The sun., 1903-05-08
idea OF It's tone, spirit and probable in
tent First, as to WooD In Santiago:

region and maintaining peace among the inhsbi'
tan,s devolved upon the American military com
| mander and his subordinates. The Genora
| In command governed the surrendered region with
commendablc disregard OF such provisions OF tho
| Spanish code as were In his judgment Incompatible
with the objects Of tn. Anne occupation. Courts
were promptly established. the Judges being ap-
pointed only after careful inquiry and upon the
express recommendation OF the best citizens. The
demorallzed municipalities were reorgan'zed. the
municipal ofrcials being appointed in the same way
as the Judges Forces OF police were organ zed for
| the towns and rural districts. Cities and towns
were cleaned OF the accumulated filth which had
made them for plague spots and centres OF In
fection for the most dreaded diseases ofthe tropics
| Sanitary regulations were enforced among people
who had never before known what such regulations
| were or were intended for. Public order
was restored and maintained In the most turbulent
| section OF Cuba. None but Cubans were appointed
to ONCE hu, every Cuban onncial subject to the
supervision OF the American military authorities
lnlessthan six months substantial progress
had been made toward the accomplishment OF the
purposes for which the United States had inter.
vened n Cuba when. on Jan L. 1892 It lost Its iden
,ity becoming thereafter only part Of the Military
l'NlSIoH VI 'uDd SuUleCt. III oil IesPeS's' w VIC
Military Governor AT Havana
That was the date on which Gen.
BROOKE became Military Governor Of
the whole island. Then We have these
pictures, among many others, of his
abject failure in contrast with the illus
trious success of WOOD at Santiago
The history Of the American occupation since
the day when the entire island passed into American
hands Is simply the story OF what has been done at
Havana. Its record OF error and neglect, OF folly
ending necessarily In failure and possibly, in shame
and disgrace"
When the name OF the nrst Military Governor
was announced there was dismay In the hearts OF
| all intelligent Cubans. They knew nothing of his
long and honorable record as an ofhcer. but they
knew all about his brief career as Governor OF
Puerto Rco and Of his deplorable failure as an
admin strator of civil affairs"
Neither BY ability nor experience was he ntted
for the duties !ntrusted TO him, and 1t was inevita
BILE that when he found himself unable to exercise
the great powers conferred upon him those powers
should fall into other hands"
The folly OF the Military Govern or In proclaim
Ing the complete establishment Of the Spanish
laws had the effect OF prese rvng In working order.
every weapon and device for he purposes Of fraud
corruption and oppression that Spain had perfected
after four centuries Of m!srule"
Corruption exists every where Justice and In
Justice are commodities disposed OF, more less
openly. In the forum as in a market"
When the Cubans cry out against the continu-
ance Of condition OF things against which they
repeatedly rebeled, and which they believed could
not exist under the American nag. they are told by
the cuban secretaries. that the American Governor
Is respons Bile and that he declines take any steps
In the direction Of reform,
When, on the other hand Indignant Americans,
scandalzed at state OF affairs for which the whole
American people will be held morally responsible,
ask the Military Governor for an explanation OF
his tranquil nertness they learn that such or such
secretary has the matter In hand, that Il requires
careful consideration: that much time Is necessary.
but that, ultimately. some, hing will be done"
"A demonstration that a candidate for any
imporan, position was united for 1t by personal
character. attachments. antecedents. or for any
other reason, had no weight with the American
Governor as against the recommendation OF a
Cuban secretary"
The Courts are corrupt and incompetent the
police forces are hopelessly inefncient the public
schools are unorg anizcd: the municipalities are all
bankrupt dependents upon political machine: the
ofnces OF Government. high and low are nled. very
largely, with unworthy and lncom petent oticials;
the laws the courts and the methods Of procedure
are unreformed; and finally almost every abuse
against which Cubsns rebelled and to remedy which
the United States ntervcncd is in operation to day
under American authority. There exists through
out the island a condition of tame anarchy which
he withdrawal n he
to burst out into anarchy OF another type.
The problem has become. by reason OF neglect
and Incompetency, more dtacul, to day than 1t was
year ago."
Such was the gloomy picture Of Gen.
BRooKEs alleged incompetency and
failure, in contrast with WOODS eff
cheney and success, which was drawn
at Santiago for publication in Amer
lea few months after Capt. EDGAR
G, BELLA1Rs, at dinner of the Cosmo-
politan Club given just before it removed
to new quarters in the Circulo Espafiol in
Santiago, with Gen. WOOD presiding, had
pronounced this toast:
Gentlemen, give you LEONARD WOOD. the next
Governor General OF the Island OF Cuba!"
While there is general similarity in
the method of comparison instituted by
Major RUNCIE between BROOKE and
WooD and that which was attempted
three years later by BELLAIRs in the case
of TAFT and WOOD. the two efforts at
service must be distinctly differentiated.
Mr.. RUNCIE is not the sort of man likely
to consort with BELLAIRs either after
or before the exposure of his criminal
record. The author Of the article in the
North American Rerieu is an honorable
gentleman, retired officer Of the United
States Army, lawyer of ability, per-
son, perhaps, of strong prejudioes, but
quite incapable of dishonesty misleading
American opinion even to benefit friend
to whom he was so unselfshly devoted as
he was to Gen. WooD. At the time of the
preparation of the article in question
Major RUNCIE manifestly believed that
he was serving public interests in helping
to promote Gen. WOODS ambition. His
view OF WOODS worthiness was sincere
his ideas about conditions under BROOKE
were the convictions of energetic, if