The Washington herald., 1907-06-14
MEN AND THINGS.
Gen. Woods Plans.

/ Gen. Woods Plans.
| Mai Ge=. Leonard Wood, commanding
the Philippines Division, does not seem
| to be anxious 10 exchange that more or
| less arduous post for the easier one at
| Governors Island, n. Y. The President
is willing, If not eager. to give his
/ old friend command OF the Atlantic Di-
vision. with headquarters al the New
York Harbor fort. but. so far. the former
ARM surgeon has not indicated any
| desire To take that assignment, which,
| incidentally. Is regarded as the best in
the service. His friends say that he will
remain in the Philippines at least a
year longer, because he desires to see
as much active service as possible. and
az present the Philippines station affords
! far greater opportunities In that direction
/ than any other Already Gen. Wood has
had longer foreign service than any
other officer In the army In Cuba during
! the Spanish war. he afterward was made
! governor general Of the island. and acted
/ IN that capacity until the American evac-
| uation In 1862. After coming here and
/ winding up the office work connected
]
/ for the Philippines in March 1903. stop
/ ping en- route 10 investigate British colo
NAL administration in the West Indies
and Egypt. Two years ago he returned
/ 10 the United states In order 20 submit
To an operation at the hands Of special
/ lists a bony growth having appeared on
/ his skull as a result Of an injury re-
! ceived when. rising from his desk one
/ day, he struck hts head against a chan
/ delier Gen. Wood is not the most popu-
lar officer in the army. His unprecedent-
/ ed promotion over the heads Of many
! older officers has caused a feeling Of re-
! sentiment to grow up against him. which
| is not lessened by the close friendship be
| tween him and the President. A common
/ designation for him is 'Roosevelt's pet "
| The south Pole Now.
There seems to be an awakening Of con
| cern in the exploration Of the vast ant
/ arctic region. Interest in the subject has
/ been stimulated by the recent publication
Of thirteen monographs about DIT. Jean
/ Charcots French expedition of 1906.
/ There are TO be tweutv-six others and
an Of them are filed with data gathered
Z
/ that the antarctic region has become. as
/ the International Congress at Brussels last
autumn illustrated, field for scientific
study rather than for personal adventure
/ Now comes the news that Lieut..
! Shackleton. Of the British navy, is to
start on a voyage 20 the antarctic and
/ hopes 20 reach "fa-thest South" by ship
and motor car. His vessel is 10 leave
London az the end OF the present month.
/ She goes 70 New Zealand, thence to
/ King Edward VII Land where she will
disembark the shore party which hopes
/ 10 make the rest Of the Journey overland
/ The motor car 20 be taken Is not de
| signed 20 carry the members Of the party,
but 90 haul the sledEes. From the base
/ Of the shore expedition on King Edward
VII Land 20 the south pole IS 200 miles
/ and Lieut.. ShaCklet0n figures that
/ unless some mountain ranges were met
/ with the Journey might be made IN FIVE
weeks or so. But the object OF the vOy-
/ aEe Of discovery IS not mere dash to
/ the pole and return. There are four mill
/ lion square miles Of land and ice in the
region Of the south pole which wait 20
! be explored. and the scientific and geo
/ graphical data should WELD a rich harvest
/ Besides lieut. ShsCkleton. there goes
/ Sir Philip BrocklehUrst a surveyor:
J Lieut. Adams, meteorologist. Mr.. james
/ Muir. q mechanical engineer. and Mr..
/ James Murray biologist For some
/ reason the north has always been the
/ favOritc goal Of explorers. The task at
/ the antarctic is perhaps more difficult
/ and arduOus. and it Is At least possible
/ that the British effort will be as produc-
/ tive OF results-cxcept I'm the way ~
/ personal g'ory-as recent dashes for the
north pole.