The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-01-19
WOOD ON CUBA
Military Governor of Santiago
Tells About Affairs in His
Province.
People Have Demonstrated They
Appreciate All That Has
Been Done,
And Their Response to the Lib.
erty Given Them Has Been
Prompt.
Good Deal Of Feeling Over the
misunderstanding With the
Army in July.

NEW YORK, Jan. l9.-Major General
Leonard Wood. military governor Of
Santiago, was the guest Of honor at .
dinner given by the Union League club.
Among those present were General
Stewart l.. Woodford,, Captain Robley
ID. Evans. General Wallace $. Randolph,
General NJ. {. Butler. General Benjamin
+. Tracy and John Addison Porter.
General Wood received very hearty
greeting when he was introduced. In
speaking Of Cuba and the Cubans, he
said:
Whatever has been done in Cuba
has been done not only for the Cubans.
but for the United States. We have
gone down to that island for the pur-
pose Of giving those people liberty. and
1t Is my experience that they have dem
onstrated. thus far at any rate. that
they are quite capable of appreciating
what we can do, and their response
10 such liberty a. has been pre-
sented TO them has been very
quick. OF course. we must remember
that down there We are dealing with a
people who for good many generations
have had very little voice in public af-
fairs. and their whole disposition has
been reversed by a system which has
compelled deceit and dishonesty and
subterfuge in every department of life.
When We went there in July we found
things in pretty bad shape. and the un-
fortunate misunderstanding between
our people and the Cubans left the
army. or our army and the Cuban army,
somewhat at odds.
Good Deal OF Feeling.
"There was certainly good deal of
feeling on both sides, and the problem
when the old army withdrew and the
new one came was a difficult one. as
there was good deal Of sickness and a
good deal Of distress. in fact more than
have ever dreamed possible in any
country. and there was a good deal said
! Of the distress on both sides, but We
started in by having no secrets Of any
kind, shape or description. Everything
done down there was an open book.
Il have tried to draw the army out OF
! the situation at the earliest possible day
and tried to impress upon the people
that the first thing they had to do dow,
there was TO learn TO govern themselves
and that the underlying principle OF
self government was thorough respec,
of civil law. and that we did not wan,
any lawlessness. We had the arm,
there only as balance of power Il
overcome any lawle>sness.
"All the public places were filed b,
representative Cubans. without excep
ton. found it Of advantage to hav,
the committee, the nominating commit
tee, l called it. changed. quite often sud
denly, so that they might not be sub
ject to corrupt influences.
There has been good deal which
from our standpoint was not satisfac
tory, and which think could be attrib
uted to the fact that those people hav,
hardly got in the way of trusting them
selves, but the perfectly open polio.
that we have pursued has disarme,
them to certain extent, and today. a
far as know, the respect for the Amer
; lean flag and the American people an
American good faith, is all right"