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.
anc Wood Made Civil Gov.
ernOr.

regard to Cuba is now known II
contemplates the retirement of Gen.
Brooke from the military government
with Gen. Leonard Wood at it's
head.
The first of January is likely to be
a 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 fret 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 a 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
. new plan of the president but one
be has had in mind for several months.
The 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 soou, or
half the labor spent in putting the
island into a better moral and sanitary
condition would have been thrown
away.
BY the best unprejudiced Judges,
the 90 called cabinet with which
Brooke has surrounded himself las
proved dead failure or worse It
has retarded rather than helped tho
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 hulniliating to Gen Brooke
but the latter has done az we'll az his
natural limitations of mind and tenn.
per would permit, 80 i. was decided
after mature deliberation to let
Brooke be undisturbed until the time
came for dispensing with military
rule. and then to quietly let him pass
out simultaneously with the order OF
things which he represents.
As has been said, Gen. Wood ia
marked for the civil governorship. II
was o hint from the president that
higher honors we're in store for him
which induced him to turn bis back
upon the offers made him a while ago
TO return to the United States and
enter private business. He made
plain to the president at that time
that difficulties beset him in the gov.
ernment of Santiago province with
the government OF the whole island
IN its present hands, but was advised
to bear the annoyance patiently a
while longer
The programme mapped out by the
president bad no sooner been sus.
pected in official circles in Cuba than
obstacles to it's execution began to
present themselves Three men
would be affected in status by the
proposed change: Gems James n
Wilson, Fitzhugh 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 ia
colonel of engineers in the regular
army. and would. therefore, always
remain the military superior of a
captain and assistant surgeon, which
rank Gen. Wood holds in the regu.
lars 1t is not known that either of
the trio had any criticism to psss
upon Gen. Woods ability as an exc.
cutive, but all had decided objections
to being subordinsted to him BY bis
elevation to the governorship Gen.
Lee recently came home on q 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 q presi.
dent before he takes final action.
Here is where the presidents we'll
known "tsct" is comiog to the front
The necessity for dissipasiog the threat.
eoed storm instead of letting it break
10 taxing bis ingenuity to tho utmost
AS far ss Gao be learLed. he isprepsred
to appeal 6rst to the patriotic impulses
OF the three generals TO let him take
the course be has 10 mind for the good
OF Cuba, and to sink suy personal
considerations. II that will DOT pro.
duce the desired effect. there are other
courses open to him The entire island
OF Cuba needs the WORK OF an expert
military engineer. The fortl6ca,ioos
Will rPuuire Ovo h ouiinD ,sn,o;.ll