New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-05
FAVOR WOODS PROMOTION
COMMITTEE VOTE, 8 TO 2.
Report, Drazon by Senator Foraker,
Urges Confirmation.
[FEoM ruE rRIRI-NE BrREAr. /

!" pe cast, tE2t OF Senator Bate, VINO IS under
stood to favor confirmation Under motion
adopted by the committee Senator Bate will
have the opportunity to cast his vote when he
arrives in Washington. The first vote was
to 2 The motion to report favorabIy was
lheh adopted, and Senator Hawley recorded an
aHlrmatlve vote late this afternoon Six Re-
publicans and two Democrats have therefore
voted in favor Of General Woods confirmation.
With the brief favorable report of the
mlttee there was also made to the Senate
more extended report drawn by Senator For
aKer IN which every member who voted affirm
atively concurred. The substance OF this re-
port follows:
The Rathbone charges, six In number may be
summed up as follows:
flrst-lssuing orders and instructions to
courts prejudiCial to Rathbone
stions
understanding a concession 10 and accepting
Sits from the Jai Alai.
tourth-Complicity with Runcie IN an article
renectnS on General Brooke
fHth-Directing the Cuban auditor to violate
Jaw IN treatment of accounts.
SlXth-U tilizng the services OF eX-convict
10 dlsplace his superior officer and secure the
iatters position
WOOD AND THE RATHBONE TRIAL
1t is noteworthy that in every instance the
refutatlor of these charges by the evidence is
precisely has beer reported TO The Tribune in
these dispatches
Charge No. l is disposed of by showing that
Genera! Wood acted throughout the Rathbone
trial under the immediate supervision OF the
secretary Of War whose instructions he carried
out TO the letter.
Charge No , is refuted by testimony Of Rath-
bones own witnesses the effect that Rath-
bones lawyers had not only acknowledged the
admissibility of the dispositions in question, but
had made use Of them in their defence OF Rath-
bone.
GIFT FROM THE JAI ALAI.
Charge No. is thoroughly disposed Of as
has already been shown by an exclusive dispatch
10 The Tribune Of December IL According to
all the testimony, General Wood never granted
any concession TO the Jai Alai. His only action
in reference to it the handing down of
decision, rendered in the War Department. to
the effect that. Military Governor. he had no
Jurisdiction over the leasing by the municipality
of Havana OF its property to the Jai Alai, he
having held up the lease until he could ascer-
tain from the War Department the extent Of
his jurisdiction under the Foraker act. 1t is
further shown that General Wood accepted i
gift from the Ja AlaI only he was about to
leave Cuba and when his authority in the
island was expiring. or his acceptance OF the
gift Secretary Root says: To have refused
this and other gifts made the same time
would have been dscourteous. injurious and
unjustifiabie In the mere fact" the report
says. that General Wood accepted gifts from
the Jai Alai Company. there is nothing TO be
criticised"
THE RUNCIE TESTIMONY.
With regard to charge No. /. the testimony
OF both Wood and Baker-who caused the pub
licatlon of the article which criticised General
Brooke-agrees In every detail. showing that
Wood had no knowledge of the article. Runcies
he had written and sent it General Wood asked
him II he had written such an article. and
Runcic replied that he had. Runcie's statement
IN this respect is unsupported. and is denied
by Wood. Moreover, It was conclusively shown
on cross examination that Runcie had by his
admissions deceived Wood on several oc-
casions. and the committee regarded the charge
entirely unsupported by the evidence which
reflected. when taken in connection with the
cross examination Of Runcie. severely on the
latter
Charge No is promptly dismissed. no evil
dence having been introduced in support of It.
Charge No. is declared TO have been shown
by the evidence to have been a spteful and
licious declaration made without excuse Of any
kind, and prompted by spirit OF revenge and
wanton vilihcation. 1t is clearly shown by the
evidence that no charges affecting the character
Of Bellairs ever came to the knowledge of Cen
been transferred from Cuba to China.
The following is a part of the testimony Of
Mr. Diehl assistant superintendent of The AS
ISOLATED Press:
I thought there was n great mistake made
about this man; he had such excellent creden-
tails In Key West, from either Henry Willard or
his son. and also credentials from the British
Ministry and from The Evening Post and
The London Standard" In view OF these Gre
dentials. when they said he a criminal l
thought it was impossible.
It is further shown that Bellairs was received
I'm the best society in Cuba. and that there was
absolutely nothing in his Cuban record to cause
suspicion on the part OF General Wood regard
ing his character.
WOODS MILITARY SERVICE.
Rv the testimony Of Secretary Root 1t IS
shown that General Wood received his commits
sion as a brigadier general by the direct order
of President Mckinley. who believed that his
conspicuous services in Cuba entitled him to
such promotion. 1t was shown. moreover, by
tho same testimony that there are now in the
army only five men who had ever commanded
a regiment in action at the beginning of the
war with Spain, and only eleven men who at
the beginning of the war with Spain had ever
commanded a regiment either IN war or peace.
The five men who had commanded a regiment
in action at the beginning of the war with Spain
are ali seniors Of Wood and all major gen
erals but General Randall, who stands next in
order.
wood bv witnesses before the committee, but
all we're as effectually refuted as the major
charges cited. The result is that eight and
rrobaIly nine, of the members OF the Senate
i~or1ynittee on Military Affairs regard the pro-
,notion of General Wood TO the grade OF major
"arol aa entirely proper. and believe that
The charges brought against him by Rathbone
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