Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-28
Alleged Extravagant Use Of
Revenues.
RESOLUTION IN HOUSE
SECRETARY ROOT SAYS EXPEND-
ITURES WERE AUTHORIZED.
Gen. Wood Invites an Investigation
and Says He Shall Be
Delighted.

Soon after his arrival in this city today
| Gen. Leonard Wood was shown copy Of
a resolution introduced into the House yes
| terday by Representative Goldfogle of
| New York, directing the Secretary Of War
| to transmit to the House an itemized ac-
count of the expenditures made by Gen.
| Wood in Cuba during his term military
governor and while the island was under
the military control of the United States.
| After reading the resolution Gen. Wood
| said:
| Il shall be delighted to have all matters
| looked into that may seem in any way
| questionable. No money has been spent
without competent and proper authorize
ton"
Mr.. Goldfogles resolution was referred to
the committee on military affairs.
Secretary Roots Statement.
l. Secretary Root was questioned TODAY In
regard to published report that General
| Wood had made an extravagant and unau-
| thorized use of the revenues of Cuba in
| certain respects during his administration
! as military governor including allowances
| OF money to himself and other officials and
| to Gen. Gomez, the Cuban patriot, and also
| IN expenditures for wine and spirits. AL
| though he said he did not propose to be
| drawn into a newspaper controversy over
| Cuban expenditures, Secretary Root said he
| wanted 1t clearly understood that all the
| expenditures made by the American army
| of occupation had been lawfully authorized
| and had been carefully audited in exactly
the same manner as similar accounts in
the nlted States. When these accounts
| nave been audited and finally closed they
| Will be reported to Congress in the form of
| an ltemiZed statement, together with a copy
! of General Woods final report of his stew
| ardshp.
Given an Allowance.
In SypIa aP
| ditures it was stated that General Wood
| had been put to considerable expense in the
matter of entertainment in his official ca
pacity. to meet which Secretary Root in the
exercise of his authority had made him an
| allotment of 5000. When first appointed
! military governor of Cuba Gen. Wood had
! the rank of major general of volunteers,
| but when the volunteer army ceased by
| legal limitation his rank was that of briga-
! der general In the regular army.
| Other officers, holding important civil po-
| sitions. like Col Bliss, who had charge of
| allowed additional salaries, small in
amount, however, and intended only to
| meet in a degree the increased expenses of
| living.
For Relief of Gen. Gomez.
During the military occupation the appro-
priating authority was the President, and
Secretary Root, with the approval of the
| pirate from the revenues of Cuba certain
sums for the relief of Gen. Gomez and
members of his staff.
The officials here of the opinion that
| this money was wisely expended, as Gen.
Gomez had strong following in Cuba
which 1t was necessary to conciliate until a
| government could be formed and organized
All these expenditures were made from
the Cuban treasury by the authority of the
Secretary of War, with the approval of the
President They were regarded as such
expenditures as might properly have been
authorized by the Cuban congress if it had
been in existence a the time.
Payments Were Authorized.
Secretary Root said that all the payments
mentioned had been authorized by him and
were regarded by him wise and proper.
| There was no secret in the matter and the
| Cuban expenditures would be made the
subject of full and itemized report to Con-
gress. The vouchers for these and all other
payments have been left in Havana in the
| care of Mr.. Reinhart, chief clerk of the late
military department of Cuba for the bene-
fit and convenience of the present Cuban