Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1919-02-18
WIZ Not Leonard Wood?

Roth political parties are busy
casting about for an available man for
president. especially since the death
OF Roosevelt. says the Manufactures.
As an aftermath Of the war there has
been n great deal Of talk about taking
up man of military experience for
the position.
Col. Leonard Wood is national
fgure who IN occupying constantly
larger place In the hearts and minds
~ the American people.
As encouragement Of Porto Rico
and Cuba and In charge Of the sani-
tary reconstruction Of the Philippines
he got administrative training.
He was not only military hero ut
Santiago, hut cleaned mp the city "A
Havana and stamped out the last YES
tiges Of the yellow fever there.
He was one Of small party win
Capt. Iawton who went Ia Mexico and
won medal from congress as the
fighting surgeon who took Geronimo.
He organized the civilian training
camp at Plattsburg and led In the fight
for national preparedness that ended
In the victory over Germany.
He went over To France and made
an independent report on conditions ON
the western military front that forces,
congress Ia act
lie was summoned three times before
the Senate committee ON military af-
fairs and exposed incfficiency that
compelled speeding up war.
\ New Highlander by birth. he is II
man of action with true wcsterner'S
scope of vision and capacity for ini-
tiative when initiative is necessary.
When he was first sent to camp Fun.
Ston he found IL an undrained bog ana
ordered all the picks and shovelS In
Kansas city and cleaned II up.
lie found men without blankets and
ordered 10000 pairs at his own risk,
sent the bill to Washington and IL was
paid without ceremony.
Col. Wood has way of cutting right
through red tape and disentangling
ambiguous officialism with clear
grasp Of common sense that gets re-
suits.
At Camp Funston he was the first
Ia introduce trade schools for enlist
cd men Ia prepare them To take full
part In reconstruction.
His work at Plattsburg was adopted
ny basis for hundreds of civilian camps
The West can probably not name the
next president hut 1t will take kindly
to Woods western way Of doing things
and thinking them.
The only man in the present admin
istration who takes western views t.
Secretary Lane Of the department Of
the interior-born In Canada.
The West takes up nearly every.
thing that Secretary Lane proposes
and westerners generally regret that
he is barred from being candidate
The western view point Is all-impor-
tant when IL il considered how for ten
years we have been hog-tied and hand
icapped by eastern policies
Unless there Is some weakness Is
his arrnor Of equipment for public ser
vice and political availability unknown
To the press. Col. Wood would do.
HIS life has been strenuous one
but he is a mighty good sport and has
never beefed but took his medicine
when politics kept him on the Euro
pean battlefront.
The 4. y. senators took his reports
on weakness found In the army es-
Establishment because he had the cOur-
age to tell the truth.
He was an apostle Of preparedness
for two years before there vas any
preparation TO ut our country to de-
fend itself. and lie was right.
lie wax first to tell the committee on
military affairs that we must put an
army Of I.OO0.OOO men In the field and
he was right
He was first to demand that the ar.
mics at home he given vocational
training Ia tit them 10 take up the
work Of civil life and he was right
Leonard wood is typical westerner
as n man ~ action and il is hard to
show that he Is not what the West
wants In presidential timber.