Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-11
GEN. ]. Il. WILSON
AND WOOD CASE.
SAYS prest. Mckinley Made Dead.
ly Mistake in Appointing Him
Brigadier General
WAS SUBvERSIvE OF DISCIPLINE
Cars He Was Not Present at the Bat
tie Of San Juan and Told g.
Gov. Roosevelt So,

washington, Jan. 9.-Testimony Of
,,,d in the hearings before the senate
.umlttee on military affairs concern
,og ,be nomination Of Brig Gen. Leon
.I wood TO be made major general
has been furnished to all the senator's.
The prlnted testimony shows That
Can lanes II, Wilson was particularly
lara in his criticism Of Gen, Wood,
IA while on the stand also criticized
President Mckinley for making him a
n,lgadcr general. This criticism was
hroIgbt out by the following question
from senator Foraker
' won think that President Mckinley
,u.ds A mistake when he made Gen.
wood a brIgadier general|
Answer u think he made a deadly
,n,s,ake When he made that appoint
nmS,"l mink he gave the greatest shock
, ~ ,he sense OF discipline and fairness
~ the American army that 1t has ever
received.
hen wilson further stated that Gen.
Wood was not at the battle OF san
iasn and told the committee that he
nod informed the president, then gov.
,rnor of New York, OF this fact This
evidence was refuted by Secy' Root
when he went on the stand a few days
la,er who stated that Gen. Wood not
onlv was at the battle OF San Juan, but
,bs, his division commander had re.
norted him for conspicuous bravery and
,or handling his troops 80 well that he
deslred To recommend him for pro.
motion The secretary further said that
Cen Wood was at the bloody ford, in
tbe hottest and heaviest IRE that our,
men had to endure when men were TALL
ing all around him.
Continuing. he said: II think ought
IA say. too, that part of the facts
unon which President Roosevelt deter
mined 80 far as was within his power.
N keep Gen. Wood In the same order
~ relative rank where President Nc
Klnley had put him, was his personal
knowledge Of Gen. Woods presence In
that Aght and OF the extraordinary. gal
antry and efficiency he displayed, as
known TO the president by his personal
observation In the battle"
Gen. Wilson In his testimony also re-
counted a conversation that he had
had with Gov. Roosevelt regarding the
presence OF Gen Wood al San Juan. In
his conversation. Gen. Wilson said, he
informed the governor that in the
Spanish war Wood was never In but
one battle and that at Las GuanImas,
where but for his rescue and support
BY the colored troops he would have
been badly handled.
Gen. Wilson quoted Mr.. Roosevelt az
SAYING that he Wood was al San
Juan Gen Wilson contradicted this
statement, saying ...t.
you know that he was In the rear
looking for ammunition"
According 10 the witness, Mr., Roose-
welt replied. Yes, but do not tell
anybody
secy Root In his testimony referred
10 this ALLEGED conversation as folows
Il think ought to allude TO the re-
marks OF Gen, James III. Wilson here
as TO the conversation with the presi.
dent OF course, the president cannot
be a witness, The president informs
me that Gen. Wilson is mistaken and
that no such conversation regarding
Gen. Woods presence at the San Juan
fight that day ever took place between
him and Gen. Wilson,