The San Francisco call., 1899-10-12
"Fighting Fred" and His Stanch
Kansas Boys Escorted to Camp
Amid Wild Enthusiasm.

Z T the winter campaign be properly
conducted there is no reason why the
Americans should not be sole masters
Of the Philippines by March of next
Il year. This Is the opinion Of General
Funston Of the Kansas regiment, ex-
pressed when he arrived at the home Of
his wife in East Oakland last night.
"The situation in the islands, he said,
"has reached a stage where It Is very
easy to see how to cope with It. Ihere
must be no temporizing, no wasted SYM
pathy, no foolish sentiment; It must be
case Of fight, fight. fight. The Fflipinos
are now in such a frame Of mind that
they will not yield until they are thor
oughly thrashed and convinced that II IS
useless to oppose American arms. 90
not say this unadVisedly. l have given
the matter many months Of deep study,
and my knowledge of Spanish enables me
to converse freely with officers and pris-
oners on the rebel side and also with the
peace ENJOYS.
I'VE arrived at Manila last December,
which was two months before hosullues
broke out During those two months the
officers Of the FilipinCs frequently came
within our lines. and I discussed with
them every phase Of the situation. They
We're very high-minded, and gave me the
opinion that they thought they were well
& bic to look after themselves, and that 1t
was all very well for the Americans 10
Spain, but that, having performed that
service. we should be satisfied and leave
them alone. The best among them are
ignorant. Occasionally I find & smatter-
ing Of education, but they are absolutely
an ignorant race and incapable of self
government. It is true that they. possess
much shrewdness and are cunning, but in
reality the chief trait in their character is
treachery. 1t is this which has enabled
them to make as good q showing as they
have made, but this is no argument, nor
can it be made so, that they are capable
Of governing themselves.
"SUpposing that they were to be left
alone, the islands would be a scene of in
surrection without any possibility of re-
storing peace. Only a strong power can
take hold Of these islands, subdue the
various factions and place them on a solid
footing. I am convinced that the best
way to govern the islands IS to give them
q firm, stiff-necked colonial government,
nodded on the same lines 5 the govern
ment Of the colonies of Great Britain.
There should be q Governor General, who
should have absolute power over the civil
Government and also the command Of the
United States troops and any native
troops that 1t may be considered judicious
10 organize. This may seem strange, but
] am convinced that as soon as the rebel
lion is crushed there Will be an entire
change Of heart among large percentage
willing to carry arms under American Of
flcers.
with the So. 900 men now down there
and the additional % 900 that will be on
the ground when the November campaign
opens there will be ample to walk through
the islands. Sixty thousand troops Will
teach those Fiupinos the lesson they de-
serve. But it must not be a campaign of
temporizing. 1t must be aggressive and
persistent from the start There must be
no let-up, and no opportunity must be given
the rebels, once routed, to recover"
General Funston was asked If he thought
General Otis methods are best calculated
10 secure the desired end.
Being in the service" said he, g" I
must refrain from criucizing my superior
officers"
do you think, General, that the same
tactics that have been employed during
the past eight months will insure success
in the winter campaign"
Il do not. The winter campaigns must
be more forcible, and with the additional
men who will be there 1t can readily be
made so. There is not sufficient judg
ment permitted to the various regimental
officers. Every officer as far along down
the line as a major in command of a regi-
ment should be allowed much wider dis
cretion than has been allowed up to this
time. It is noteworthy that the most re-
markable successes under arms have been
accomplished by small bodies Of men
Small bodies can move more quickly and
are handler than larger bodies, and if
those in command Of single regiments
were given only general orders and al
lowed to exercise the discretion which
they undoubtedly have, and which they
are well qualified TO use, the campaign
will be more successful. do not exactly
mean to say that there is too much red
tape in use down there but there is too
much concentration of power and too lit
tie opportunity to act individually.
The Filipinos are no match for the
Americans on the battlefield. In one in
stance, at Caloocan, where the Kansas
troops were engaged, we lost two men,
while I personally counted 12 dead Fill
pinos. This is, of course, not a fair COM
parson, but the Americans are certainly