Evening star., 1903-12-21
GEN. WOODS RECORD
CONSIDERATIONS THAT LED TO
HIS PROMOTION.
Letter Sent by Secretary Boot to sena-
tor Proctor Of the Senate Military
Affairs Committee.


| tee on military affairs, dated November
IS, giving a resume of the military rec
| ord of Gen. Leonard Wood and stating
| the chief considerations which led to his
nomination as a major general, has been
made public by Secretary Root.
Secretary Root devotes the first part OF
his communication to a recital of the miii-
| tary services of General Wood before ana
| during the Spanish-American war. Regard
| ing his services as line officer in the COM
mand of troops, although serving under
| commission in the medical department dur
| ing the Indian wars. Secretary Root quotes
| from reports made by Generals Miles, Law
| ton, Graham, Forsyth, Wheeler and Shaf-
| ter. In speaking Of Captain Woods serv-
| ices, General Miles is quoted as saying:
Commended by Superiors.
"This officer served in the field under my
command for several months during the
| terrible campaign against the Apache In
| dams under Geronimo. He is one of the
most enterprising, intelligent and fearless
| officers In the service and competent to full
| fill the duties of field officer"
Secretary Root also directs attention TO
| the remarks made by Gen. Henry w. Law
| ton on the services of Captain Wood IN the
! same campaign. General Lawton said:
| when, through exposure and fatigue, the
| infantry battalion lost its last officer Din
| the pursuit of Geronimo) Captain WOOD
| volunteered to command it In ADDITION TO
| his duties as surgeon. In this duty Cap
| tain Wood distinguished himself most. HIS
| courage endurance and example made sue
cess possible 1 served through the civil
] war and in many battles but In no IN
| stance do l remember such devotion TO
| duty or such an example OF courage ana
| perseverance. 1t was mainly due to Cap
| tain Woods loyalty and resolution that the
| expedition was successful"
Secretary Root argues that In the San
tiago campaign Colonel Woods services
| appear to Justify his appointment. He COM
| manded his regiment at Las Guas1mas on
| June "a. 1898. and his brigade commander
| Gen. s. B. M. Young, and his division COM
| mander. Gen. Joseph Wheeler spoke Of his
services in the highest terms of praise.
Command at Santiago.
| Continuing, Mr.. Root says:
"The third period covers the command of
| the troops In occupation of the province
| of Santiago and the administration of the
| military government in that province from
August, 1893, to December, 1899. General
| Woods appointment to this position ap-
pears to have been based upon the follow
| ing dispatch from General Shafter dated
| August 4:
"T think General Wood by far the best
| man to leave in command of the city or
| Santiago and perhaps Of the whole district
This important command carried with
| eral of volunteers. This commission was
vacated upon the reduction of the army in
the spring OF 1899, when General Wood
was again appointed brigadier general of
volunteers, and in December, 1899, because
of the excellence of his administration OF
the military government in the Department
of Santiago and Puerto Principe he was
again made major general of volunteers and
appointed military governor of Cuba and
commander of the United States forces in
that island. then amounting to somewhat
over 10000 men.
"In the spring of 1901 Gen. Woods COM
mission as major general of volunteers
being about to expire by operation of law,
he was nominated by President Mckinley
and confirmed by the Senate as brigadler
general of the regular army, and his last
years service military governor was I'M
der that commission. In the autuma after
the end of the military occupation of Cuba
Gen. Wood applied for active service in
the Philippines and assigned 10 the
command of the Department of biindaEao,
where he is now serving.
Military Governor of Cuba.
'The administration of the office of mil
itary governor of Cuba was directly under
the control and supervision of TIE Secre-
tary of War. acting for the President as
commander-in-chi The high estimate
put by the Secretary of War upon Gen.
Woods services as military governor is
shown in the published orders of the War
Department contained in the inclosed pa
pers. The opinions expressed in these or
ders were also the opinions of both the
Presidents under whom the services were
rendered
What was done in Cuba by the Ameri-
can army between the surrender of Santi-
ago and the establishment of the Cuoan
republic doubtless seems to many who look
back upon it in the light of it's peaceful and
successful conclusion to have been simple
and easy: but you and the members of
your committee who were concerned IN
government during that period will recall
the difficulties, the doubts, the differences
of opinion and the anxieties which accom-
panied the discharge of our national obli-
cations in that island; the serious conse-
ouences we saw reason to apprehend IN
case of erroneous Judgment or feeDleness
OF execution, and the satisfaction which we
felt in having found man whose ability
and character were adequate TO the Diff
cult task of executing our national policy
The government Of occupied territory is n
military duty of a high order, and involves
the exercise of many of the most important
qualities of general officer. Il is of great
Importance to any country to have among
Its general officers men who measure up to
the performance of such duty, and the
successful performance of such duty is
generally and justly regarded as a title to
military promotion"
Upon review of Gen. Woods entire
military record" says Secretary Root, II
think 1t fair to say that no officer of the
American army below the grade of major
general has held more important COM
mands, rendered more distinguished serv-
Ice or demonstrated to a higher degree
the possession of the qualities which fit
man to render valuable services to the
country as major general.
The appropriate reward of honor fire.
quently 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
comforting rewards, and thus having at
Its 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 stand
ard of efficiency. To have a live army
which keeps abreast of the times, in a
constant state of preparation and ready
to meet emergencies with the greatest
activity and force, we must have a rea-
sonable proportion Of it's general officers
selected from the men in the prime of
life, with careers to make, with ambition
energy, initiative. and whose service will
be long enough to maintain continuity of
policy and sustained effort in working