Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-15
THEY'VE LIED!
False Reports About Testimony
in Gen. Wood Case.
Sec. Root Call Attention Of Senate
Committee to Matter.
Gen. Bliss Denies Published Reports
of His Evidence.

Washington, Dec. 14.-Secretary Root
has addressed the following letter to
Senator Proctor, acting chairman of
the committee on military affairs:
"Sir:-I enclose letter from Brig.
Gen. Tasker II. Bliss, asking attention
to the report of his recent testimony
before your committee as witness re-
garding objections to the confirma ton
of Gen. Wood. 1t appears that the
press reports of Gen. Bliss testimony
are the precise contrary of what he in
fact testified. He wishes this set right
for his own reputation and 1 shall take
the liberty of so doing so far as prac-
ticable my giving his letter to the press
AT the same time / wish to call the
attention of your committee to the fact
that some person seems to be persis-
tently furnishing to the press false
statements of the testimony taken be-
fore you, the perversiOn of the evidence
being in every case to the prejudice of
Gen. Wood. 1t cannot be doubted that
the newspapers publishing these re-
ports believe them to be true. and that
the reports are sent to them by the
representatives of the press in good
faith, under the same belief. 1t is evil
dent 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 purpose
of injuring Gen. Wood in the public
estimation, so that while your COM
mittee will act upon the evidence act
ually before it, the public Judgment as
to how you ought to act will be based
upon an entirely different and erro-
neous idea of what the evidence is
If the evidence actually given fcalled
for Gen. Woods presence, / should of
course bring him back from the Phil
ippines, but / do not feel justified in
withdrawing him from the important
duties which he is performing on ac-
count of false reports Of evidence
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. l earnestly request your
committees attention to this subject
VERY respectfully,
(Signed) "ELTHU ROOT.
Secretary Of War
Gen. Bliss in his letter. contradicts
the report that he strongly opposed the
admission, without payment of duty,
Of the silver service purchased in New
York by the Jai Alai and that he re-
ceived mandatory instructions from
Cen. Wood to admit said silver service
free of duty. He says he testified most
positively under oath that neither di-
rectly nor indirectly, verbally nor in
writing. personally from him no"
through any subordinate nor from any
person whatsoever had received even
an intmation as 10 the remission of
duties upon these articles: that l or
dered the remission of duty because
believed then and believe now that it
was in accordance with the law; that
if any mistake was made l was solely
responsible for it.
Il further testified that during the
two and a half years l served directly
under the orders of Gen. Wood as mill
tary governor of Cuba l know of no
action OF his that was not consistent
with the character OF an honorable Off
Ger and a man of integrity