Arizona republican., 1903-11-22

which the Cuban people are interested. much as our people ae interested in the game of baseball The company in- Ciuded many of the best citizens of Ha- wanna, and the gift from them to Gsn. | Wood. which was made at the time of his departure from the island, had TO relation whatever to any official action
 of his affecting the company, but was
 a part of the general expression of gratitude by the Cuban people toward
 the representative of the United States
 for the just and baneficent government
 through which the free republic of Gu | ba had been established, and the chies credit of which was due to Gen. Wood. To have refused this and other gifts made at the same time would have been disoouiteous, injurious ard unjuS- tifabIe. The treatment of the gift at
 the custom house was strictly in &C., IcCrdance with law and official propria- | ty."
 This is the text of the Rathbone
 charges which brought out the above
 reply from Secretary Root:
 By receiving presents from a gam
 bling house, or company known as the | Jai AlGi. or Juego de Pelota. operated | in the citv of Havana by an associa- | ton or corporation of individuals. un- | der q concession granted by the Span fish authorities before the military oc-
 cupation by the United States of the
 saia island, who had submitted for his IanproVal a construction of their conces-
 sion aforesaid, and their regulations hereunder prepared by their own off | IcerS or counsel. and intended to be in
 the interest of the greatest license to
 the said gambling institution, said gifts Iconsisting of valuable or persona! Iadornments for his wife, consisting of pearls of the value of more than three | thousand dollars. and also an AmeTi- ! Ican-made silver service of the value of | more than five thousand dollars, said ] presents having been made immediate ] ly after his approval and favorable construction of said concession and reg IuIations, said approval by the said i Leonard Wood. of the said favorable construction of the concession to the said gambling institution having been published in the Official Gazette Cf i May .. 1902, and the said presents hay ling been given to his wife and to him. self personally a short time after such official publication of his approval, all of which ccCas:oned great public sean dal. to the detriment and disgrace of ;he United States and it's officers Charg
 ed with the military government of the said island, and greatly to the prejudice of military discipline, and constituting conduct grossly unbecoming an officer of the United States army and a gen. tl"man."
 An affidavit has been laid before the senate. which recites that the share holders in the Jai Alai company were assessed $10 each wherewith to buy the presents for Gen. Wood and lis wife. This affidavit was made by Antonio Lopez Monte. and Rafsal Alfonso y
 Munoz. alleged stockholders in the
 company.
 But bearing mind the ease with
 which afidavits are obtained, and the
 more important fact that that there is
 no evidence of Gen. Woods knowledge
 of the origin of the presents-assming
 the affdavits to be true-it is not clear
 how any discredit could cttach to the
 general. Secretary Root explains that
 the gifts were in the nature of a spon-
 taBeoUs tribute from grateful people to q governor who had rendered ines
 tinahle service to Cuba, and the natur-
 al inference is that Gen. Wood also considered the gifts in this light. If
 he was buncOed into the belief that the
 presents were a voluntary offering
 from q generous-hecrted people when
 in fact they were bought by money
 produced by stockholders of a corpora rests with the company and not upon
 Gen. Wood.