The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-21
R00T'S LETTER
BOOSTING WOOD
Head Of a live" Army Should
Of Course Be Doctor.
OLD OFFICERS ARE BUFFERS
RECENT CHARGES ENTIRELY
PASSED OVER.

lHlAsHINCTON. Dec. 20.-The letter
wv Of Secretary Root to Senator
Proctor, acting chairman Of the
committee on military affairs. giving a
resume of the military record Of Brig
adler General Leonard Wood and stat
ing the chief considera tions which led
TO his nomination as major general.
was made public today. After quoting
from remarks commendatory TO Gener-
81 Wood made by Generals Miles. Law
Jon, Graham and Forsythe. the letter
telates that upon these and similar ev-
licences of fitness President Mckinley
appointed Captain Wood colonel of the
lrst volunteer cavalry On May 1898"
ne secretary also quotes from tie
concentrations of Generals Young.
Ny neeler Sumner and Shafter on Cen
etal Woods conduet i'm the Santiago
campaign, and SAYS General Wood s.
appointment as commander the San
tlaEo province appears to have been
Dased oit "a statement made by General
smarter in dispatch to the depart
ment in which he said he thought
General Wood by far the best man to
AeaVe in command of Santiago"
The secretary reviews General Woods
subsequent military career, saying IN
This connection:
Wood a Favorite.
"Thc high estimate put by the secre-
Jary Of war upon General Woods serv-
ices as military governor is shown j..
the published orders Of the war depart
ment, referring 90 the general orders
or March 70, 1903. ana july z 1902.
which have heretofore been published.
Il ne secretary adds that the opinions
expressed i'm those orders also were the
opinions OF both presidents under whom
the service was rendered saying.
Upon 81 review Of General Woods
entire military record 7 think it fair
10 say that no officer of the American
army below the grade OF major gem
eral has held more important COM
maEds. rendered more distinguished
services or demonstrated TO a higher
degree the possession of qualities which
TT man to render valuable services to
the country az major general
Question of Seniority.
In speaking Of the principles which
require the presidents consideration,
the secretary says:
The law, which recognizes seniority
alone as the title to promotions up to
The grade OF colonel abandons that rule
when 1T deals with general officers and
hmposes uDon the president the duty
bf selecting the best men for generals
without expressing any limitation upon
the class from which he is 90 make the
selection.
The secretary adds that when such D.
selection is TO be made two different
considerations always present them
selves to- the appOinting mind-one a
desire 20 reward long and meritOriOus
service. the other to secuIf the bes-
possible man. He says considerations
do not always coincide. pointing to the
same man. Continuing. he says:
A Live" Army.
'The appropriate reward of honor
frequently comes TO our officers when
their careers are about to close-when
they have passed the period of initia-
tive. Of ambition and strenuous eXec-
ton. and have come to the period OF
comparative repose. An army, all of
whose general officers are selected for
The purpose OF conferrIng rewards and
thus having at its head constantly
shifting body of general officers. none.
OF whom has more than a very few
years 20 serve, and all or nearly all Of
whom are just closing their careers
kond resting upon their laUrels, cannot
POSSIBLY reach the highest standard OF
efficiency To have live army. which
Keeps abreast of the times. i'm con-
slant state of preparation and ready
10 meet emergencies. with the greatest
activity and force, we must have req
EOnable proportion OF its general Off
GERS selected from men i'm the prime
OF life, with careers 40 make, with am
billions. energy. initiative and whose
service win be long enough to maintain
continuity of policy and sustained eff
Fort in working cut ideas which require
ume for their accomplishment"
Now in Regular Order.
Previous rank" continues the sec
rotary, els of little consequence pro-
yided the service shall have been Ions
enough tO furnish the requisite expert
enCe and make the demonstration of
capacity certain"
The secretary says he thinks both
considerations unite in the case of Cen
craI Wood. and concludes by saying
that General Woods record and the
view of public policy led President Nc
lNinlcy TO appoint aim q general. and
that the present nomination Is I'm the
regular order of seniority.
STEET. MILLS IT OSEO