Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30

nence who came out of the war wholly
without unfavOrable criticism-Dewey and
God. When Wood was appointed major
general last month he was confirmed by
congress without a dissenting voice
Earned His Popularity.
Wood ruled with the power of car in
Santiago. and yet he is probably the most
popular man in Cuba, with Cubans as well
as with foreigners. His appointment as
military governor was received with en-
thusiasm by every paper of prominence in
the island. This was due to Woods quail
ty of tactfulness, which, it seems, came
to him with his medical training doc
tor must know how to manage people
There are any number of instances showing
with what cOnsummate skill he managed
the tubans. One of the most difficult IN
hCences in all Spanish-American countries
is the church In Cuba it was very power
fui, and Wood saw that 1t would be neces-
sary to handle it with great care, mas
much as it was naturally opposed to the
Americans as being the power which parted
the church and state and Invested the
archbishop of his accustomed revenues
w oOd made II his business to become per-
s6nally acquainted with the priests to look
at the difficulties from their point of view.
and when the new archbishop of Santiago
was appointed, Wood vas asked. to the
surprise of every one, to take prominent
place in the triumphal procession. He OK
pected that ii would be merely a matter Of
q brief carriage drive from the palace
around the plaza to the cathedral but when
the procession arrived he found that a
place had Teen made for him under the
canopy with the archbishop. And he
marched all the way through, no doubt
thinking of his old Puritan ancestors m
New England. Since then Wood has had
no better friends than the church digni-
taries.
Dealing with the Editors.
He dealt with that typical Cuban insti-
tuition the agilating editor, with the same
wisdom. Santiago is the hotbed Of Cuban
revolution Every Cuban instruction has
had its origin within fifty miles of the city
of Santiago And the mouthpiece of the
Cuban insurgent is the agitating editor
After the Americans came into power, this
functionary was for a time devoid of pur-
pose in life. The Spaniards We're gone and
the agitating paper no longer thrived. 1t
vas natural. therefore, that the editor
should eventually begin an assault on the
Americans. So bitter were the attacks that
many residents of the city advised Gen.
Wood to suppress these papers, but the
general knew the mistake of making
martyrs. So he sent for the most violent of
the editors.
You may say anything you please about
me personally" he said in his quiet way
but the moment you attack the govern
rent l shall put you in MORO Castle and
keep you there
Another one of these editors had sug-
gested going to the hills which in Cuba
means rebellion. Wood sent for him, too
and told him that the sooner he went to the
hills the better it would be for his own
safety. and he said 1t so seriously that the
next day. the. editor did go TO the hills,
alone, and he has since caused no trouble.
Evidence of Tact.
General Wood has made particular efforts
to find out the real sentiment of the Cuban
people and to govern his official acts ac-
cordingly- With a people Of the character of
the Cubans. so !ong accustomed to saying
one thing to the cruel Spanish officer and
doing another, and by nature so suspicious,
this was particularly difficult, and General
Woods popularity in the island is the best
atteStatlon OF his success One of his aids
told me that when General Wood was on
his trips of inspection he made it an in
variable rule to dine with the local officials
and to ia K much with them. 1t sometimes
happened, therefore, that Wood and two or
three members of the staff would sit down
to dinner with a table full of black men
with whom he would directly be on the best
possible terms. In his official conferences
General Wood communicates almost wholly
through an interpreter, but for friendly
conversation he can get a ong thoroughly
well in Spanish Indeed, he has surprised
more than one Cuban by his understanding
of the language. replying to remarks that
were not intended for his ears Not long
ago he was spending a day shooting guinea
fowl back in the jungle. While he was
around, not knowing that he was the gov
erhor of the province, and after some GEN
erai conversation he asked them what they
thought of the publications in the revoIn
llonary papers The spokesman of the party
MADE answer in one of those inimitabIe
spanish episrams: The editors. they wr;te
TO eat. We work; We are satisfied Fur
thermore. Wood surrounded himse1f n-ith
CuhanS in his office He truets tba,, 80 aL
itctIE and they trust him perfectIv aS ;,
consequence no officer in the island knou,s
'he ha'iNes more thoroughly than he.
Not Afraid of Work.
WOOD is an extraordinarily hard worker,
He is up early in the morning and fro
quently visits several hospitals. the iail or
the market before he reaches his office at
S:'Sf o'clock or more He is readily ac-
ceSslble to rich and poor, and his extra
ordinary physical endurance enables him
20 see many people and attend to the tbou-
SAND and one trying details of such an Of
nee ana do everything well. Indeed he
! .PpeaFS 70 DO great many unnecessary
thlhsS. mat is, unnecessary things from
the strict view point of duty. He goes AZ
the work OF Improvement in all sorts of
nnes because 1t interests him personally.
His motto is mo energy is lost 10 the mi
verse lake one example: The Cuban is
by nature more or less siipshod in his Wav
I OF doing things. Wood is thorough with
a thoroushness that is an unfailing aston
lShment 10 the native. | STAYED in a hotel
| That was just being reoccupied after an
| epidemic of yellow fever. The proprietor
was telling me how Woods men had done
| the fumgating.
| Why" he said. they squirted their dis.
| lnfectants under the tiles of the roof
| That was something that no one of Spanish
| blood ever would have thought of doing.
| Wood has few diversions: his work is his
| greatest pleasure. although he gets Keen
| enjoyment from riding his big gray horse
| through the country-he is a natural born
| rider-or from inspecting the various parts
l OF MS provinces on transport He also
| reads a good deal, books of history. mil.
| itary lore and an occasional novel.
| Fayorx Cuhan SoId;er.