New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-18
DINNER FOR GENERAL WOOD.
ENTERTAINED BY r. A. C. SMITH AT THE
UNION LEAGUE

present fifty other guests who had been invited by
Mr.. Smith to meet General Wood. Included in the
number were many men who have won distinction
in the service Of the country, ard of the high
est prominence in commercial and professional
circles. In the speaking which was entirely in
FORMAL the admirable achievements OF General
Wood. first Indian hghter subsequently as
colonel Of the Rough Riders and later as the Gov
ernor OF Santiago were recounted. He the
pioneer in the work of reconstructing the civil and
commercial conditions Of Cuba.
In the of these addresses II was pointed
out that when General Wood took charge OF San
tiago last summer he found community disor-
ganized by war ravaged by disease, torn by in
ternal dissension and apparently obliterated, IN
dustr!aly and commercially. With remarkable
ability and with a enthusiasm this young off,
Ger Qor General Wood Is not yet forty took hold
OF Santiago, and has built up orderly, law-abid
Ing and fairly healthy and prosperous community.
He has demonstrated the adaptability OF the Amer
lean for this sort Of work. not by force Of arms.
but by guiding the native population in the right
direction and establishing local self government In
every department. The change has been gradual
beginning with the municipality and extending
into the rural districts. and thence to the judiciary
The work has been accomplished without unneces
sary friction, and the most popular man to-day in
Santiago Is General Wood.
IN BRILLIANT SURROUNDINGS.
The whole surroundings of the dinner were OF
Room. where It laid. the walls almost
entirely hidden beneath festoons and various ar
tistic designs In the makeup Of which the Ma
tional colors were mainly used. The tables were
arranged around three sides OF the room. and
laden with flowers, and were further beauti-
fed by the gmmerings Of fancy lamps. shining
from the centre Of clusters Of flowers Mr.
Smith. the host, presided having upon his
immediate right General Wood. and upon
his left General Stewart L. Woodford. Some
OF the other guests at the tables were
Captain Robey d. Evans. L. s. N; Elhu Root
General Wallace F. Randolph. General NJ C.
Butler. c. d. Langhorne. John +. Gibbons. Wood
bury Kane. J. r. Van Wormer, A A. Wilcox WILL
lam Barbour. Dr. e. 3. Fowler. CommissIoner H.
D. j. Kelley. W. s. Johnston. j. Il. Mcdonald,
Frank II. Plat, F. s. Wiherbee. Z. J. Berwind. J.
NJ. Ceballos. w. J. Arkell, ]. c. Ref H. s. Man
ming. W. S. Pyle. Charles r. Flint. Colonel A. ].
kimball. Major summerhayes r. E. a. Dorr, II.
d. Macedonia, A. g. Smith, L. Darbyshire, Lieu
tenant Hanna. Captain II. A. Borrowe, Colonel G..
B. NJ. Harvey. r. Narganes. J. n. Vialon. Charles
w. Gould. J. Addison Porter st. Clair McKelway.
General Benjamin F. Tracy. r. P. Porter, Thomas
F. Ryan, William A. Marburg. T. J. Hayward and
W. L. Sheehan.
GENERAL WOODS SPEECH.
In introducing General Wood to his guests. Mr..
Smith was brief but graceful. I'VE have come to-
gether tonight" he said ITO do honor TO one who
has we'll deserved il. Had General Woods achieve
ment stopped with the his record would have
amply justified meeting In wider and truer
sense, however, he has come TO us victorious.
Eager we are 10 recognize the renown Of the SOL
der. It perhaps more COMFORTS with the genius Of
our people TO hail the warrior turned statesman
TO hail the triumphs Of peace! In the difficult path
OF this duty guest has proven himself worthy.
To upbuild is more laborious than to tear down,
and in this splendid work or upbuildng we owe 1t
to General Wood to assist we may
When General Wood TO make his acKnoWl-
edgments he was loudly cheered, and was greeted
also with the singing by the company Of For he's
Jolly good fellow" In part. General Wood spoke
as follows:
Gentlemen. you do not know how much aP 3E,
ciate feel the honor you are paying me tonight
When back from down below, few days
s 6s done so here ere ana perhaps the fact that it
entieiy unexpected makes t ali he more, pleasant
not oSy for the Cuoans but for the United States
Cries Of Good" and apDlausel We have gone
people liberty and 1t is my experience that they
have demonstrated thus far; at any rate. that they
and their response TO such liberty as has been
presented TO them has been very Quick 81 co fhd
that are dealing with people who fo r., gSTc
affairs and their whole disposition has been. per
haps rendered perverse ny system whlch mas
compelled deceit and dishonesty and subterfuse IN
when we went in there in July we found things
in a pretty bad shape, and the unfortunate mis-
understanding between our people and the Cu6ans
left the Army-or Army and the Cuban Army,
There ceftany was good deal of feeling both
sides. and the problem when the ola Amy i ~ AIM
cult as there was good deal OF sickness ana
good deal Of IN a@y man and there
was good deal said OF the distress on ooth slues
tnd sba ne or descTiption Everything thai done
was done down there as open book. The secre-
civil dcpsrtments were ali Cubars and, all men
who had been In the Cuban Army. and az hnen fc
r-ad
clerks 60 that everywhere they are now satisfied
that far the interests of the country went II
was ali right.
THE PROBLEM OF OFFICES
Tn. great and more difficult problem was to get
men into Office in such way as 10 get the pest
people and to get them in by the vote ana wishes
Of the people-their own Deop.e. l have trieu 70
draw the Army out OF tie situation AT the earliest
possible day. and tried to impress uaon the people
learn 10 govern then solves. and that ne under
lying principle Of T nH w snGe@ a9S
10 wIessness We only Lad tie Army here as Dai,
Of power to oyeIaoS any nv awe
Crbans withou exception. There has not been an
Assan p opSfsde Of those no came there
VI found il OF advantage to have the committee
often suddenly 50 that they might not be subject
Dv of every branch OF life ~ nearly as possible
and every branch of @ 10 hsH e neE TeTo
once. 81 ~, IN man and we reminded that man they
sena ne ne that we tested him. and II he did well he
got cieuit oonnt In other words the people were
10 ton as their fitness for
OF Z, yar a great many men nave peeh appointed
nus oyarnment had entirely ceased 10 exist The
courts with the exception OF one dlsrG cou h
IN tnS o,. srs stopped all public WORKS ana public
snnctions had ceased These men nave ea
ohleeS, 70 to-day have not had occasion 10 re-
ina, ,nas q single person recommended 'Appause)
AMERICA is RESPECTED.
has been good deal from our standpoint
u.sich was not satisfactory. and when thinK
conld be attributed to the fact that 'hese people
oo"'a ,ardIv cot in the way Of trusting themselves
ma. 49, perfectly open policy that we have pursued
D-s a,.armed them 10 a certain extent, ana 10