The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-27
WHY LEONARD WOOD ROSE.
Because He Has Genius for Being
Ready for Work in Hand.

Ready for work I'm Hand.
Ray staunard Baker. iE American Magazine.
Many there are who have attempted
to account for the startling rise 10 power
and fame Of Gen. Leonard Wood.
Twelve years ago an assistant surgeon
with little or no regular military train
ing. how is it possible that to-day. al the
astonishngly youthful age OF fifty Che
was born October 9. 1850. he should be
the ranking major general and Chief OF
Staff OF the army OF the United States?
Somewhere in one of his essays En-
ersOn observes Of a certain extraordinary
man that he was prepared for his age.
No better description OF the success Of
Gen. Wood could possibly be written.
Without especially brilliant qualities 10
commend him. with little promise in his
earlier years, he has been AZ every crises
he has had to meet peculiarly the man
who was ready. There stood Leonard
Wood-prepared. Il was not that he
sought the places which he has filled
SO successfully. but that he was supreme
ly the man who was ready for them.
AT the very beginning Of his career
In the army. although only a surgeon,
he was assigned 20 lead "A detachment Of
soldiers In pursuit Of Geronimo's Apache
warriors, far down among the mountains
and cactus deserts OF Old Mexico He
performed this difficult task with such
courage and efficiency that he was es-
Decially commended by his commanding
general and rewarded by Congress with
one Of its rare medals. Theodore Roose-
welt said OF him:
NO soldier could outwalk him. could
live with greater Indifference on hard
and scanty fare. could endure hardship
better, or do better without sleep"
At the beginning Of the Spanish war,
when II was proposed TO raise a regi-
ment Of Rough Riders. the man natu-
rally chosen 10 lead was the same reti-
cent, low-spoken. wen-prepared army
surgeon. He became colonel and led
the Rough Riders on the bloody Hill Of
Las Guasimas. After that, when the
high ones at Washington looked about
them for man 70 command the con-
ouered province at Santiago, there stood
| Leonard Wood-ready. He proved an ad-
/ mirable colonial administrator. and from
| that moment onward he has been the
I imminent man in connection with the
! most difficult problems Of our foreign de-
| Tendencies. He became governor OF
/ Cuba, then he went 10 the PHILIPPINES.
AS he has held more and more im-
portant positions. performing each task
with that high sort Of quiet efficiency
| which Americans admire. he has risen
/ naturally. I'm rank Of the army. until
now Chief Of STAFF, with headquarters al
| Washington. Objection has been made
that he was advanced again and agalr
over the heads Of men who had served
| long and ably IN the regular army, mer
trained at West Point aud further dis
cipl.ned by long service in army posts
All this is true, but Gen Wood wa.
never yet given "A command or set 10 ID
| "A new task because Of his rank. he Wa
rather given his rank because Of hH
task. The name followed the deed.
And II ever this country should b
plunged into war, no man would b.
turned 10 by rank and file OF the army
or by the country az large, with create
sense OF security than 10 the immenser
efficient. energetic. modest soldier, VIA
has a way OF doing every task 20 whicl
he IS set better than any one expected
For he has the genius Of being Away
\ ready