The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-21
PRAISE OF WOOD
is LAVISHED by THE SECRETARY
OF WAR.
WHY WOOD WAS PROMOTED
TO THE HIGH RANK OF A MAJOR
GENERAL.

After the Hearing Given BY the
Senate Military Committee to the
Charges Brought Against Wood,
the Letter of the Secretary of War
Is PubIished-It Makes No AIIu-
siOns to the Facts Brought Out at
the Investigation.
Washington, Dec. 2O.-The letter of
Secretary Root to Senator Proctor,
acting chairman of the Committee on
Military Affairs, dated Nov. is, last,
giving resume of the military record
of Gen. Leonard Wood, and stating
the chief considerations which led to
his nomination as major general,
was made public to-day. After quot
ing from remarks commendatory to
Gen. Wood made by Gems. Miles, Law
ton, Graham and Forsyth, the letter
recites that upon these and similar
evidences OF fitness, President McKin-
ley appointed Capt. Wood colonel of
the First Volunteer Cavalry in May,
1885,"
The Secretary also quotes from the
concentrations of Gems. Young,
Wheeler, Sumner and Shafter on Gen.
Woods conduct in the Santiago cam
paign, and says Gen. Woods appoint
ment as commander of the Santiago
province appears to have been based
upon statement made by Gen. Shat
ter in a dispatch to the department,
in which he said he thought Gen.
Wood by far the best man to leave
in command of Santiago"
The Secretary reviews Gen. Woods
subsequent military career, saying in
this connection:
The high estimate put by the Sec
rotary of War upon Gen. Woods serv-
ices as military governor is shown
in the published orders Of the War
Department, referring to the general
order of March q 1903, and July 4, 1902
The Secretary adds that the opinions
expressed in those orders also were
the opinions of both Presidents under
whom the service was rendered, say
ing:
His DISTINGUISHED Service.
tire military record, l think it fair
to say that no officer of the Ameri-
can army below the grade of major
general has held more important COM
nlandS, rendered more distinguished
services to the country as a major
general"
In speaking of the principles, which
he says sound policy requires the
President to follow in making appoint
nlents, the Secretary says: THE law
which recognizes seniority alone as the
title TO promotion up to the grade of
colonel abandons that rule. when it
deals with general officers, and i'm
poses upon the President the duty of
selecting the best men for generals
without expressing any limitation upon
the class from which he is to make the
selection"
The secretary adds that when such
a selection is to be made two differ
ent considerations always present
themselves to the appointing mind-one
a desire to reward long, and meritorious
service; the other to secure the best
possible man. He says these consid-
erations do not always coincide in
pointing to the same man. Continu-
ing, he says:
Need Young Generals
1.-THE appropriate reward of honor
frequently comes to our officers when
their careers are about to close-when
they have passed the period
of initiative, of ambition and
strenuous exertion and have come
to the period of comparative
repose. An army, all of whose general
officers are selected for the purpose of
confercing rewards and thus having at
it's head a constantly shifting body Of
general officers, none of whom has
more than a very few years to serve,
and all or nearly all of whom are just
closing their careers and resting upon
their laurels, cannot possibly reach the
highest standard of efficiency. To have
a live army, which keeps abreast of the
times, in a constant state of prepara-
ton and ready to meet emergencies
with the greatest activity and force,
we must have a reasonable proportion
of it's general officers selected from the
men in the prime of life, with careers
to make, with ambition, energy, initia-
tive and whose service will be long
enough to maintain continuity of policy
and sustained effort in working out
ideas which require time for their ac-
complishment."
previous rank" continues the Sec
rotary, lis of little consequence, pro-
vided the service shall have been long
enough to furnish the requisite ex
perience and make the demonstration
of capacity certain"
The Secretary says he thinks both
considerations unite in the case of Gen.
Wood, and concludes by saying that
Cen Woods record and the views of
public policy led President Mckinley
to appoint him brigadi general and
that the present nomination is in the
regular order of seniority.