The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-18
GEN. wooD,s VICTORY.

HeIG Is HOl IluCni IL any dOubh
that the nomination of Gen. Wood to
the position of major general will be
confirmed. Secretary Root was such
a good witness for him that the
charges against him were practically
swept aside and the Committee on
Military Affairs agreed to report his
nomination favorably by an over
whelming majority.
1t is probable that the real basis of
the investigation was the very gen.
eral feeling that it was an injustice
to promote him over so many of his
seniors and place him so near to the
head of the army. Prior to the Span
ish-American War he was only an
army surgeon and had had almost no
military experience. He did nothing
in that war that indicated that he
possessed extraordinary ability as a
soldier, though he did good service in
an administrative capacity as Gov
ernor General of Cuba.
1t seems that there was not a great
deal in the charges that were made
that he inspired an article which APP
rpeared in the North American Review.
in which his superior officer, Gen.
Brooke, was severely criticised, that
he kept in close touch with news
paper correspondent who had a bad
record and that he granted conces-
sions to the Jai Alai, a gambling in
stitution of Havana.
Secretary Root appears to have
satisfied the investigating committee
in respect to all of the charges. He
pointed out that the Jai ,Alai was not
a gambling institution, except in the
sense that a horse racing association
is, and that the concession which Gen.
Wood granted it was for an addition
to its building. This concession, how
ever, had the approval of the War
Department. What answer Secretary
Root made to the other charges has
not yet been fully stated, but it APP
pears to have been satisfactory.
Gen. Wood has powerful friends in
the President and the Secretary of
w al anu ne SGCIllS W ldI VIC pCNAi SoA
full, when in Cuba, to do nothing to
which he didn't call the attention of
the War Department and get its APP
proval. 1t appears that even the ac-
ceptance of a silver set from the Jai
Alai had the approval of the Secretary
of War.
Under the circumstances it is not to
be wondered at that he had no fear of
the result of the investigation. He
had wisely taken precautions which
insured him protection for his acts in
the event of being attacked. In doing
that he showed himself to be a man
of more than average ability, though
he has not distinguished, himself as
soldier. g5sE tt
= AS the committee stands eight to two
in his favor there will be minority
report, which will afford an oppOr-
tunity to those opposed to him to
speak their minds freely in regard to
him when the question of confirming
his nomination comes up for consider
alton.
W nlAS tnG PubAAO bNAACiohJ heoAA
been very deeply impressed by the
charges against him and the testimony
In support of thefns it has synpathized
with the feeling in the army that an
injustice was done when he was pro-
NOTED over the heads of his seniors
officers who were educated at West
Point and who have grown gray in
their .country's service. If Gen. Wood
had ever displayed military ability of
a high order there would be very lit
tie objection outside of the army to
his promotion. The people want the
ablest officers in the places Of the
greatest responsibility, but they are
against promoting an officer out of
the regular order simply because he is
a favorite of the administration.
No doubt there will be some spicy
speeches made in the Senate when
Gen Woods nomination comes up for
consideration, but with such an over
whelming majority Of the Committee
on Military Affairs in favor of 1t he
has no reason to be uneasy respecting
the result.