Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-01
THE ARMY IN FRISCO.

AC WuOl0 dudlT du Sdn FRANCISCO
has gone along SO smoothly, as far as
the observance Of law and order was
concerned, that the whole country is
constrained to admire the ability Of
the men who had in hand the task Of
establishing and maintaining order.
The reports stated that the police and
the soldiers worked together, and it
was needless, in view of the results,
to add that they worked together we'll.
or course, there was some disregard
for the law and there was some blood
needlessly shed, but when one con.
siders the many avenues which the
catastrophe opened to crime it seems
remarkable that the crimes were SO
few. 1t reflects great credit both
upon the police authorities and upon
Brigadier General Funston, who was
in charge of the troops.
Too much praise cannot be given tc
General Funston. Under circum-
stances that tried the stoutest hearts
and tested to supreme degree the
Judgment and ability of soldier, he
showed that he wac the right man in
the right place.
Without encroaching in any way
upon the authority of the municipality
the federal military commander was
probably the chief fundamentally
which saved the city from an anarchy
too horrible to contemplate. 1t was a
fortunate thing for San Francisco that
| it had within its borders an army post
and an adequate force of men to per-
form the service which proved too
vast for the police and firemen; but 1t
Uo ct1Hr ir,orNrtonf fbof hof
post was under the command of a
had the courage to do it and the tact
and good sense to act within the au-
thority Of law. In the face Of such
an emergency General Funston might
have been justified in assuming the
supreme control. 1t is probably the
fact that he was in effect the dictator
during the terrible hours which i'm
mediately followed the earthquake,
but that he did what he did "in CO.
operation with the civil authorities
assisting the police instead of super
seding them, helping instead Of direct
ing, that is to his everlasting credit,
and to the glory Of the service which
he SO well represented.
| There Is no doubt whatever that
General Funston's prompt initiative
saved San Francisco from worse dis
aster than that which has overtaken
I it, and her people from more terrible
sufferings than those which they have
had to endure. Without waiting for
authorization which the ordinary red
tape Of the army establishment re-
quired he placed the entire resources
of the post at the public service, and
had the foresight and the vision to see
instantly what was needed. He an
ticipated and gave the initiative for
the measures which have been so
splendidly responded to by the entire
country. from the congress and the
army headquarters down to the hum
blest contributor of money and stores
| in the most remote hamlet in the land.
And while the country was hurrying
to San Francisco the relief which ne
had SO promptly called for, he turned
his attention to the immediate emey-
gency, fighting fire, carrying food to
the hungry, finding shelter for the
homeless, guarding the valuables ex.
posed to the possible marauder and
taking the measures 50 vitality essen
tial to saving the city from pestilence.
he CTSdI6us WulSA WOlS SS'
sentially those of that regime, So Of
fensive to American ideas martial law
but without the features Of and preju-
dices.
All OF this is an impressive example
OF the true place of "militarism" in
the American system, and Of the splen-
l'did service of which the army is capa-
BILE in times of peace. The organiza-
ton Of the army, the power and the
resources at the command Of it's Off
GERS, fulfilled the greatest need in the
emergency, and it's readiness to rise to
the requirements Of the hour is the
nations justification for the mainte.
nance of the army in the most perfect
efficiency. The same applies, of
course, to the other military and semi
military branches Of the government
service-the navy, the revenue service
and the Marine hospital all of which
are doing valiant service at San Fran
cisco.