature of the American prison, notably against Wobblies, political prisoners, and conscientious objectors. No doubt administered by many former soldiers turned prison guards, the spiritual and social ancestors of the ghouls of Abu Ghraib.

‘Our Gallant Brutes in Blue!’ from The Advance (San Francisco). No. 402. April, 1902.

Carrying ‘Civilizations’ and ‘Christianity’ to the Filipinos—The Cause of It.

THE court-martial appointed to try Major Waller has acquitted him. This was to be expected. The whole gang that makes up the army is tarred with the same stick of cruelty and bloodthirstiness and to convict Waller would be to condemn them. Hence, the acquittal.

But the testimony elicited and brought to light important facts as to the methods employed by “our” soldiers and the results obtained. The whole business is one which exposes military rule in all its enormity and savagery. Altho some of the daily papers have given pretty full accounts of the investigation, some of the testimony is well worth reprinting.

Major Cornelius Gardner, Civil Governor of Tabayas, reports as follows:

“Of late, by reason of the conduct of the troops, such as the extensive burning of the barrios in trying to lay waste the country so that the insurgents cannot occupy it; the torturing of natives by so-called water cure, and other methods, in order to obtain information; the harsh treatment of natives generally and the failure of inexperienced, lately appointed lieutenants commanding posts, to distinguish between those who are friendly and those unfriendly, and to treat every native as if he were, whether or not, an insurgent at heart, this favorable sentiment above referred to is being fast destroyed and. a deep hatred toward us engendered.

“The course now being pursued in this province, and in the provinces of Batangas, Laguna and Samar is, in my opinion, sowing seeds for a perpetual revolution against us hereafter whenever a good opportunity offers. Under present conditions the political situation in this province slowly retrograding and the American sentiment [sentence ending obscured in original].

The method of obtaining information, the water-cure for stubbornness, rivals in brutality anything savage tribes ever perpetrated. Here is a description:

Washington, April 1s. Testimony was given before the Philippines Committee of the Senate today by two volunteer soldiers, of the tortures of a Filipino official by the “water-cure” under the direction of an officer of the regular army, with an officer of volunteers standing by an army surgeon present to see that the tortures were not carried to a fatal point.

Sergeant Charles S. Riley, formerly of the Twenty-sixth Volunteer Infantry, who spent eighteen months in the Philippines, was the first witness. When asked if he had ever seen the “water-cure,” he replied in the affirmative and gave the following description of the torture:

“It was on Nov. 27, 1900, at the town of Icbarras. The Presidente of the town was the victim. He was stripped to the waist and his hands were tied behind him. Captain Glenn of the Eighteenth United States regulars stood beside him, together with one or two men. There was a tank on the floor above. The Presidente refused to answer a question as to whether he had sent out runners to announce the arrival of the United States troops. He was then placed under the water tank. His mouth was held open and the water was allowed to run from the faucet into his mouth, so that he had either to swallow it or strangle to death. After the victim intimated by a sign that he was ready to speak he was allowed to sit partly up; then he answered.”

The witness said the Presidente again refused to answer questions. This time a syringe was placed, one end in the water and another in the Presidente’s mouth. This did not work well and a second syringe was sent for. One end was placed in the man’s nostrils and a handful of salt was put into the water. Lyons, an American contract surgeon, superintended the operation. The victim soon gave up the information under this treatment, admitting that he had sent runners out to inform the insurgents that the Americans had arrived, and to look out for them. That night the town was burned by orders of Captain Glenn, who was then Judge Advocate of the Department of Visayas.”

William Lewis Smith, a soldier of the same regiment, confirmed the above testimony and said that Dr. Lyons stood by to see that the torture was not carried too far.

How considerate our officers were in having a surgeon who should see that the hapless victim was not strangled quite to death! A dead presidente would be unable to testify. But one who had been almost killed would be more docile next time.

Major Waller says he believes he did right and charges the natives with cruelty. But we have yet to hear of their practicing the water-cure on American soldiers, or using any other method of torture to make them betray their countrymen. In American history we cannot recall any such actions by the British against the colonists nor by the Union men against the Confederates. It seems reserved for Imperialism in its modern civilizing and Christianizing form to practice such barbarities. It would seem in order to amend the constitution of the United States and repudiate the principles of the Declaration of Independence. Let it hereafter be known that “All men have rights to life and liberty–except Filipinos.” “No cruel or unusual punishments shall be inflicted–except upon Filipinos.”: “All government shall be by the consent of the governed–provided, that in the Philippines the water cure shall be used to obtain consent.”

But why these amendments? What is the cause of the change that has come over “the spirit of our institutions”? It is very simple.

Until 1898 the commercial or capitalistic interests had been developing within the United States. In the vast resources and wide field for new enterprize and in the rapidly growing population was found plenty of opportunity for capital to invest and a great enough market for its products. But with the rapid growth of industrial organization, economical methods of work and labor-saving machinery by 1898 WEALTH PRODUCTION IN THE U.S. HAD OUTRUN THE POPULATION. In the words of Chauncy M. Depew, “We created $2,000,000,000 worth more of goods than we could consume.” Hence the “hammering on the Gate of Pekin” and the conquest of the Philippines. In other words, the same power that works men, women and children until they go into an early grave after lives of poverty and wretchedness, the trust that ruthlessly tramples over the rights of all here in the United States directs the ravages of the brutes in blue abroad and for the sake of new fields of investment and foreign markets instigates the subversion of every human right and sanctions every outrage.

We are in receipt of a letter from the United States Export Association, whose motto is, “Our field: the world: population 1,440,000,000.” This is an organization formed for the purpose of promoting the interests of the Trust. In the letter received it substantiates our statement that the trust or capitalist power is behind the foreign market move and it is the greed for foreign markets that has given us the Philippines to conquer. It is useless, therefore, to merely protest against the brutality of Imperialism in the Philippines. Imperialism is always maintained by militarism and the soldier of aggression is of necessity a cruel brute. The water-cure is simply another crime of capitalism and another incentive to overthrow the Imperial capitalist trust and establish the Fraternal Co-operative Workers’ Republic.

Advance began as The Class Struggle, the official paper of Section San Francisco of Daniel De Leon’s Socialist Labor Party, launched as a weekly in 1896. In 1900 the paper was taken over by George B. Benham and allied with the Social Democratic Party (Springfield) Massachusetts, the name changed to Advance and Emil Liess as editor. The paper became the official organ of the Local San Francisco, of the Socialist Party of America when it was formed in 1901 and ran for another few years before financial difficulties closed its doors.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/class-struggle-advance/020419-advance-w402.pdf