The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-12-04
WOOD MOI TRUTHFUL
DAMAGING EVIDENCE BROUGHT
OUT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE
Major General Brooke On the Stand
"A Newspaper Man Tells How
Ends

WaShingtOS November 30.-MaJor
General John r. Brooke. retired FORM
er governor general of Cuba today
gave testimony before the senate COM
mittee on military affairs, which
charged characterization against Cen
eral Leonard Wood. General Brooke
was before the committee more than
two hours and occupied the entire time
in telling Of General Woods cor 'ucr at
Santiago The witness offered IN SUP
port of his statements. many doCu
mentS taken from records at the war
department and several uaperS from
his personal collection. At the close Of
his testimony, a member of the COM
mittee sal dthat it is probable Cen
eral Wood VIII have to return from
the Philippines and testify.
One Of the charges made by General
Brooke is that General Wood violated
the order which required him in max
! ing improvements in Santiago to sur
nit estimates to the governor general
AS evidence of thi violation. General
Brooke called attention to the build
ing of barracks at Santiago, near the
MORO, without General Woods first
having given notice to the department
at Havana. General Brooke said also
! that General Wood continually .sant
! communications to the war department
! over the head Of his commanding Of
! ficer. The witsess assured the COM
; mittee that he cared nothing for the
| ignoring of his authority. but said that
| the proceedings had been detrimental
to military discipline.
' General Brooke called to the atten-
| ton of the committee in support Of an
lao h.,
! lected to work in harmony with the
military government. the matter Of
| General Woods attitude toward the
! newspapers at Santiago. which repeat
I edly made attacks on General Brooke s
! administration. General Brooke read
a number of these attacks and also his
recommendation to the war depart
| ment that the papers be suppressed
unless they desisted.
| One Of the extracts from the Inde-
pendencia, published at Santiago
| which was read. was q bitter denun-
I citation of General Brooke. under the
| caption of God save Cuba" The ar
ticle was based on General Brooke
| order for the Capitalization of affa Il
! of the island by which receipts froT
all custnA llOblses were iordered sen
to Havana. The article among other
things said that if carried into effec
! the order would prohibit the people 81
| Santiago from breathing without per-
mission from General Brooke; that i
| was a matter of life and death to the
| province Of Santiago to get the ord"l
| reScinded.
General Brooke told the committe,
! that on January 4th. 1899. GenerA
| Wood without consulting his superio
| officer, obtained permission to visit
| Washington. although he left IN abey
| ance matters needing attention.
| HOratiO S. RubenS. of New York, W.,
| before the committee at the mprnin2
| session. His testimony tended to cor
| robOrate the statement made to tbs
| committee by Major j. f. Runcie, ir
! reference to the knowledge Genera
| Wood is said to have had of the Run
| Gle Magazine article criticiSing unfdE
| erably Ehe administration of Mai0
| General Brooke, as governor genera
| of Cuba.