The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-02-20
GENL, FUNSTON DEAD
Continued from First Page.)

Mexican border his work has beeA
difficult. "XaCtinE and delicate. Ills
! Conduc, has been that of soldier
! and he has cXcmpiified the high traul
/ ton Of the American army by ms
quick. intelligent and effective action
Throughout it all the sympathy pc
tween General Funstc" and the, d"
parlmcnl has been complete ana lie
shadow of Disagreement has arisen
Il am deeply griered personally IL
his death and feel that his loss 10 the
country is very great.
: Maior-Generai Pershing,
who has been in command OF Inc II
! Paso district since tn" withdrawal al
automatically Will succeed 10 the
duties OF commander Of the southern
department until an appointment has
been made Recently made Il major
general. h. is the only officer OF lha'
rank now assigned 10 the department
AS Immediate successor To the com
mand, General Porshing will "a"e
charge of the many details OF the
movement of the remaining units ~
the National Guard ordered home from
the border last Saturday. II Is eN
pnctctl here that this movement, plans
for which were worked out by General
Funston as NlEludIII hLS I"St ii'i4N'N' :
duty. will go forward
! Without interruption.
! The picturesque and daShlng cap
! ture, of Aguinaldo, the Filipino rebe
chief. was the achievement which
brought Funston prominently 10 the
attention of the American people Du'
he performed many services Tor MS
country besides that which were prob
ably more difficult. His adminiStra
ton of affairs in Vera Cruz, where ne
carried out the Presidents orders with
Il firm hand. simply holding The city
when every influence about him was
renrered upon forcing the American
army into actual fighting with the
MeXicans, probably was the most no
liable service OF his career.
/ The American Troops
had been in possession of Vera Cruz
only few days when one OF tn" MeXI
can generals sent in Il message say
ing in most polite terms thai he was
unable to longer restrain his troops
and that they were about Ia advance
and drive The Americans into The sea
IF you cant hold your troops back
! cam" was the laCOnic message runs
ton sent back.
Funston, a Native of Ohio,
and reared on Kansas farm. had
remarkable career before he became
4 soldier. Few people know that his
first work WAS as a scientist. with d
bent toward botany. As an agent OF
tho Department Of Agriculture. In
1891, he took part in the Death Val
ley expedition: then h. explored
Alaska and the British northwest, anC
crossed Alaska 10 the Ar";ic ocean
,,rJ from IrL vi,.nr Z
Boring Sca--a Journey OF about %.10l
miles. He camped in the klondike
during the winter of 1898. and lher
alone tlOated down the Yukon in 4
canoe. journey OF hundreds Of miles
through wilderness, without seeing
another living soul. Soon after that
he resigned from the Department Of
Agriculture and
Travelled in Mexico.
When The last Cuban inSurreCtior
broke out Funston applied TO the the
revolutionary junta in New York fol
service with the rebel army. but thf
Cubans suspected him nj being 4 spy
or an agent of the UTitcd States run
ming down violations Of neutrality
laws. Finally hp convinced them oil
his intentions and f0t many weeks, II
rooms on an out Of the way street n
the lower cast side Of New York
Funston instructed recruits in the
handling of machine guns. Of which
the Cuhans were ignorant. Soon aftc"
wards he was
! Taken into the Cuban Army.
When he won his rank OF brigadier
as a reward for his capture 81
AGuinaldo. his active service III The
regular United States army began
He speedily reached the top Of the list
Of hrisadicrs, but when there we've
vacancies in the list Of infringement
he was passed over no less than BIN
times by Presidents Roosevelt ana
Taft. At times Funston almost de-
SPARED Of further promotion bur with
characteristic 1enaclry he stuck 10 lhf
army.
3 When Vera Cruz Was Occupied
Major-Gcncral Wood. chief of stat!
immediately selected Funston as thr
logical man for the field command
Every army officer expected there
would BE- lighting OF The hard guprli!;
kind learned in the, Philippines and
rvcryOn" agreed that when Funston
landed in Vera Cruz he. would star,
Something"
But when Funston unl"adrd his troops
and relieved the navy Of i"S$"HNi"m n'
,hc city, II" learned that President Will
sons orders were that tlIrr" was 1" hr
no aggressive movement. that tn" army
! was /" watch and wait. Th" pr"sAur"
: on the lIIt" rnmmaD,."r can ON? nc
realized bv thu%,. vino Wrr" with him Ut
Vera cruz in thnS" crur!h hours Thou
sands of Americans thr"nE"G til" ri'E
with the mast cNiT"Ui" stories al c"ti-
diiinnS In III" interior and urged that
the army move on: enthusiasm f"r"'iiu-
jsh!rr tn" juL' MAS high among IA"
vouuEe" officers. TIL" "utrnSiA WEI"
;nsulird. even fired upon. American
troops were kidnapped by the M"NiranS'
one soldier was Killed and burned. the
camps wrr"
aaidea by Marauders.
/ Ever? vrnv"ratinm to spur fight
Ing man to action was given. hut runs
ION never iurg"t his orders whatever Is
own em";inus might hay" been. tie
held down tn" %!tUatj"" aud President
Wilson made him Il mai"r general
Besides Major General Scott. III" chief
Of staff. Their" n"W ar" NV" ma
generals in the army, any on q! Wi'Ht
T,irht hn assigned 1" IIr command Of
IN" southern department General Wood
nj \rw York. General Barry at : hi-
cagn and General I;"ll ~ san Franc So.
already command G"lartn"'iS li',
other two are General i'"r&nin= ana
General HliSS. DOW an dWty ~ IN" va:
department nS assistant ghl"t "' |'", -.
Army Uru Thought Il lr"hA hl" '"-niHh'
rLai General rrrShiug would T." given
th,. command. although un nfriCial state
men, was /" h" h"d an ~" subject.
General Scot.
was dcnpIr. affected 10y III" ""wS
General tuns.on's .una$su'uinr ways
andrnrc,i him to AL with whom =" wa;
assnclat",l." IL" said, and his n.. '@;F
nfririrnr. earned IN" ""ni'd"r'" IT ih''
,,.ar Irnari,nrut Tir SECRETARY OF var
r,.rrrrly Scrt him cor. ~ "HI3f"rN letter
. 5hpf:, his conduct If affairs on N" Do
DOR while his S"rNir" ~ ~" fTi'''N'
at mo tim. nr tn" "nrrhuntE" and -
lf,s Z ~ .