The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-01-10
PRESIDENT MADE GREAT MISTAKE Woods Appointnent|a Check
 to Discipline CRITICISM IS VERY SEVERE General Wilson Says Wood Was Not at Battle of San Juan But
 Was In Extreme
 Rear.
CRITICISM IS VERY SEVERE

Washington, January 9-Testimony of-
 fered in the hearings before the senate
 committee on military affairs bneerning
 the nomination of Brigadier Geieral Leo | nard Woods to be made maid general has been furnished to all the snators. The document is of Ss9 printed pages, comprising the evidence given ,y em- ployes of the military governmnt of Cuba, army officers and other witnesses called before the committee for exami- l nation, regarding the charges which were | filed against General Wood. The testimony is being dlgested by nem- bers of the senate preparatory to the opening of contest over confirmatiol of
 the nomination which promises to bee,me
 one of the most notable of the senat. The evidence fails to disclose any im-
 portant testimony having specific bar ing on the charges against General Ieo- nard Wood that has not been published during the hearings. Some of the points for and against General Wood are broufht out more clearly than in the reports hee- 1 to1ore published, but the brief preparfd I by Senator Foraker for the majority aid
 that prepared by members of the commt- | tee who opposed confirmation cover tie 1 evidence fully. Liberal extracts iron | these briefs have been carried by the A. sociated Press.
 The printed testimony shows that Ger. James H. Wilson was particularly seven l in his criticism of General Wood, ant while on the stand also criticized Presi dent Mckinley for making him a brigai dier general. This criticism was brought out by the following question from Sen. ator Foraker:
 Thinks President Made Mistake. You think that President Mckinley
 made mistake when he made General 1 Wood"
 Answer: q think he made deadly | mistake"
 Q.-when he rsade General Wood
 brigadier-general9'
 A.-''When he made that apointment
 I believe he gave the greatest shock to
 the sense of discipline and fairness of the 1 American army that it has ever received" 1 General Wilson further stated that Gen.
 eral Wood was not at the battle of San 1 Juan and told the committee that he had l informed the President, then governor of New York, of this fact This evidence
 was refuted by Secretary Root when he went on the stand few days later, who stated that General Wood not only was
 at the battle of San Juan. but that his di- vision commander had reported him for conspicuous bravery. and for handling his
 troops so we'll that he desired to recom-
 mend him for promotion. The secretary | further said that General Wood was at l the Bloody Ford in the hottest and heaviest fire that our men had to endure,
 when the men were falling all around them
 Continuing he said
 Displayed Gallantry and Efficiency. .I think I ought to say, too, that part of the facts upon which President Roose- welt determined so far as was within his powers to keep General Wood in the same
 order of relative rank where President
 Mckinley had put him, was his personal
 knowledge of General Woods presence
 in that fight. and of the extraordinary
 gallantry and efficiency he displayed was
 known to the President by his personal
 observation in the battle" General Wilson in his testimony also recounted a conversation that he had had with Governor Roosevelt regarding the presence of General Wood at San Juan. | In this conversation General Wilson said he informed the governor that In the Spanish war Wood was never in but one | battle and that was at Las Guasimas,
 where but for his rescue and support by the colored troops he would have been | badly handled.
 | General Wilson quoted Mir. Roosevelt | as saving that he (Wood) was at San | Juan. General Wilson contradicted this statement, saying:
 You know that he was in the rear look | ing for ammunition.
 According to the witness. MT. Roosevelt
 replied:
 | Yes but do not tell anybody" | Secretary Root in his testimony referred to this alleged conversation as follows: 'I think I ought to allude to the re-
 marks of Gen. James H. Wilson here as to the conversation with the President. Of course the President cannot be a wit
 ness The President informs me that Gen. efA1 Wilson, Is mistaken, and that no such conversation regarding General Woods presence at the San Juan fight that day. ever took place between him | and General Wilson,