The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-15
REPORTS ARE
NOT HONEST
SECRETARY ROOT MAKES
CHARGES IN WOOD CASE. II
MAKES
INTENT TO INJuRE GENERAL
Declares Sat.Pub'ished Statements
Concerning Testimony Show Preju-
dice-GeneraI Bliss Letter.

.# SOIISOI ~ 'SostsiSIyS 'SVv Nr
dice-GeneraI Bliss Letter.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 14.-Secre-
!tary Root has addressed the following
letter to Senator Proctor, acting chair
man of the committee on military:
..Sir-I enclose a letter from Briga-
dier-General Tasker H. Bliss asking
attention to the report that his recent
testimony before your committee as a
witness regarding certain objections
to the confirmation Of General Wood.
1t appears that the press reports OF
General Bliss testimony are the pre-
else contrary Of what he in fact tes1
tilted. He wishes this set right j6r
his own reputation and / shall take
the liberty Of doing so as far as prac-
ticable by giving his letter to the
press.
cat the same time / wish to call
the attention of the committee to the
fact that some persons seem 20 be
persistently furnishing to, the press
false statements of the testimony
taken by you, the p%erversion Of the
evidence being in every case to the
prejudice of General Wood. 1t cannot
be doubted that the newspapers pub
fishing these reports believe them to
be true, and that the reports are sent
to them by the representatives of the
press in good faith under the same
belief.
y "ItFis evident that some person is
undertaking to convey to the press
representatives information of what
goes on in the committee, and is
taking advantage of the fact that the
evidence is not published to state it
falsely for the purpose Of injuring
General Wood in the public estima-
ton; so that, while your committee
will act upon the evidence actually
before it, the public judgment as to
how you ought to act will be based
upon an entirely different and erron-
eous idea of what the evidence is.
If the evidence actually given calls
for General Woods presence, | should
of course bring him back from the
' Philippines, but I do not feel justified
in withdrawing him from the import
ant duties which he is performing on
account of false reports of evidence
which has never, in fact, been given.
cit hardly seems fair that an officer
who is not here to protect himself, but
is serving his country faithfully I'M
der orders on the other side of the
world, should have his reputation
stabbed in this way. l earnestly re-
quest your committees attention to
this.
every respectfully,
(Signea) "ELIHU ROOT"
General Bliss, in his letter, contra
diets the report that he strongly OPP
posed the admission without payment
of duty of the silver service purchased
in New York by Jai Ala, and that
he received mandatory instructions
from General Wood to admit said sill
yer service free Of duty. He says he
testified most positively under oath
that neither directly nor indirectly,
verbally nor in writing, personally
from him Or through any subordinate
nor from any person whatsoever, had
he received even an intimation as to
the remission of duties upon the ar
ticles; that he ordered the remission
Of duty because he believed then and
believes now that it was in accordance
with the law, and that if any mistake
was made, he was solely responsible
for it.
The letter continues: 81 further
testified that during the two and a
half years that I served directly I'M
der the orders of General Wood as
military governor of Cuba, I know OF
mo action of his that was not consist
ent with the character of an honorable
officer and+a man of integrity"
Stockholders Meeting.