The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-01
Charges Him With Ignoring the Authority of His Superior
 At Santiago
TOUCHES UPON THE TRIP
 OF WOOD ID WASHINGTON
Witness Calls the Attention of Senate Committee to Attitude of the Accused Toward Military
 Policy in Cuba.

Washington, November 3O.-Major Gen. eral John E. Brooke, retired, former gov ernor general of Cuba, today gave tes- timony before the senate committee on military affairs which charges insubordn- ation against General Leonard Wood.
 General Brooke was before the commit tee more than two hours, and occupied the entire time in telling of General Woods conduct at Santiago. The witness offered in support of his statements many documents taken from records at the war department and several papers from his personal collection.
 At the close of his testimony, a member of the committee said that it is probable that General Wood will have to return from the Philippines and testify. One of the charges made by General Brooke is that General Wood violated the order which required him in making improve ments in Santiago, to submit estimates to the governor general. As evidence of this violation, General Brooke called at tention to the building of the barracks at Santiago, near the Morro, without
  to the department of Havana. General Brooke said also that General Wood con- tinually sent communications to the war department over the head of his conn ma ing officer The witness assured the committee that he cared nothing for the ignoring of his authority, but said that the proceeding had been detrimental to military discipline.
 Charges Against Wood.
 General Brooke called to the attention If the committee. in support of m allegs- ton that General Wood had neglected to work in harmony with the military move- ment, the matter of General Woods at- titude toward the newspaper at Santiago, which repeatedly made attacks on Gen. eral Brooke's administration. General Brooke read a number of these attacks and also his recommendation to the war department that the paper be suppressed, unless they desisted.
 One of the extracts from the Indepen- dencia, published at Santiago, which was read, was a bitter denunciation of Gen. eral Brooke under the caption of God Save Cuba" The article was based on General Brooke's order for the centraliza- ton of affairs of the island by which re- ceipts from all custom houses were or dered sent to Havana. The article, among other things, said that if carried into ef- feet the order soon would prohibit the peo- ple of Santiago from breathing without permission from General Brooke: that it was a matter of life and death to the province of Santiago to get the order re- scnded. large number of telegrams of indignation sent to President Mckinley were appended to the article.
 Brooke Reads Letter.
 General Brooke read a letter which he had sent to the adjutant general of the war department, asking that General Wood be instructed to prohibit the publi- cation of such articles during the period of military government. He also read General Woods reply to the adjutant general which the witness said had been sent over the head of his superior of- ficer, saying that freedom of speech, un- trammelled criticism of the military gov ernment and absolute independence in all matters, was a necessary part of the education of the cubans to let them con- duct a liberal government.
 General Brooke told the committee that on January f. 1899, General Wood, with out consulting his superior officer, ob- taned permission to visit Washington even though he left in abeyance matters needing attention. Correspondence relat-
 
 mlttee In the course of General Brooke's testimony he said that Wood became un- duly excited when the Cubans held in- dignation meeting at Santiago for the purpose of protesting against the cen tralization order. The witness laid before the committee a copy of telegram he received from General Wood saying that the Cubans looked upon the order as approaching a calamity and that dis content and profound business depres- sions existed.
 Finally, General Wood prayed that the custom receipts be left under local con- troll The witness declared that the atti- tude of General Wood was responsible to a great extent in adding to the dis quiet of the Cubans.
 Numbers Interested.
 Members of the committee took a great interest in General Brooke's testimony and steps were taken to have copied a