The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-11-22
Change Of System
In Island Of Cuba.
Brooke to be Recalled Jan I,
aud Wood Made Civil Gov
ernOr.

ernOr.
New York Evening Post.
The presidents programme with
regard to Cuba is now known. 1t
contemplates the retirement of Gen.
Brooke from the military government
with Gen. Leonard Wood at its
head.
The first of January is likely to be
red-letter day in Cuban history.
On that day in 1898 Spain played her
last card in the effort to hold the
island by setting up an autonomous
government On the first of January,
1899, the Spanish flag came down
and the American went up over Cuba.
On the coming first of January, if the
president can carry out the plans he
has now in mind, the existing mill
tary government in the island will
give way to civil government, and
Cuba will have taken her first long
stride on the road toward jndepen-
dence
Such is the information your cor
respondent has obtained from a
source above question 1t is not
a new plan of the president but one
he has had in mind for several months.
TIE complaints from all sides about
Gen. Brooks inadequacy for his
present duties have been incessant,
and it has been obvious that some
remedy must be applied soon, or
half the labor spent in putting the
island into better moral and sanitary
condition would have been thrown
away
By the best unprejudiced judges,
the go called cabinet with which
Brooke has surrounded himself has
proved dead failure or worse 1t
has retarded rather than helped the
work of regeneration. The general
has allowed himself to be "steered"
By this handful of ambitious men,
instead Of listening to their advice
and then weighing it for himself
The president has been reluctant to
take any steps which could be con-
strued as bumiliating to Gen Brooke,
but the latter has done as we'll as his
natural limitations of mind and tenn
per would permit, 80 it was decided
after mature deliberation to let
Brooke be undisturbed until the time
came for dispensing with milita:y
rule, and then to quietly let him pass
out simultaneously with the order OF
things which he represents
As has been said, Gea Wood is
marked for the civil governorsbip. II
was hint from the president that
higher honors were In store for him
which induced him to turn his back
upon the offers made him while ago
TO return to the United States and
euter private business. He made
plain to the president at that tine
that difficulties beset him in the gov
ernment of Santiago province with
the government of the whole island
in it's present hands, but was advised
to bear the annoyance patiently a
while longer.
The programme mapped out by che
president bad no sooner been Gus
pected in official circles in Cuba than
obstacles to its execution began to
present themselves Three men
would be affected in status by the
proposed change Gems james h
Wilson, Fitzhugb Lee and William
Ludlow. All these were brigadier
generals Of volunteers like Gen.
Wood, and his senior in their own
grade. In addition, Gen. Ludlow is
colonel of engineers in the regular
army. and would, therefore, always
remain the military superior of a
captain and assistant surgeon, which
rank Cen. Wood holds in the regu
lars 1t is not known that either OF
the trio had any criticism to pass
upon Gen. Woods ability as an exc
cutive, but all had decided objections
to being subordinated to him by bis
elevation to the governorship Gen.
Lee recently came home on leave
of absence, and Gen Ludlow has
taken the same course Both have
in view, it is understood, the full
discussion of the subject with presi.
dent before be takes final action.
Here is where the presidents we'll
known "tact" is coming to the front
The necessity for dissipatiug the threat
eped storm instead of letting it break
is taxing bis ingenuity to the utmost
AS far as cao be learted. he isprepsred
to appeal 6rss to the patriotic impulses
of the three generals to let hin take
the course he has in mind for the good
of Cuba, and to sink auy personal
considerations. II that will DOT pro-