Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-29
GIN. FUNSTON
BACKS M'CARN
:. ON PUG|LISM
: .EHIM OUIUHHN
MHNW
Department Commander Fa-
!. yors Action of U. S. Attor-
Iley in Closing Lid III.

There VIII be no more fighting, box
ing, punch trading, or whatever else
You please to call the manly art in the
territory OF Hawaii, while United
States District-attorney Jeff McCarnI
holds, sffice. McCarn has put on the
lid, and expects to sit ON 1t for further
orders. When the federal statute pro-
hibiting an encounter between man
and man, or a fight between man
and a bull or. any other animal, for
money or for any other thing Of value,
or for any championship" was first
quoted by Mccain, relative 10 the 10
cal situation, IL became apparent that
there would be no more open fights
in Honolulu, such as have been held
at the Bijou. Liberty and other the
aters, staged by local promoters. The
general opinion has prevailed, how.
ever, that the ES-my reservations
would be exempt and that the fight
cards at Schofield Barracks, Ruger.
and other posts. would be continued.
In fact, it was figured that these
posts would become the fight centers
of the community, and that the boxing.
game would flourish in proportion to-
its curtailment off the reservations.
Had the commanding general Of the.
Hawaiian Department been q strong
advocate. OF boxing, and q believer in
its beneficial effects on soldiers, 1t is
possible that the United States Dis
trict Attorney might have kept his
hands off the military. and let the
Lrmy run its own amusenaeIits, but, as
matter OF fact, Brigadier-ge general
Funston does not advocate prize fight
ing. and Is disposed TO see that the.
letter OF the law Is lived Sup to, or
rather, to ask for no exceptions In
this case.
aDistrict Attorney McCarn Is
sworn officer of the United States
government said General Funston
this morning. 1T would certainly be
out of place for officers OF the United
States army 70 urge him to neglect
the enforcement of federal law. Mill
tary reservations are In different
classes, some Of those located In
states having absolute jprisdict ion,
and others being subject by deed OF
grant or otherwise to certain state
laws. Here In Hawaii, however, It
seems to me that the laws made by
congress must be implicitly obeyed by
the army, which owes its existence
and government to congress, and
can see no reason why the federal law
regarding boxing should be disobeyed
by the military.
Reading between the lines Of Gen
efai Funst0nss statements. It looks as
though boxing at Schofeld Barracks
was already q thing Of the past. Gen
eral Funston says that he would
much rather see the men Of the army
turn their energies to some cleaner
form Of sport such as baseball or
football, and that he does not believe
that boxing tends particularly to de-
yelop the qualities claimed by its
exemptions. The department com
ms nier says that he has never seen
la regularly staged prize fight, and
never expects to. He Is far from be-
| ing an intolerant radical on the sub
| ject. as shown by the fact that he has
! not taken the initiative while In
command here, but when It comes to
upholding the federal law, as inter
pi eted by the United States district
attorney, he viii not ask for excep-
| tons and VIII heartily support any
act to enforce the full letter Of the
statute.
|