The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-15
GENERAL BLISS
WAS MISQUOTEO
Denies Taking a Fall Out of Wood
in His Testimony.
SECRETARY ROOTS LETTER
ACCUSATION AGAINST ASsoCI-
ATED PRESS.

Washington, Dec. 14.-secretarv Root
has addressed the following letter to
senator Proctor. acting chairman of
The committee on military affairs.
Slr; enclose letter from Brig.
sen Iasker II. Bliss asking attention
20 the report Of his rccenr test fuonv
before your commission as witness
LeeardinE cetain objections to the con-
Hfmation of Gen. Wood. 1t appears
thaL The prees reports OF Gen. Bliss
testimony are the precise contrary of
What he in fact testified He wished
tnie set right for his own reputation.
ana 1 shall take the liberty of doing
90 as far rs practicable. by giving his
letter 20 the press.
AT the same time I wish TO call the
attentiOn Of the committee 90 the fact
Lhat some persons ceem to be persist
ehtly furnishing 60 the press false
statements of the testimony taken by
sou, the perversion OF the evidence
Deing IN every case to the prejudice of
sen wood. IL cannot be doubted that
the newspapers publishing these re-
ports believe them to be true. and that
the reports are sent TO them by the rep
aIesentauves OF the press 10 good faith.
under the same belief II is evident
mat some person is undertaking TO
convey 90 the press representatives in
formation Of what goes on i'm the com
nlttee, and is taking advantage Of the
laCL that the evidence is NOT published
20 state 70 falsely, for the purpose Of
inJuring Gen. Wood in the public esti-
nation 80 that. while your committee
VIII act on the evidence actually be-
lore it. the public Judgment as TO how
you ought 10 act win be based uDou an
entirely different and erroneous idea of
what the evidence is. If the evidence
actually given called for Gen Woods
presence I should of course. bring him
back from the Philippines. but 1 do
nor Ieel justified in withdra wing him
from the important duties which he ,g
performing on account of false repOrts
or evidence which has never i'm fact
neen given. II hardly seems fair that
I'm othcer who is not here TO protect
Lunseii, hut is serving his country
1aithtully under orders. on the other
SIDE OF the world. should have his
reputation stabbed i'm this vav.
earnestly request your committees at
Iention to this subject. Very respect
fully. ELTH- ROOT
secretary of War"
Gen. Bliss. in his letter. contradicts
The report that ne strongly opposed
the admission without ravment of dutv
or the silver service purchased i'm New
York by the Jai-Alai and that he re-
celVed mandatory instructions from
ten Wood 10 admit said eilver. service
Tree OF DUTY He says he testified most
positively. under oath. that neither di-
rectly nor indirectly. verbally nor i'm
writing. personally from him nor
through any subordinate. nor from any
person whatsoever, mad received even
an intimauon as to the remission of
duties upon these articles. that I or
dered the remission Of duties because
j believed then and I believe now that
81 was in accordance with the law.
that it any mistake was made I was
solely responsible for IL. I further tes-
lHed that during the two and a half
years that I served directly under the
orders of Gen. Wood as military gov
ernor of Cuba ] know or no action of
his that was not consistent with the
character Of an honorable officer and
a man of integrity.