The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-05-13

Now that the glamour incident to
the capture OF Aguinaldo by General
Funston has in a treasure worn OF,
the country and especially military
men. begin to ask the question was
the feat and the methods employed
by General Funston to accomplish It,
at that character emitting him to the
honors and the acclaim which first
greeted mis- name2
In actual war any art or artifice,
strategy or deception, designed TO
mislead, deceive ana throw the enemy
of his guard, is recognized and prac-
tised among military commanders Of
all nations, but forgery is not one OF
the elementary arts recognized in the
military codes and ethics of belliger-
ents in the field, and It seems to have
been left for two thousand years for
General Funston to introduce it as
one of the sciences OF modern war
fare.
He captured Aguinaldo, as he him
self admits, not in open and fair con-
test, not by any strategical move
ment where genius and generalship
required the exercise of military tai
ent not by deceptive display of SUI
perior force or the celebrity OF any
military movement, or the employ
ment of any superior art known TO
military tactics, but by straight out
forgery Of letter purporting to have
been written and signed by Filipino
officer-the corade and eonfidante
and bosom friend OF the Filipino
chieftain
Funston, himself, boastingly says.
that this was how it was done, and
since he admits this TO be the true
version of the affair his most ardent
eulogists will hardly undertake to say
the contrary.
Deceptive information conveyed
by letter, couriers, messengers, vi
dettes, or any otlAer means. designed
to fall into the hands of the enemy
and thereby mislead him as to the
purposes and condition of the oppos-
ing forces, is legitimate and has been
recognized and practiced by the com
manders of all armies as an element
In the science of war, but one may
scan in vain the pages OF military
achievements for a precedent parallel
ing that which conidenceG Aguinal.
do and daubed Funston a military
hero.
General Macarthur in his testi-
mony before the committee of CON
gress, says Mat he planned and set on
foot the expedition which resulted in
the capture OF the Filipino chieftain,
but It will be observed that he no
where intimates that the forgery part
o fthe scheme was his conception.
That was the conception OF Funston
alone General Macarthur is an edu-
Gated and trained soldier, familiar
with the ethics of war, and had he
been present and in command of the
expedition he would have treated
with scorn such a suggestion. Nor
do we believe that the ohivalrous
spirit OF President Roosevelt himself
a gallant officre in the Spanish-Ameri-
can war, sanctions or approves of the
Funston forgery by which Aguinaldo
was entrapped.
II did not require military genius to
conceive and execute such a forgery.
1t was an act which the commonest
ward hummer might have conceived,
though possibly lacking the bravery to
have executed Il. The only redeem
ing feature OF the whole transaction
is the fact, which none deny, that
General Funston is a man of courage
and unQuestioned gallantry, and It
viii remain a source Of regret to his
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