New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-08
4 CASE FOR PROOF OR RErRA oTToN.

THE Springfield Republican" explains that
the scandalous charge against the professional
and personal character Of General Leonard
Wood which It published last Sunday was
based upon an Havana letter and editorial COM
mont unon If in 1.-The New-York Evening
Post" The Havana letter said Your readers
..viII doubtless remember the once much talked
"of article in The North American Review
"for November, 1899, entitled American MIS-
government in Cuba This was an attack upon
General Brooke prepared under Hehefai
Woods direction, and which, as is well known,
"passed under his own hand before publication
The editorial in The Evening Post" told the
story of General Woods alleged authorship OF
the article and his punishment under Secretary
Roofs orders, of Lieutenant Runcie for writing
it at greater length and with much detall,
showing close acquaintance with the SUBJECT
independent OF the Havana correspondent.
How far the publication in one paper of such
a charge made by anonymous IL very
trustworthy Havana correspondent" together
with editorial emphasis even by journal OF
the character of The Evening Post" justifies
its republication as a settled fact by another
newspaper may be open to question. We are
not however, concerned with that. All that We
care for is to find somebody who is responsible
for tbe charge II is of a nature far too serious
TO he left TO circulate as public property and be
nassed on from mouth TO mouth, now not to
be believed without proof, but gradually gain
ing credence as all neglected ISLANDERS do, I'LL
if becomes practically impossible Of disproof TO
many minds. The growth OF such scandal
would infict the greatest wrong on brave
officer and reflect upon the whole army. The
man who would do the thing charged is unfit
to be an officer of the United States Army
If General Wood anonymously attacked Gen
eral Brooke avoided responsibility for 1t, and
punished his tool for the offence he ought, as
we have already said, to be court martialed. If
enemies and slanderers are circulating scanda-
lous falsehoods about him, they should be ex-
posed. This thing has got TO the point when
ii is time for the responsible author OF this
charge to follow the injunction of the marriage
service and now speak or else hereafter for
ever hold his peace.
So far as it now appears "The New-York
Evening Post is the responsible author of the
charge What are its proofs? Is its indictment
of General Woods personal honor and soldierly
conduct based on any definite Information, or
is it mere idle gossip born Of envy and malice?
If anybody has wickedly imposed upon it an
atrocious libel it should hunt him down and
yindicate an officer whose honor nobody has
hitherto dared to question If it can prove
what it says, it owes it TO the army and the
country to bring forward its proofs and save
the uniform of the United States from disgrace.
Whatever obligation may hereafter rest upon
General Wood to defend his own character,
or on the War Department to protect the
arIny's reputation, if this story is continued III
circulation there can be no doubt that the
first obligation rests with him who first pub
fishes so serious accusation TO give with
equal publicity the authorities which justify
his attack. We look to 1.-The Evening Post"
for its proofs or it's retraction.