Evening star., 1902-03-15

wishes to go there. The prospective re-
trements of Maj. Gen. Otis, comman nding
the department of the lakes, and Maj. Gen.
Brooke, commanding the department of the
east, will necessitate an early rearrange
ment of department commands.
The expectation is strong that Gen. Fun
ston will be assigned to the command of
military department in the United States,
but which one will not be settled until the
Secretary of War has had an opportunity
to consider the general question and ascer-
tain Gen: Funstons wishes in the matter
Gen. Otis will retire on March %, and
Brig. Gen. j.. S. Rates. comma nding the
department of the Missouri will succeed
TO the temporary command of the depart
ment of the. lakes Maj. Gen. Macarthur,
commanding the department of the colo
rado, has been elected to succeed Gen.
Otis at Chicago, but that change will not
be made until the War Department has
made its plans for a rearrangement of com
mands. There is now a vacancy in the
command Of the department. of Texas and
another in the department Of Dakota 1t is
therefore likely that Gen Funston will be
assigned to either of those commands or
that of the Colorado when Gen. Macarthur
is transferred. The question will. probably
be settled this week
Conditions in the Philippines
When asked by an Evening Star reporter
this afternoon as to the conditions in the
Philippines. Gen. Funston replied:
Il have been away from the Islands so
long that | fear l am not up to date AT
the time | departed from there December
ID last. the war was confined to the Island
OF Samar and the province of Batangs,
which is on the Island of Luzon. All the
rest of the archipelago was almost COM
paratively at peace. the insurgent leaders
having come in and given up their arms.
in my old command, at the time / came
away. l think it was safe for Americans
to have gone anywhere without protection.
'Provincal governments had been estab-
hshed by the commission and they appear
ed to be getting along well, although not
sufficient time had elapsed to know just
how well. The provisional governors and
treasurers were Americans. The people in
that particular region. the fourth district
of northern Luzon, comprising six prov
inces having a popula tion of 75O OCa while
apparently not over friendly to Americans
were seeminly Indifferent. What they
seemed to want above everything else was
peace
The conditions in that district were a
fair sample Of conditions in other parts Of
the archipelago. except Samar and Batan-
gas. where war continues to this day. All
through the sixth district little material
damage is shown to have been done as the
result OF the war. For two years the fields
have been cultivated. the people have lived
in their homes and have gone about their
occupations without ninura nee. So 1t will
be Seen that there was net a radical
change in the conditions from war to
peace.
THAT country is freer from bandits than
even under Spanish rule. Life and prop
erty are safer than ever before. A great
deal of credit is due the constabularly as
we'll as the army. The constabulary has
taken hold with the civil government and
has captured or killed many of the BAN
dts who caused so much trouble. Outside
OF Samar and Batansas the American
troops are doing merely garrison duty,
practically the same as the soldiers do at
the army posts in the United States. There
is practically no scouting
Allegations Of Capt. Detchemendy.
Gen. Funston's attention was called to
the allegations of Capt. Detchemendy, who
tions that led to the capture of Aguinaldo,
and who is said to feel aggrieved because
he was not given the opportunity to make
son.
Capt. Detchemendy had absolutely MOTH
ing to do with the capture of Agu.naldo or
any of the preliminary work that led to
the capture" Gen. Funston said. "He had
no more to do WITH 1t fnan if he had been
located in Washington at the time Lieut.
]. d. Taylor of the 21st Regiment to whom
the correspondence was SURRENDERED. and
who sent the same to me, was given all
the credit for the same in my report and
he recs iVed eongratuiatofy letters and tel
egrams from his supcrinrs.
"A charitable view should be taken ef
the remarks of Capt. netchemendy because
isolated post away from the outside world
for couple Of years. and this possibly
may have had some bad effect He was a
very good officer and performed his duty