The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-03-13
GENERAL F0NSTON SPOKE
on WAR IN THE PHILIPPINES.
He Was the Guest Of Honor 1T Lotus
Clab-Says the Army Has Done ~
Much Good ~ 1t Could Usder the
Clrcumstaaces-Ga An Interest-
ing Talk On the Last Two Years.

New York, March TO-. Brigadier
General Frederick Funston was the
guest Of honor at a dinner given Sat
urday night at the Lotus club. More
than 800 members of the club were
present.
Among the other guests we're
Charles 8. Gleed. a prominent lawyer
Of Topeka, Kan; Frank r. McLennan
editor Of the Topeka Journal; E. T.
jeffrey. president of the Denver & Rio
Grande railway; Captain Charles d.
Coghlan. U. s. NJ; Rev. Miner Saw
age. Jacob e. Hedges, Paul Dana, and
]. H. Canfeld Of Columbia University,
who at one time taught a school in
Kansas which General Funston at.
tended when q boy.
General Funston being introduced,
said: ITO talk about the war in
the Philippines is not an agreeable
subject. but what say may aid some
OF you in forming opinions as to the
condition Of affairs in the islands.
The army has been doing as much
good as 1t could under the circum-
stances.
when Manila was surrendered to
Dewey and Merritt, some thousands
of Spaniards were in the city. In
the eyes Of the world these people
looked to US for protection, and to
have turned them over to the -uncon-
trollable mob known as Aguinaldos
army would have been the blacklist
page of American history and that a
thousand years Of repentance and res
titution would not have satisfied"
Beginning Of the War.
General Funston then. told in min
ute detail of the instances which led
to the warfare between the American
army and the insurgents, and during
the narrative told Of the shooting OF
several sentries by Filipino scouts
who had passed the lines. He said
that In the opening Of the battle be.
tween the army and the insurgents,
Major MetcaK OF the First Kansas
regiment had come to his quarters
md 49,: 'EAe dance has begun"
What dancer I asked, and the
major replied: Go out and hear it,
md went out and heard the patter-
ing Of ride balls, and that was the be-
ginning OF the war over there"
/. General Funston then said: "All
Dorts OF men get into the army.
They are good. bad and Indifferent,
but believe that s6 per cent Of the
American soldiers are q brave and
humane lot Of men. The other 6
per cent who have been writing let
'ers to newspapers have ornamented
he inside Of groghouse longer
han they have distinguished them
'elves in the held"
General Funston then mentioned
'everal instances of personal bravery
u men In the army which resulted
a their death, including Captain God.
rey and Sergeant O'Brien. He was
present when Sergeant O'Brien was
hot. and said: TT was one Of those |
vild moments that are worth 10 years |
4 humdrum existence" His listen.
RI cheered the remark.
Then General Funston said: can
I those men who have fallen since |
december. 1900, have been victims Of
) lot OF misinformed and misguided |
'eople here in the United States. II
perfectly proper for us to have all
orts OF opinions q to what We should
Q with the Philippine islands, but
Or heavens sake. let US keep them to Il
urselves until every square inch OF
hat territory recognises the sover.
lgnty Of the United States"
General Funston then gave many
xamples to show that the Filipino T
saders were not true patriots. He
the staying Of Antonio
una. who was ordered slain by
guinaldo. General Funston said
lat Aguinaldo had told him in re.
Ard to Luna's death: I had him |,
ilied simply because he would have
sen dictator instead OF myself
would you imagine GEORGE Wash.
lgton doing anything like THAR"