Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-20
OOOI fIeaShnt.
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GEN. WOOD TALKS OF CUBA
Says the Natives Are Not Fit for Self Gov
eminent.
Country Should BE Held as a Colony
Until the People Are Bet
ter Educated.

The New York Helard of today says:
Major General Leonard Wood, military gov
ernor of the province of Santiago, Cuba,
arrived here last evening from Boston,
where he landed yesterday morning from
the steamship Admiral Dewey, with Mrs.
Wood and their children, having come TO
the United States in obedience to an order
from Secretary of War Alger.
When asked If one of the subjects of his
conference with the President and Secre-
tary Alger was not to be his appointment
to the command now held by General
Brooke General Wood replied that he knew
nothing about the matter and begged to be
excused from discussing the subject. 1t
is known, however, that General Wood,
who was at one time the private physician
of President Mckinley in Washington, is
high in favor with the President, and that
Secretary Alger also regards him as one OF
the brightest and ablest men in the army.
Quiet in Santiago.
Concerning the present situation in the
province of Santiago and the outlook for
the future in that part of the island the
general was quite willing to talk.
Everything was quiet in Santiago when
1 left, and had been for some time" he
said. IF the United States will give the
Cubans the government which they should
have and for which they are best suited the
outlook for the future will be very bright
fer that country.
While | do not care to enter into a politi-
cal discussion to the needs of Cuba, be-
lieve that system of colonial government
such as exists in certain other parts of the
world is best suited for Cuba. The Cubans
are eNcitable and naturally cannot yet fully
comprehend the benefits which will come
to them through a safe and beneficent gov
eminent, but the advances which they have
made in the province of Santiago since the
American forces took possession is Won
derful-
1T will take time to accomplish what is
yet TO be desired. 1t can be achieved only
slowly and may best be attained through
system of education. The people are nearly
all at work and are thoroughly contented.
There are no Cuban soldiers under arms IN
the province, with the exception of a few
isolated cases, and they will soon turn in
their weapons and accept the money which
the government generously offers them.
DO not believe there will be trouble with the
Cubans anywhere on that score
AS for brigandage, there is none That
mas been stopped by an order which l is
sued that the brigands be brought in dead
or alive, preferably dead. There are some
professional political agtators who DO
little talking, but that is far as they are
permitted TO go. Their talk Injuries no one
capital may be invested in Santiago now
with entire saTety, and the opportunities for
AM SSlHicHb NhCIS dTe eNcGlltnt. W hat Is
needed, however, is labor. In time Cuba
viii surpass southern California in product
Veness The country is wonderfully rich
and almost anything can be raised.
Not Fit for SeIf-Government.
The Cubans are intelligent, although the
mass Of the people are ignorant, Largely as
a result of Spanish rule; but they are eager
to learn. What they need chiefly are
schools. They believe that by education
they can best prepare themselves to be
their own rulers at some time in the future
AS yet they are not fit for government,
but they are on the road to it. The road it
Is true, is a long one and there is plenty
of hard work to be done by Cubans before
they can be regarded as fit for self-govern-
ment. 1 am trying to teach them this and
they respond very willingly.
1ne public heath in Santiago is excel
lent. 1he death rate from yellow fever
now is one as compared to three before
the United States took possession of the
city. Sanitary methods have been intro
duced and the laws of health enforced to
such an extent. that the death rate has
been reduced to about II in 1000, which, |
think, is an excellent showing. Whenever
a block is to be repaved water and sewer
pipes are laid at the same time. A contract
has been let TO a New York company for
the asphalting of many miles of streets
and when the work is accomplished the
matter Of keeping the city clean will be
There are about three hundred bodies of
American soldiers who died of disease still
at Santiago. They have been placed in her
metically sealed collins and stored on an
island in the bay, where there is no chance
of ili-effects resulting to the living AS soon
cold weather comes the bodies will be
brought home
Should Retain the Philippines.
Gen. Wood declined to discuss political
questions concerning Cuba, and he re-
manned silent as to the probability of the
country being eventually annexed by the
United States. He answered questions CT
that nature by saying that he was a SOL
der, and that it was not his province to
discuss subjects that were not properly
within his sphere. He said he believed we
should retain the Philippines, but would ex-
press no opinion about the advisability of
calling for volunteers to go to those islands
to assist in crushing the insurrection.
Gen. Wood will leave this evening for
Washington, where he will remain for sew
eral days. He viii then go to Cambridge
Mass, to attend commencement exercises
at Harvard, of which college he is a grad
uate, and on which occasion, il is said, he
will receive honorary degrees. He expects
to sail for Cuba on June %. Mrs. Wood
and the children intend spending the sum-
mer on Long Island