The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-10
LEONARD WOOD.

LEUNAND WUUD.
Theodore Roosevelt, I'm the outlook.
What l am about to write concerning
the great service rendered, not only to
cuba, but to America, by MaJor-General
Leonard Wood, now military governor Of
Santiago, is written very much less as a
tribute to him than for the sake of point
ing out what an object-lesson he has
given the people of the United
states in the matter of administering
those tropic lands in which we have grown
to have so great an interest. The most
extreme expansionist will admit that the
proper administration of our newly ac-
quired tropical dependencies is absolutely
essential If our policy of expansion Is
not TO collapse; on the other hand, at
least the most intelligent among the
antl-imperialists viii admit that we have
certain duties which must be performed
as long as we stay In the tropic lands.
or course there are some anti-expan-
siOnistS whose opposition to expansion
takes the form of opposition to American
interests; and with these gentry there is
no use dealing at alk Whether from cred
ulity, from timidity, or from sheer lack
of patriotism, their attitude during the
war was as profoundly un-American as
was that Of the "Copperhedds" in 1861.
Starting from the position of desiring TO
avoid war even when 1t had become in
evitable II our national honor was to be
preserved, they readily passed into a
frame of mind which made them really
chagrined at every American triumph,
while they showed very poorly concealed
satisfaction over every American short
coming; and now they permit their hos
tillty TO the principle of expansion to lead
them into persistent effort to msrepre-
sent what is being done in the islands
and parts of Islands which we have ac-
tually conquered.
But these men are in "a very small
minority. | think most Americans realize
that facts must be faced, and that for
the present and i'm the immediate future,
We shall have, whether we wish 1t or not,
TO provide a working government, not
only for Hawaii and Porto Rico, but for
Cuba and the Philippines. We may not
wish the Philippines, and may regret
that circumstances have forced us TO
take them; but we have taken them, and
stay there we must for the time being
whether this temporary stay paves the
way for permanent occupation, or
whether it is to last only until some moro
satisfactory arrangement whether by
native rule or otherwise takes its place.
Discussion of theories will not avail
much: we have bit Of very practical
work TO be done, and done II must be,
somehow. ! am certain that If the Gu
bans show themselves entirely fit to es-
tabish and carry on a free and orderly
government, the great mass of my fell
low-citizens will gladly permit them TO
decide themselves as to the destiny of
Cuba, and will allow them to be inde-
pendent if they so desire. | am also GER
tain that Americans would take much
this position in regard to the Philippines
were the conditions such as to Justify It
But l am also certain that our people
will neither permit the islands again to
fall into the clutches of Spain or of some
powe" of Continental Europe which
would have intcrfered TO our harm in
the last war If it had dared to, nor yet
permit them to sink into a condition Of
squalid and savage anarchy.
%
The policy of shirking our responsible
ties cannot be adopted. To refuse to
attempt to secure good government in
the new territories acquired last summer
would simply mean that we were weak
lihgS, not worthy to stand among the
great races of the world. Such a policy
would itself be a failure; and Il we fol-
low any other policy We can do no worse
than fail; so it may be taken for granted
that we are going to try the experiment
All that remains is to see that we trv it
under conditions which give us most
chances of success; that is, which rem
der it most likely that We shall give good
government to the conquered provinces
and therefore add to the honor and re-
nown of the American name no less than
to the material well-being of our people
at home and abroad
%
In these tropical and far-otf lands good
government has got to be secured main
ly, not from Washington, but from the
men sent TO administer the provinces. 1t
is of course, essential thai congress
should ultimately provide a good scheme
of government for the colonies-or rather
for each colony, as there will have to be
wide variation in the methods applied
but even this scheme can be worked out
only by the aid and advice of the men
who have had actual experience in the
wholly new work to which Americans
are now called; and until we are able to
get such advice any scheme must be of
the most tentative character, What is
really essential is to have first-class nen
CHOSEN to administer these provinces
ana to give these men the widest possi-
BILE latitude as to means and nathCds for
solving the exceedingly difficult problems
have in General Wood the exact type of
man whom we need; and We have in his
work for the past four months an exact
illustration of how the work should be
done.
The great importance of the personal
element in this work makes it necessary
for me TO dwell upon General Wood S
qualifications as l should not otherwise
do. The successful administrator of
tropic colony must ordinarily be a man
OF boundless energy and endurance; and
there were probably very few men in the
army at Santiago, whether among the Of
flceTs or in the ranks, who could match
General Wood in either respect. No soldier
could outwalk him, could live with more
indifference on hard and scanty fare,
could endure hardship better, or do bet
ter without sleep; no officer ever showed
more ceasCless energy in providing for
his soldiers. in reconnoitering, in over
seeing personally all the countless de-
tails OF life in camp, in patrolllng 'he
trenches at night, In seeing by personal
inspection that the outposts were doing
their duty in attending personally to all
the thousand and one things to which a
commander should attend and to which
only those commanders of marked and
exceptional mental and bodily vigor are
able TO attend.
General Wood was a Capc Cod boy; and