The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-12-18
FALSE REPORTS
OF WOOD CASE,
Secretary Root Says Some
One Is Giving Them to
Papers.

Washington, Dec Secretary |
; Root has addressed the following let
ter to Senator Proctor, acting chair |
man of the committee on military |
affairs.
''Sir: l enclose a letter from Brig
adler General Tasker II. Bliss, asking
attention to the report of his testi-
mony before your committee as wit
mess regarding certain objections to
the confirmation of General Wood
1t appears that the press reports of
Gen. Bliss tilnony are the precise
icontrary of what he in fact testified.
He wishes this set right for his own
reputation and | shall take the liber
ty of doing so as far as practicable
by giving his letter to the press.
| "At the same time | wish to call
. the attention of the committee TO
the fact that some persons seem to
be persistently furnishing to the
press false statements of the testi-
; mony taken before you, the perver-
: sion of the evidence being in every
case to the prejudice of Gen. Wood.
II cannot be doubted that the news
papers publishing these reports be
lieve them to be true, and that the
, reports are sent to them by the rep
! resentatives of the press in good
: faith. under the same belief. Il IS
I evident that some person is under
taking to convey to the press repre-
tatives information OF what goes on
in the committee, and is taking ad-
: vantage of the fact that the evidence
= lis not published to state il falsely.
for the purpose ofinjuring Gen. Wood
: in the public estimation; so that,
while your committee will act upon
q the evidence actually before il, the
q public judgement as TO how you ought
~ to act will be based upon an entirely
different and erroneous idea of what
the evidence is.
: "If the evidence actually given
7 lcalled for Gen. Woods presence,
should, of course, bring him back
from the Philippines, but do not
Ifeel justified in withdrawing him
from the important duties which he
Is Is performing on account of false re
J. ports of evidence which has never in
g fact been given. II hardly seem:
fair that an officer who is not here
II to protect himself. but is serving hi:
Ie country faithfully, under orders, or
d the other side of the world, should
20 have his reputation stabbed in thii
way. / earnestly request your com
Is mittee's attention to this subject
p. Very respectfully
IN 'ELIHU ROOT, Sec,y. of War"
ri Gen. Bliss in his letter contradict
the report that he strongly opposes
ie the admission, without payment o
1t duty of the silver service pur
ID chased in New York by the Jal Ala
,f and that he received mandatory in
" structions from Gen. Wood to admi
at said silver service free of duty. III
o. says he testified most positively IN
q. der oath that neither directly no
h Indirectly, verbally nor in writing
personally from him nor through an
II subordinate nor from any perso
ny Whatsoever "had l received even a
lintimation as to the remission of dU
Idies upon these articles; that / order
Us ed the remission of duty because
he believed then and l believe now tha
it was il accordance with the Law
that if any mistake was made | wa
n solely responsible for it. | furthe
ys- testified that during the two and
half years that | served directly III
:. Ider the orders of Gen. Wood as mil
dl tary governor of Cuba l know of n
he action of his that was not consister
en- with the character Of an honorabl
fv officer and man of integrity"
~ Secretary Root took the witne:
re. stand for two and one-half hour
it Wednesday in favor of General Woo
asI The confirmation will be recon
q; mended by vote of to =.
lis The testimony of Secretary Root
to practically the only defense that hs
ST. been made of General Wood in til
~ hearing, which has extended sine
= about the beginning of the extraol
dinary session of Congress.
no The testimony, however, covere
to the entire range of evidence pr,
Mt lduced against General Wood, an
Twas supported in many instance
with correspondence and other dat
le, taken from records at the war d,
is partment covering the period {
nd General Woods administration q
governor general of Cuba
Secretary Root undertook to a
sumo the whole responsibility fC
the orders issued by General Woo
affecting the judicial system in Cub
and concerning the concession gran
ed to the Jai Alai company at III;
X vana.
At the forenoon session of the con
mittee Secretary Root was give
every latitude in telling his story {
the affairs in the island and refutin
the charges made by d number {
OuN a. 1AC oCootO
IN, questions were asked by Senator TIE
nj Ter which confined the secretary I
ia the Runcie letter, the Jai Ala col
"a cession, the Rathbone trial, Gene
hu al Woods friendship for Bellair
and the question of seniority as
of means of recognizing military Sc
he vice.
Many of the questions were poin
ed and in some cases severe upC
an Gen. Wood, but in every case Gener;
Wood found a warm defender
NO Secretary Root.
hei