The Scandal Breaks, April 1902

Abstract

In April 1902, the anti-imperialists finally began to get the upper hand in the debate over atrocities. The Committee on the Philippines called four witnesses who had seen or participated in the water cure, and their detailed and credible testimony established the reality of the water cure in the minds of the American public. The committee also discovered that the administration had withheld some information from Congress, making for further headlines about a possible cover up. Finally, American newspapers reported on the court-martial of Major Anthony T. Waller, who defended himself against charges of killing prisoners by accusing his commanding officer, Major General Jacob H. Smith, of ordering him to kill all males on Samar over the age of ten.