The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-23
He PLAYED JAl ALLAH
WOOD BUCKED THE SPANISH Ma
TIONAL GAME.
NOTHING WRONG IN II
THOUGHT HE SHOULD DO AS THE
ROMANS DID.

Institution Was Literally Patron
lied by the Most Prominent PeO-
pie of Havana-The American
Governor General Saw no Reason
why He shouId Not Make n Few
Bcts AlsO-His Aides Accompanied
Him-Answers Other Charges.
About TO Go to the Philippines.
Washington. March 22-Brig Gen.
Leonard A. Wood to-day placed in the
hands of the Secretary of War a vol
untary statement regarding the
charges filed against him by Maj. e.
j. Rathbone, ex-dsrector of Cuban
Posts.
No official notice of Maj Rathbone's
charges had been taken by the Secre-
tary as yet, but Gen. Wood. on read
ing them asked and received permits
sion to file at the department a state
ment setting forth his side of the case
before his departure for service in the
Philippines. Gen. Wood leaves Wash
| ington Wednesday afternoon, when he
sails on Wednesday for Manila.
Pending the action of the secretary
on his statement, Gen. Wood refuses
to comment upon the charges, most
| of which he says have been presented
| before.
About the Jai ALLAH.
In his statement to the Secretary,
! Gen. Wood denies that he received any
but purely personal" gifts while in
| Cuba. AS to his attendance on the
"Jai Allah" a public institution at
Havana at which the Spanish national
| game was played, Gen. Wood calls
of Havana was present at the dedi-
cation of the institution and conduct
ed the services on that occasion. As
| Governor General of Cuba, it was his
| policy he says, to establish and main
| tain cordial relations with the people
| of the island, including the Spaniards,
who were the influential element.
He felt, he says, that it was but
an appreciation of Spanish institutions
| for him to recognize and patronize the
| Spanish national game, which CORE
| spends closely to the American game
| of racquets. and he made 1t a point
| to attend the "Jai Allah" quite often
in the evenings, being accompanied by
several of his aides. The latter, he
says, received professional instruction
! in the game. The institution, Gen.
| Wood states, had a drinking and bet
ting privilege legally granted by the
| authorities. and was attended in the
evenings by from 1000 to 5000 people.
Received a silver Service.
Last May, on the Sunday before his
| departure, Gen. Wood says he was
| asked to receive delegation of Span
ish merchants who desired to present
! him a personal testimonial of their es-
TEEN. This proved to be handsome
| silver service.
| Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, then in charge
| of the customs service, Gen. Wood
| says, admitted the gift, free of duty,
| first, because under the law, no duty
| was collected on importations for off,
| Gals and soldiers of the United States,
| and, secondly, because the law pro-
| vided also for the free importation of
| household goods and personal effects
| which were not to remain permanently
| in the island.
Gen. Wood said tonight to the AS
ISOLATED Press representative that he
would leave with each member of the
Senate Cuban Committee a copy of
his statement to Secretary Root. The
| Associated Press is authorized by Gen.
Wood to define his position briefly as
| follows:
Gen. Wood is at any time ready and
| glad to appear before any congress
sional committee regarding charges
| which may be brought against his rec
| ord as governor general of Cuba. He
refuses, however to indulge in a news
| paper controversy under any circum-
| stances.