Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-10-15
HIGH PRAISE FOR FUNSTON.
Volunteer officer From Washington
Snys He Was the Hero of the
Philippines.

Philippines.
SAN FRANCISCO. Oct 1O-(Specfal cor
respondcnce) San Francisco is undoubtedly
the most patriotic town on earth. She has
a Gcsged peIsistency in patriotism, which
contrasts most favorably with the fire
cracker brand Of the article. She does not
izz for brief moment and then eXpend
herself in a single explosion which fills
the air with smoke and scattered fragments
and then is followed by silence as pro-
found as the grave. For each regiment
which returns from the Orient she seems
10 make more noise and extend a more en-
thusiastic welcome than for those which
came before. and in this manner she is CIV
ing our common country a magnificent ex-
ample o: devotion to the nag.
On Tuesday the city was in an uproar
over the arrival Of the Washington regi-
ment. For miles the streets Were packed
with citizens as the Washington boys
marched by on their way TO the Presidio.
whistles were blown, bands played. can
mons roared. throats were stretched and
above ell sounded the shrill voice of a
steam siren playing Home, Sweet Home"
1t was splendid and soul-stirring.
In the person OF Lieutenant Colonel W. ].
Fife, of the Washington regiment, The
Journal correspondent met an old friend.
der why You went back TO Kansas after
living IN Washington, the best state on
earth. But l understand 1t now. 4 man
might live live in hell II II he had com
They are the rouSh-and-ready, never-fail-
to-get-there boys for me- A man loves his
own children the best. but next to my own
regiment l would rather do service with
General Funston ana the Twentieth Kansas
than any other troops on earth"
II is perhaps not surprising that Colonel
Fife should feel SO enthusiastic about the
Kansas boys He is built somewhat on the
al Funston he loves
fight and the sound of human carnage. He
is feeling sorely the scandal under which
his regiment comes home. The papers here
have been hlled with accounts OF The al
legged cowardice of Colonel Wholly, the
commander, and it is said that q court
martial IS TO follow. Colonel Wholly is a
regular army officer who happened to be
attached to the Seattle university at the
time the war broke out, and he was ap-
pointed colonel of the Washington regl-
ment by Governor Rogers. 1t is said by the
San Francisco Chronicle that no fewer than
nine charges have been preferred against
the colonel before General Otis at Manila,
as the result of a confidential! investiga-
tion set on foot by the military authorities.
The Chronicles article says:
The specifications charge Colonel Who'll
ley with cOwardice at San Pedro Macati on
several different counts. II Is averred that
ne would run and duck and dodge bullets
and seek to avoid danger when the other Of
Ncers held their ground. On one occasion il
s said that in his haste to get to the rear,
his hat blew of. but he did not stop to re-
cover IL and afterward sent d private back
to the firing line TO lind II. On the trip up
IagIIDa de Bay il is charged that Colonel
WhOlley concentrated the troops in the rear
about his own person, while Major J. ].
Weiscnburger was isolated at the front
with a portion of one company and sub
jected TO great danger. II il further said
that 1t was due to the gallantry of the
major and to the bravery of his men that
the company WAS saved.
''IucDmpCfgICe at PaSi- also 1gureS IN the
charges. 1t Is said that Colonel Whoiley
made no preparation fcr defense. and sent
two companies, A and =, across Il creek
without scouts, and in the darkness, to at
tack insurgents who were only thirty yards
distant and whose strength he did not
know. To this blunder. IL is charged, was
due the death of Captain Fortson and two
enlisted men and the wourdinS of five 9TH
ers. II Is also charged that Colonel Who'll
ley 'bolted TO the rear at the first fire III
this fight. and confined himself thereafter
to a safe retreat in a church, giving no or
ders during the engagement, even neglect
ing to send out ammunition to the men on
the firing line and aftcrward making false
report OF the affair.
| 'Iieutenant Colonel McCaskey, of the
| Twenty-first infantry. and General Hughes
provost marshal of Manila preferred the
charges of loOting, which embrace the pill
| laying of the houses OF natives and the
| seizing Of furniture, nianos. dishes. etc.
which he had boxed Up and labeled as the
property of the First Washington rcgi-
| ment. a.,
and men of the regiment that Colonel
Whollcy WIS jealous of Lieutenant Colonel
Fife. who wanted to dash in and fight at
every OuDortunity. He once caused the
| court-nlartiaIing Of Colonel Fife, because
| the latter gave basket of champagne to
| a military band which had serenaGed the
officers of the Washington regiment on
| Thanksgiving day. Colonel Fife thus be-
came guilty of a technical breach of mil
| Itary law and lie was punished by suspen-
! sion for thirty days, with the result OF
| broadening the factional differences in the
In the course of his talk with The Journal
| correspondent. Colonel Fife said:
| Il think General Funston IS the real hero
of the Philippines war. II was not because
| he swan a river somewhere or made
spectacular charge once in awhile, but be-
cause he kept eVerlastingly at II and did
| the brave and necessary things at the right
| time. | was in the Army and Navy Club
at Hong Kong the other day and an oftcer
nresent eNpressed the opinion that Funston
was n mere adventurer, the fortunate pos
SCISSOR OF good luck and all that sort of
| thing II made me mad and ! announced
| 10 the gentlemen present that | personally
would resent any disparaSement OF the lit
| tie general from Kansas. The topic OF
conversation was changed, significantly
| concluded the lieutenant colonel from
Washington
| ant Colonel Ed Little in Yokohama, Colonel
| title being there in advance of his regi-
uent IT was very much pleased with Col
nnei Little" said he. and ] am glad that
.,our regiment IS coming home without any
internal dissensions which will take the
! lustcr of its glory
| -z-o,, s,r.yrn natn IT