Kootenai County Republican. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1899-1903, 1902-03-14
GENERAL FUNSTON SPOKE
ON WAR IN THE PHILIPPINES,
he was the Guest Of Honor nj Lotus
Gi"h-Says the Army Has Done as
much Good an II Could Under the
Circumstances-6av nm roteress.
Ing Talk ON the Last Two Years,

General Frederick Funston was the
guest OF honor at dinner given Sat.
urday night at the Lotus club. More
than 300 members OF the club were
present
Among the other guests were
Charles S. Gleed. prominent LAWYER
Of Topeka. Kan: Frank r. McLennan
editor of the Topeka Journal: L. T.
jeffrey, president OF the Denver & Rio
Grande railway; Captain Charles p
Coghlan. q. S. N: Rev. Miner Say.
age, Jacob +. Hedges. Paul Dana. and
J. II. Garfield OF Columbia University.
who at one time taught a school in
Kansas which General Funston at
tended when a 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.
Inc army has been doing as much
good as IT 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
nave 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
utution 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 Metcalf OF the First Kansas
regiment had come to his quarters
and said: The dance has begun"
What dance? l asked, and the
major replied: Go out and hear it,
and l went out and heard the patter-
ing OF rifle balls, and that was the be-
ginning OF the war over there"
General Funston then said "AH
sorts OF mon get into the army.
They are good. bad and Indifferent.
but believe that IS per cent of the
American soldiers are a brave and
humane lot Of men. The other s
per cent who have been writing let
tiers to newspapers have ornamented
the inside of groghouse longer
than they have distinguished them.
selves in the field"
General Funston then mentioned
several instances OF personal bravery
of men in the army which resulted
in their death, including Captain God
frey and Sergeant O'Brien He was
present when Sergeant OBrien was
shot. and said: 1T was one of those
wild moments that are worth 10 years
OF humdrum existence" His listen
ers cheered the remark
Then General Funston said: "All
OF those men who have fallen since
December, 1900. have been victims of
lot of misinformed and misguided
people here in the United States. II
is perfectly proper for us to have all
sorts of opinions as TO what we should
do with the Philippine islands. but
for heavens sake. let us keep them 10
ourselves until every square inch of
that territory recognizes the soyer-
eighty Of the United States"
General Funston then gave many
examples to show that the Filipino
leaders We're not true patriots He
mentioned the Staying Of Antonio
Luna. who was ordered slain by
Aguinaldo. General Funston said
that Agunaldo had told him in re.
gard to Luna's death 4 had him
killed simply because he would have
been dictator instead Of myself
Would you imagine George Wash
ington doing anything ike that"
asked General Funston.
The general said there was mot
one of the so-called Filipino patriots
who could not be convicted of murder
if he was tried by Jury. He declar-
ed that there had never been war
in the worlds history where the sol /
diers had shown such humanity as
had the American troops in the Philip |
pine islands. He then told OF "a |
American soldiers who had joined the I
Filiuinos and who were afterwards |
and executed as traitors. |
and then said:
There are many men in the United /