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THE KING’S BUSINESS on toward that time when our Lord Jesus Himself shall come and set straight the things which man has made wrong. Even so come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
United States army officers of the higher rank have as a rule shown themselves to be men of well balanced judgment. They have understood their sphere of authority; they have carefully kept themselves within
A Foolish General.
that sphere. General Funston seems to be a striking exception to this general rule, at least, in one of his recent actions, if we are to believe what a prominent Baptist preacher, Dr. J. B. Gambrell, writes of him in the Watchman-Examiner. Dr, Gambrell writes: “The Baptists belong to the group of evangelical and evangelistic denominations. When, a little while ago, acting for Texas Baptists and all Southern Baptists, some million strong, I sought an interview with General Funston with a view of arranging for preach ing to the soldiers under the General’s command, I was told by General Funston, through his Chief of Staff, that it would be unobjectionable for the Baptists to preach in the camps of the soldiers, provided they would not tell the soldiers that they were lost. General Funston, also through his Chief of Staff, explained that he did not wish the emotions of the soldiers stirred and that he did not wish revivals. These statements have been repeated by General Funston in interviews printed in the press.” If these statements regarding General Funston are correct, and they seem to be admitted by him and by his friends, it is very clear that the General far exceeded his authority. Never before in the history of this Country, as far as we 'know, has a military commander assumed to , exercise his authority in questions of theology, or to determine what chaplains 'should teach dr preach. Roman Catholics have been allowed to present the 'doctrines they believe and to carry on services according to the methods of that church, and evangelical preachers have also been allowed to preach what they believed to be the truth, without dictation from military officers. The Constitution of the United States safeguards the freedom of religion and makes no exceptions in the case of enlisted soldiers. In point of fact, there have been revivals among American soldiers time and time again in the past; and the truth of God’s Word, the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught, that men out of Him are lost, has been taught, and very properly taught. The results of these revivals have been good for the discipline of the army. The men con verted have been better soldiers because they were converted. General Funston far exceeded his legitimate authority, and unless he is brought to a better mind he has proven himself to be utterly unfit for a commander, however wise he may be in military matters. Dr. Gambrell in his article kindly says of the General: “I hold General Funston in high regard as, a military man.” In regard to General Funston’s military ability, we hold no opinion; we do not know of anything that he has ever done that has displayed any high order of military genius, and we do recall thát he got his promotion in á very irregular way, because of a certain achievement of his in Gapturing Aguinaldo in the Philippine Islands, an achievement that would entitle a detective or police officer to promotion, but certainly was not of a character that displayed any great military genius or entitled one to such promotion as he received. Never theless, he may be an able military man, we do not know, though we entertain doubts until he proves it by something that he accomplishes, which, as far as we know, he has never done. But we do know that this present action, if correctly reported, was an unwarranted display of bumptiousness that bught to
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