The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1903-12-16

Washington, Dec. Is. - Secretary
Root has addressed a letter to Senator
Proctor, acting chairman of the com
mittcc on military affairs, in which he
says that General Tasker H. Bliss has
called his attention to his (Bliss) tes-
timony in the case of General Wood
and that the press reports of the tes-
t!mony are directly contrary to the
actual evidence given by the general.
Secretary Root continues: "At the
same time | wish to call the attention
Of your committee to the fact that
some person seems to be persistently
furnishing to the press false state
ments of the testimony taken before
you, the perversion of the evidence
being in every case to the prejudice Of
General Wood
"It cannot be doubted that the news
papers publishing these reports be-
iieve them to be true and that the re-
ports are sent to them by the repre-
sentatives of the press in good faith
under the same belief. 1t is evident
that some person is undertaking to
convey to the press representatives
information of what goes on in the
committee and is taking advantage Of
the fact that the evidence is not pub
lished to state it falsely for the pur-
pose of injuring General Wood in the
public estimation; so that while you
committee will act upon the evidence
tctually before it, the public judgment
as 20 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
called for General Woods presence,
should of course bring him back
from the Philippines, but I do not feel
justified in Withdrawing him from the
important duties which he Is perform
ing on account of false reports of evil
dence which has never in fact been
given. 1t hardly seems fair that an
{ fficer who is not here to protect him.
self but is serving his country faith
fully under orders, on the other side
of the world, should have his reputa
iion stabbed in this way. | earnestly
request your committees attention to
this subject"
General Bliss, in his letter calling
Secretary Roots attention to the evi
oence, contradicts the report that he
strongly opposed the admission, with
out payment of duty of the silver se.-
vice purchased in New York by the
Jai Alai and that he received manda-
tory instructions from General Wood
to admit said silver service free Of
DUTY. ua#
He says he testified most positively
under oath that neither directly nor in
or in any other manner, "had
received even an intimation as to the
remission of duties upon these arti
cles; that | ordered the remission of
duty because believed then and be-
lieve now that it was in accordance
with the law. If any mistake was
made ] was solely responsible for It
further testified that during the two |
and a half years that served directly |
under the orders of General Wood as
governor of Cuba knew of no |
actiol OF his that was not consistent |
with the character of an honorable |
officer and man of integrity"
When the senate committee on mill |
larry affairs resumed its investigation |
Of charges against General Leonard |
Wood, Dr.-C. H. Fisher Of Chicago,
editor of the Havana Post, |
published during American occupa-
ion, told the story of General Woods
intimacy with Bellairs and attempted
o show that General Wood knew Of
3ellairs' bad record.
DR.. Fisher said that in September, |
1900 he told General Wood of an ar
.icle he had ordered printed in the
Havana Post exposing Bellairs. The
said General Wood told him
ne did not want the story printed and
hat II had not been used on account Of
hat request.