Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-05-08
WOOD, BELL AND FUNSTON HAVE
ALL BEEN GIVEN MEDALS OF
HONOR BY CONGRESS.
WON BY PERSONAL BRAVERY
Something About the Careers of These
Three Generals Of the United
States Army, Again In
Active Service.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Iuout wilson addressed congress-, ASH
ing that it support him in the use of
the armed forces of the United States
to bring about order in Mexico, three
officers of the United States army,
Major Generals Leonard Wood and J.
Franklin Bell and Brig. Gen. Freder-
lex Funston, were notified that their
services might be required as COM
handing officers Of an army Of inter
vention If Intervention we're to come.
All three officers are medal-of-honor
men,
In order to win medal Of hon
or Of the kind which these three
generals wear, an officer must per-
form some act of conspicuous per-
sonal gallantry and the act must be at
tested by eye-witnesses. Congress
awards the medal
General Wood, who is named as the
chief of the prospective army of inter
vention, Is known as a great execu-
tive and as great pacificatOr. His
service in Cuba in the work OF bring
ing about order in that island, added
to his service as colonel of the Rough
Riders, caused President Mckinley to
make him a brigadier general. There
was some criticism of this rapid pro-
motion, and curiously enough, to this
day 1t seems that the majority or
American people think Theodore
Roosevelt promoted General Wood.
At the time of Woods promotion
Roosevelt was governor of the state
of New York
Bell One of the Most Daring.
There Is no use in mincing words;
Major General Bell is considered one
of the most daring and dashing off,
GERS in the American service. He
wears medal of honor for charging
"single-handed and alone" body of
armed Filipinos. He was shot at re-
peatedly from every quarter. In army
parlance, they didn't get him. but
he got seven of them, not dead but
alive, and he led back to the Ameri-
can lines his septet of prisoners all
covering under his pointed pistol,
though every man jack of them was
armed
When the Seventh cavalry, in which
General Bell was then a lieutenant,
reached the Philippines, the Spanish
troops were still in possession, for
Dewey had reduced the fleet, but not
Manila city and its immediate de-
lenses. Information was wanted con-
corning the Spanish earthworks.
Lieutenant Bell volunteered to get it.
He did not tell any one how he was
going to get it. His method was dar-
Ing and novel.
Bold Feat at Manila.
Under cover of darkness he went
to the water front, stripped off his
clothes and plunged in. He is pow
erful swimmer On that night he
swan the entire distance around the
bay, landing now and then to get a
close look at the enemys waterfront
Notifications. He did this unseen of
any sentinel. If discovery had come
it meant almost certain death to the
swimmer. He came back to his start
ing point with full knowledge of the
strength of the Spaniards in heavy
guns, and when the time for the as
sault came the information was of
priceless service.
Brigagtier General Funston is forty
nine years of age. He has been in
the service only since May, 1898, when
he was commissioned as a colonel of
the Twentieth Kansas infantry. He
won his medal of honor in the Philip
pines when he crossed river on
frail raft exposed all the way to a con-
centrated fire from the Philippine
enemy.
AS to the Philippines.
One of the best evidences perhaps,
If one may say it with "a twinkle"
that the Philippine islands are advanc-
ing under the American rule is to be
round in the charges which are being
made daily by some men that the civil
service law is being violated in the
land of our wards.
For some time past the administra-
ton of affairs in the Philippines has
been the subject of severe criticism
from men who under former admins
trations held Office in the islands. 1t
is insisted that American employees In
high positions are being discharged
without reason and that other things
are being done counter to the spirit of
progress and good government.
The administration in Washington
has in its hands completely prepared
defense against the charges which
have been made, but the question is
whether or not President Wilson and
his secretary of war, in whose depart
ment the control Of Philippine mat
tiers largely is lodged, will care to
make an issue of the matter unless it
goes farther than 1t has gone. 1t seems
to be today in some cases plain
question of veracity between the men
who make the charges and those who
are ready to answer them.
There are so many charges made
against the administration OF affairs In