New-York tribune., 1912-01-20


Illustrations by F. {. fohn. eVo' Pp'
XIV. 45l. Charles Scribner's Sons
General Funston denies in his brief
preface TO this book all intention Oh
writing history, least Of all military MS
tory and criticism. 1t is, he explains
nothing more than a contribution 10 the
literature of adventure" and capital ao-
venture IT is. especially in those first
four chapters, dealing with his expert
ences with the patriots in Cuba two
years befor1 the beginning OF the Span
ish war One is glad 10 find them here
reprinted from the pages Of "Scri0neT
Magazine" for they form a SPIRITED
story as good as any invented by the
writers of adventurous fiction 1t is safe
10 predict that they will be freely drawn
upon hereafter by some novelist IN
search Of local color and derring-do.
The nucleus of plot is all here: the
Cuban junta in New York. the American
volunteers successful effort to break
through the reticence Of its chiefs IN
order to be allowed to join, the secret
practice with a Hotchkiss gun over
saloon in Third avenue, the trfcking and
successful evasion Of Secret Service men
and Spanish spies on the way to the
steamer, and the landing and the fight
ing. And It is historically important
and lust to be told once more by an eye
witness that the impression, still preva-
lent IN this country, of Cuban unwilling
ness to fight, to put it mildly Is mis-"
taken one. General Funston does not
ask us merely to take his word for it;
he proves the courage Of his comrades in
arms in Cuba by giving the murderous
statistics Of their casualties In battle
during three years Of warfare. Statis-
tics are often decidedly tricky; still,
# is decidedly interesting to learn from
our author that according to the
available statistics, not quite o4UOO
Cubans had more battle fatalities in
these three years than had the several
hundred thousand. Americans who served
on land in the War of 1912, the Mexican
War. the Spanish War, and the Philip
pine insurrection. General Funston adds,
however, that the Cubans kept excep-
tionally careful records Of their casual
ties, which was decidedly not done in
the case of our earlier wars. He COM
ments also on the surprisingly large
number Of negroes Of African birth In
the ranks of the iRSlrTectOS. Most Of
them came from the same Congo re-
gion, and usually conversed in the local
dialect: and one Of them told him that
he clearly remembered his capture by
Arab slavers at the age Of ten. The
Cuban slave trade as is well known, was
clandesunely carried on for many years
after its official abolition. White Cubans
cheerfully served under negro officers,
veterans Of the ten years war, and con-
summate masters of guerilla tactics.
A welcome feature of this book is the
simplicity with which the author takes
himself and his exploits. He confesses,
with considerable humor, that he learned
TO fight long before he learned TO be a
professional soldier. His experiences at
the beginning of the Spanish war, when
he accepted the colonelcy of a Kansan
volunteer regiment because he realized
that the other man in the Governor s
mind knew just as little of military mat
ters as he did, remind one of the tradi-
tions of the early days Of the Civil War,
when the guard consented to turn out
Just to oblige the captain:
The muster into the service of the United
States, an impressive ceremony, took place
i'm Topeka on the 18th of May The only
officers and men provided with uniforms
being those who had come from the ma
tional guard, I was still in 'cits," and con-
sequently on the day OF muster-in played
a part in rather ludicrous incident. On
going out TO the camp to participate in the
ceremony, l was halted at It's boundary by
a sentry in the national guard uniform,
who informed me that visitors were not al
lowed within the limits OF the camp. re,
piled somewhat icily that was the colonel
Of the regiment. The sentry was a very
tall man, and altitude has never been one
Of my charms so the man bent his head
until his mouth was within a couple or
inches Of one Of my ears and, as a most
engaging grin overspread his features.
whispered, TRY the next sentry. He's
easy"
In the narrative of his campaigning
in the Philippines, however, General
Funston strikes the professional note
especially in his tolerant, strictly fair
attitude toward the insurgents. He was
one of many who had a certain task to
perform under orders, and ii was the
enemy's business to foil him and them.
He assures us repeatedly that Agul-
naldo was a humane man, who simply
could not control the actions Of his lieu
tenants at a distance. Still. the zest Of
battle remains in his pages. while at
the same time he echoes here and there
the sentiment of Sherman's terse die
, tum. II is not so much the carnage OF
the heat of battle as a whole, however,
as isolated instances in calmer mo-
rnents that appear to have impressed
themselves most vividly on his memory
the sudden death of a hospital order
Is. for instance. in the Philippines, shot
through the throat at the beginning Of
an engagement or more vividly still,
an earlier experience in Cuba:
AT our first camp a Cuban officer. talk
ing TO the sorely wounded Spanish com
msndant Just as I happened TO pass, said
10 him. ! thought with wretched TASTE
THAT American is the man who gave you
Your wound, as he personally sighted every
shot at the church on the last day. The
wounded officer, a very handsome and dig
lifed man with snow-whlte halr and 0eGrd,
looked at me in reproving, wondering
way, and skunk out of sight. my peace
of mind pretty badly disturbed.
For the upper class Filipinos General
Funston expresses a genuine liking and
respect. They are reserved, yet rather
courteous and hospitable, he says, but
have little sense Of humor, and are
averse to horse play" The rough,