Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-02-21
WEDNESDAY,, FEBRUARY IL, 1917
THE LOSS OF GENERAL FREDERICK
FUNSTON

In Major General Frederick Funston.
the country has lost one of its bravest and
most skilltul commanders. Funston's ca
reer was unique in army annals. Ills pro-
motion 10 the rank of hri.adicr general.
over the heads of mann Officers who stood
IN line of promotion, naturally caused some
criticism of him and also OF the president
who thus overturned precedent 10 place
the man IN whom he had such confidence
IN command of AN army division. ANY
man who j, singled out thus for distinction
h%cculnc> the target for criticism and often
Such favorItc~ uf the appointing power are
heartily disliked. But IN the case Of Gen
oral Funston, the officers who were passed
over. that he might he placed in command
have admitted frankly that hc had won the
honug.
General Funston was the product of a
kan,as farm. liie college education was
limited to two and 4 half years IA a Kan
Sae suniver-ftN.-He never attended West
Foirt. But hio genius va, sufficient Ia
place HIM at the top, even without the
training which i generally essential i'm the
making Of nm army officer. Long before
he began his military career. which was
IN the msurgcnt army Of Cuba in 1896. this
arncr' son had hown a wonderful tai
cnt Tor doing unusual things. Ills first
services to the government were W. n
scientific explorer IN the famous DtltE
Valley expedition of 1891. Following this.
his daring invasion of the Arctic REGIONS.
during which he penetrated from Mckenzie
river 7" the BtgIng -rl. making \ Journey
through the ~nowhoGud Wild al over 2 500
mile, aud concludin. the p%crilou~ iaunt bv
floating down the great Yukon river alone
~ =. canoe. WA sufficient ID give him n
place IN the American Hall pr Fame. But
rs wa an ambition. active. never salts
iicd nature. liz |~tfyicc with the Cubar
insurgents vas cEly i preface IL hi. first
service ~ oar own armY. ia the spanish
NM, Tlcan war, IN which he was sent to
the Philippines a. colonel of a Kansas
regiment of volunteers. The victory al
talumplt, won through Fun~tun'- feat Of
crossing the Rio Grandc river on a BAN
boo raft under a heavy fire from the Fill
pm" guns and constructing a rope ferry
whereby the American army was trans
ported across the river. on him the rank ii
n %hrigadlcr general Of volunteers. Ills
capture of The Filipino leader. Aguinaldo.
Won bun the plaudIt> Of the nation. and q
medal Of honor from congress. Ills ap-
p"intncnt a. 4 brigadicr general in the
regular army followed soon after.
Peace affords small opportunity for mil
liary genus. and. had il not been for the
arrest Of the American marines III Tam
pico. The subsequent refusal Of Dictator
hlcr'a 10 salute the Stars and Stripes.
and the crisis in our relations with Mexico
81 tbs past year. General Funston might
have passed away without further oppor-
tunity 10 distinguish himself. The occu-
patton of Vera Cruz-the drastic mniSh-
mcnt winch this country meted out to the
offending liu,rta-gavc Funston the
chance To effect . work of a different ma
tire From that which had won him fame
IN Cuba and IN the Philippine. ~,irrr Wis
NJ lighting 10 be done IN Vera Criz-nnt
with bullets. that is-hut the work Of adj
m~ini>icrln@ the affairs of the leading port
of Mckee provcd his ability in still an
other field. The wonderful sanitary rcvolu-
f'"n effected IN Vera Cruz during the
American occupation of the city stands Ia
the credit Of Funston. Yellow fever. once
epidemic, ~o-rallcd. in that vicinity. was
wiped ont. Peace and prosperity reigned
~ tn r"r AND tx .Amcricano~ under the
hero Of The Spanish .lmerican war won the
friendship and admiration of the Vera
Cruzano>.
HIS tafrs't work of directing the punitive
cVs = i"n against the N~illi>taS and tho
mobilization OF the army on the border