The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-23
WOOD READY TO
ANSWER CHARGES
Former Governor General of
Cuba Will Defend His
Record.

WASHINGTON, d. c., March 22.-
Brig. Gen. Leonard A. Wood today
placed in the hands of the secretary
of war a voluntary statement regard
ing the charges filed against him by
Maj. E. G. Rathbone, eX-director gen
eral of Cuban posts.
No official notice of Maj. Rathbone' 9
charges has been taken by the secre-
tary as yet, but Gen. Wood on reading
them asked and received permission
to file at the department. a statement
setting forth his side of the case be-
fore his departure for service in the
Philippines.
Gen. Wood leaves Washington
Wednesday afternoon for Boston,
whence he sails on Thursday for Ma
Mia. Pending the action of the secre-
tary on his statement Gen. Wood re.
fuses to comment upon the charges,
most of which he says have been pre-
sented before.
In his statement to the secretary
Gen. Wood denies that he received any
but purely PERSONAL gifts while In
Cuba. AS to his attendance on the
"Jai Allai,' public institution at Ha-
vana, at which the Spanish national
game was played, Gen. Wood calls at
tention to the fact that the bishop of
Havana was present at the dedication
of the institution and conducted the
service on that occasion
AS governor general of Cuba it was
his policy, he says, to establish and
maintain cordial relations with the
people of the island, including the
rd hn
element. He felt, he says, that it was
but an appreciation of Spanish insti-
tutions for him to recognize and
patroniZe the Spanish national game,
which corresponds closely to the
American game of racquets, and he
made it a point to attend the "Jai
Altar quite often in the evenings, be-
ing accompanied by several of his
aides. The latter, he says, received
professional instruction in the game.
The institution, Gen. Wood states,
had drinking and betting privilege
legally granted by the authorities and
was attended in the evenings by from
1000 to 5000 people.
Last May on the Sunday before his
departure, Gen. Woods says he was
asked to receive a delegation of Span
iSh merchants who desired to present
him personal testimonial of their es-
TEEN. This proved to be a handsome
silver service. Gen. Tasker H. Bliss,
then in charge of the customs service
Gen. Wood says, admitted the gift free
of duty, first, because under the law
no duty was collected on importations
for officials and soldiers of the United
States, and, secondly, because the law
provided also for the free importation
of~household goods and personal effects
which were not to remain permanently
in the island. AS the customs houses
already had been closed, that the gov
ernor general might make a complete
return of the funds in the treasury at
the hour of the American evacuation
Gen. Bliss could issue no bond for the
admission of the gift, but he personal
ly examined it and caused it's free en-
try.
Gen. Wood said tonight that he
would leave with each member of the
senate Cuban committee a copy of his
statement to Secretary Root, and that
he was ready at any time to appear
before that committee to reply to any
charges which might be brought
against him.
Gen. Wood is at any time ready and
glad to appear before any congression-
al committee regarding any charges
which may be brought against his rec
ord as governor general of Cuba. He
refuses, however, to indulge in a news
paper controversy under any circum-
stances