Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-29
gen. FUNSTON
BACKS MCARA
ON PUG|LISM
Department Commander Fa-
5Vors Action of U. S. Attor-.
rley in Closing Lid

= There Will 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 McCarn
holds office. McCarn has put on the
lid, and expects to sit on 1t for further
orders. When the federal statute pro-
hibfting an encounter between man
and man, or a fight between a man
and bull or any other animal, for
money or for any other thing of value,
or for, any championship" was first
quoted by McCarn. relative TO the 10
cal situation. 1t 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 st-my reservations
would be exempt, and that the fight
cards at Schofield Barracks, Ringer,
and other posts, would be continued.
In fact, ii 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 strong
advocate of boxing, and a believer In
its beneficial effects on soldiers, Il Is
possible that the United States Dis
trict Attorney might have kept his
hands off the military. and let the
army run It's own amusementss but, as
a matter of fact. Brigadfer-general
Funston does not advocate prize fight
ing, and is disposed to see that the
letter OF the law Is lived up to, or
rather. to ask for no exceptions in
this case.
District Attorney McCarn is q
sworn officer Of the United States
government, said General Funston
this morning. aIt would certainly be
out of place for officers Of the United
States army to urge him to neglect
the enforcement of federal law, Mill
tary reservations are in different
classes, some Of those located in
states having absolute Jurisdiction,
and others being subject by deed of
grant or otherwise to certain state
laws. Here in Hawaii, however, il
seems 70 Tie IHdl TIC ldWb AlouC ~
congress must be implicitly obeyed by
the army, which owes It's existence
and government TO congress. and I
can see no reason why the federal law
regarding boxing should be disobeyed
by the military
Reading between the lines OF Gen.
eral Funston's statements, it looks as
though boxing at Schofield Barracks
was already a thing of the past Cen
efal 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-
velop the qualities claimed by its
champions. The department com
mander says that he has never seen
regularly staged prize fight, and
never expects to. He is far from be-
ing an intoIerant 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
npholding the federal law. as inter.
preted by the United States district
attorney, he will not ask for exeep,
tons and will heartily support any
act to enforce the full letter Of the
statute.