Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-15
IN DEFENSE OF WOOD
Secretary Root Says False In
formation Is Being Given to
Press Representatives
GENERAL BLISS CORRECTION
GENERAL BLISS CORRECTION
contradicts Damaging Report Regard
ing Admission of the Silver Service
and Says He Knows Of No Action of
General Woods When Military Gov
ernor, Deserving of Condemnation.

Root, in letter to Senator Proctor
acting chairman of the committee on
military affairs, makes the statement
that false information regarding the
evidence taken before the committee
IN the investigation into the actions OF
General Leonard Wood. which is now
being prosecuted, is being given to
representa- tives of the press, and by
them is being sent to papers all over
the country. The secretary deplores
the fact that sentiment IS thus being
created which is hostile TO General
Wood even before the action of the
committee in regard to the case is
known.
Secretary Roots letter is in connec-
ton with a letter from General Tasker
H. Bliss. which ne Forwarded to the
committee, in which General Bliss pro-
tests that the published report OF the
evidence which he gave before tn
committee is totally at variance with
what he really said.
Secretary Roots lettar follows:
Sir: l enclose q letter from Briga-
der General Tasker II. Bliss asking
attention 10 The report Of his recent
testimony before your commission as a
witness regarding eertain objections
to the confrma ,.on OF General Wood.
II appears THAT the press reports Of
General Bliss testimony are the pre-
rf,-o, Of a N N faxfi-
fed. He wishes this sc: right fc
own re equation and shall take the
liberty of doing SO as far as practical
bic 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 10 be persist
entity furnishing 10 the press false
statements of the testimony taken be-
fore you, the perversion OF the evil
dence being in every case to the preju-
dice of General Wood. 1t can not be
doubted that the newspapers publish
ing these reports believe them to be
true, and thai the reports are sent TO
them by the representatives OF the
press in good faith. under the same
belief II is evident tina. some person
is undertaking to convey to the press
representatives inforna lion OF what
goes on In the committee, and IS TAX
lrg advantage of the fac: thst the evil
Lence is not published to state /, false
.y. for the purpose of injuring General
Wood in the public estimation, 50
that. while your committee viii ac,
upon the evidence actually before 1t,
the public Judgment as TO how YOU
ough. to act viii be based upon an
entirely different and erroneous Idea Of
what the evidence is.
'If the evidence actually given called
for Genera, Woods presence. should
of course bring him back from the
Philippines, but l do not feel justified
in withdrawing him from the impor-
tant duties which he is performing on
account of the false report OF evil
dence which has never in fact been
given.
1T hardly seems fair that an officer
who is not here to protect himself, but
is serving his country faithfully. under
orders, on the other side of the world,
should have his reputation stabbed in
This way. earnestly request your
committees attention to this subject.
Very respectfully,
tSigned) "ELIHU ROOT.
Secretary of War"
Bliss Makes Correction.
General Bliss, in his letter. contra
diets the report that he strongly OPP
posed the admission, without payment
of duty, of the silver service purchased
in New York by Jai Alai and that he
received mandatory Instructions from
General Wood to admit said silver
service free of duty. He says he test
fed most positively under oath that
either directly or Indirectly, verbally
or in writing. personally from General
Wood, nor thru any subordinate. nor
from any person whatsoever had re-
ceived even an intimat.on as to the
remission of duties upon these arti-
c.es; that ordered the remission Of
duty because / believed then, and be-
Meve now, that If any mistake was
made was solely responsible for it. I,
further am satisfied that during the
two and a half years that ! served d.
rectly under the orders Of General
Wood as military governor OF Cuba
know Of no action of his that was not
consistent with the character OF an
f.f {y,f arp