Morris tribune., 1902-04-05
FUNSTON DEFENDSARM
Aguinaldo's Capturer Discusses
It's Philippine Policy.
CHARGES OF CRUELTY DENIED.

Are UNITED FOR Se4f GOVERNMENT
His Opinion of Americans Who En-
courage the Insurgents.
General Frederick Funston was the
guest Of honor at a dinner given the
other night at the Lotos club, in New
York.
General Funston was seldom inter-
rupted by applause, the company being
too deeply interested in his address on
the Philippine insurrection. He said:
"There are a few facts which should
, be laid before you. When Manila sur
rendered to Admiral Dewey and Gen
eral Merritt, there were many Spanish
families, men and officers, with their
wives and children, there. 1t would
have been the blacklist page in Amer
lean history If we had surrendered
them to the insurgents, a blot that we
could not have wiped out in a thousand
years Of good conduct among the ma
tons Of the earth. The whole civilized
world would have regarded it as such.
don't suppose that Aguinaldo and his
officers would have countenanced it,
but there would have been a slaughter
the pitiful story Of 1899 and the butch
cry Of Spanish troops to realize this.
"Joint administration of the city be-
tween the Americans and the insur-
gents was not possible. The dema-
gogue Aguinaldo ordered trenches dug
about our lines from 80 to $50 yards,
and he filed them with an army of
over 10000 men. The Insurgents in
suited and provoked our men. The ex-
IRENE discipline enforced by General
Otis kept the armies from conflict.
There was the greatest patience, and
finally a sergeant on sentry duty, with
two other men, met<some insurgent Of
ficers and men, who insisted on cross
ing a bridge. He challenged them
three times, and then at one shot he
killed with his Krag one insurgent
lieutenant and one insurgent private.
The Nebraska soldier knew how to
shoot, and within minute or two the
ing against their liberators, and the
war had begun.
eff that sergeant had not fired that
good shot, he would have been liable
to discharge, dishonorable discharge
from the army. He would have suf-
fered the same If he had not killed his
own captain if that officer had refused
hra To +1o oh
cat the time of the outbreak of the
war in the Philippines the Twentieth
Kansas had seventy-five men outside
the lines on patrol duty. I was in Ma
Mia sitting on porch with Major Met
calf. l had fallen asleep, and he woke
me, saying that the dance had CON-
menced. He was right. There was
the rattle Of the Mauser coming from |
intrenched insurgents, and the trouble |
had begun.
eve hear Of the abuses and extrava- |
gances Of behavior of our soldiers in |
the Philippines. l want to testify that |
out Of our regiments 95 per cent are
brave, humane and a credit to their |
country. The other 5 per cent who are
writing to the newspapers, telling of
alleged abuses, have served more time
inside the guardhouse than they have |
in the field.
"But I would like to say a word
about those who died in the island for
their country. There was Captain
Godfrey Of New York, beloved even by
the natives, a humane and just man
without malice in his heart He died
In an ambuscade and, dying without
hatred in his heart. heard the curses
IF his men and saw the tears in their
eyes. There was Sergeant O'Brien,
who had been in the service of the
lag for twenty-five years. He was i'll
n the hospital when he learned that |
lis company must go to the front, and
re told the doctors to go lowell, q
lifferent place from the one l believe
le went to. He was shot through the
leart.
eve who have seen those we loved
o what has happened in the United :
states since January, 1900, and we ,
now that the deaths of the enemy -,
we're due to agitation in the United :
states, because they had been misguid- :
d into the belief that there were many :.
n the United States who wanted to +
ee them free.
Can you say that these Filipinos !
Who died for a dictator can be com
AIRED with the men who fought for
nd made the United States?
"AguinaIdo's ablest aid, Antonio Lu-
a, a good officer on account of his
courage, was ordered by >,
gQninald2 t. be aSsessjnated, He was y y
not down IN cold blood, | talked with =
guinaldo myself about this, and be I"
I'D me that he had the t3ian killed be-
ouse if he had not d9he so he would
ave been assassiaated himself, Would il
Gorge Washington have done that? t
"There, Was little boy in Manila S
no came to my house once in awhile. g
-e wanted to learn English and had f
otaihed a grammar In SO far as / t
build | helped him, and then one night {