BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-21
SANJUAN, MARCH d
Gen. FuntOn And
The Philippines

The Philippines.
On Friday night last, before the Lotos
Olub of New York O,ty, General Frederick
Funston, the capturer of Aguiualdo, made
seme startling disclosures relative to the
American our lpolioy in the Philippines,
and the true status of affairs there. At .
later date the BOLETIN will publish Dthis
address in fuli, having received an advance
of the same through the courtesy of New
York daily paper. In connection with this
speech there is one great trouble that is, that
General Funston could not have had an
Audience before him composed entirely OF
sati-imperlal.sts and obstructiouists, 80 that
s. cir voices might now be stilled forever.
It was the favorite remark of Carl Scburs,
whom he was on the stump for Bryan in
1900, that he defisd anybody to fad ''n the
history Of the world single act Of peridy
committed by any republic more infamous
than tkatw kich has been committed by the
Mo Kinle administration sgains. our FIJI
pino alliesn. Well, Gen. Funston cites the
answer which the civilized world will accept
90 final to this demand. His account of the
outbreak OF hostilities, agreeing as it does
with that of other authorities and with all
documentary evidence, will shut the mouths
Of eli antis for all time; or, if it does not
shut their mouths, it will shut the ears OF
the world against them. Not only have
they been bssing their opposition to their
own country and 10 their own couutry's sol.
diers in the Philippines on false grounds,
invented for that purpose by themselves,
but upon their heads rests the responsibility
for the deaths on both sides during
the past two years. The charge that the
Mckinley administration broke faith vi b
the Filipinos, committed what Mr. Schurz
called an act OF s.infamors perfdy," is abso
lutte fslsehood, 90 proved by Aguinaldo him-
self. When Gen. Funston asked him, soon
after his capture, Did you ever have any
promise from anybody, any American army
or navy officer, that the United States seas
going to recognize the Elipinos~ Aguinal.
do replied: No, nobody promised rs any.
thing; but We had faith in the generosity Of
the American people,. That is full COZ.
r0boration of the statement of Mabini, pre-.
sident of Aguinaldo's cabinet, found in bis
Official papers and first made public by Se-
eretary Root in the campaign OF 1900: ''Tie
ehief Of the Philippine people has not made
any agreement with the government OF the
United States.n
What has induced them to resist the
United States for two yearsf Read Gen.
Funston's answer:
81 am going to say something vhich l hope
yop gentlemen will not criticiss am going
70 say it just as mildly as can, but we who
have seen cur men killed, who have seen
our men die of typhoid fever, Gle Of dysentery
In the hospitals, and who have buried them
in hundreds OF nsmeless graves in the Phi
ippine Islands, feel bitterly about this
subject. Ali Of those MEN who have fallen
since the month of January, 1900, have
died not because the Filipinos really had
much heart in fighting against Us, but be
cause they we're kept mp by q lot of misinfor.
med and misguided people here in the Unit.
ID States.
have been told by "a number Of insur-
gent officers OF high rank, after their sur
render or after their capture, that they were
kept up solely after January, 1900, by the
hope that the people Of the United States
would compel the government to Withdraw
from the islands. was told that without
any hesitstion whatever BY even so reserved
msn % Aguinaldo himself. was told
that BY the notorious Alejsndrino, by Luna,
by Pablo Tecsen; none of these men made
any secret of it st all.
II cannot be claimed that the first part OF
the war should have been the end OF it al
Ill; the first part Of the war was s5solu:ely |
unavoidable; 1t could not have been avoided, |
but VIXEN the insurgent army went to pieces |
in January, 1900, when they broke up into
bands Of guerYillas then the thing would |
have stopped; they would have turned in
thsir arms and given up, and ell the hun
dreds Of lives and all tke millions OF money |
expended since that time would have been
sAyedn.
What OF the Flipinos who have been con
dusting this war under the encouragement, |
Of the men scho have not been blushing
Ia this Unieni Rssd What Gen Fans
ton said Of thtm in this speech. ssAli the /
insurssnts, from AguInaldo down to the
meanest Of them, are murdersrs. They
eouins their dsvllish effort mostly against
tho peacsfnl aud friendly Filipino, They
barn natives, alive, bury them alive and
threw them inte wells when they suspect
tlAt they have shown sympathy 10 Amer
icans.p This ID net new; it has been said
~ Governor TAFT and By everybody else
Wko has bsen on the spot and acquired
exsot knowlodgs Of the facts in the case.
Will the anfis believe il noss, or will they Il
oall Gen. Funston . liar, OF sn opprsssor,
of that most Ioathsome q ell things to sl
snti. Cd Hoptinistiu The antis are not op.
linisls. on, mol An optimist not cnIy
Iakes sides with his own country, bat hes
hfkh in her ability TO solve all problems 70
4kIeb she puts her hand, and 70 solve them,
'eo, ID soeordsnes with right and justice |, ,