The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-01-23

varieties Of it than it has been the lot
Of many men ever to have placed up
On their shoulders.
Not long after this there came the
greater opportunities In Havana. 1t
was necessary to re-write the. election
laws to make them fit the habits of the
people. Production had to be stimu-
source Of the islands wealth. Here
again the same measures were follow
al and as a result there were estab-
iished law and order, protection Of
ifc and property, and liberty with
n the law.
These were the foundation stones.
Wood knew that the government must
pc run by the Cubans, and so 80 per
cent Of the officials engaged in the
great work of reconstruction were
selected from the people Of the island.
The CUbans were taught government
while the government was being built
and thus they were allie to run it when
HE rule Of the island was turned over
to its inhabitants.
When it became necessary to reor-
yani2e the Cuban railroads Wood Sc
,ured the services of Sir William Van
Horne, president Of the Canadian Pa
cific, and of Granville NJ Dodge, build
ar Of the Union Pacific. -- p
The same general policy was fol-
lowed In dealing with the problem of
caring for the tens of thousands of
orphans that had been left by the war.
Homer Folks, commissioner of chart
ties Of the state Of New York, was
called to Cuba By Wood to aid In the
establishment of a system for placing
and permanently caring for these lit
lie desolates. Chief Justice White
cf the Supreme court of the United
States, at that time an associate JUS
tice, was consulted as TO the method TO
be pursued in reorganiZing the courts.
Leonard Wood was in Cuba about
four years. He left there reorgan-
lied and sound banking system,
good railroad system, no debts, nearly
100000 unincumbered money In the
treasury, sugar crop of nearly 1,000-
900 tons, sound municipal laws, fine
public works, firm agricultural
foundation and on absolute respect
among the people for life and prop
erty. The school system which Wood
established was founded on the laws
Of Massachusetts and Ohio. Roads
were built which made communication
speedy. The hospitals erected under his
supervision were Of the highest type.
Lord Cromer said he wished this
American officer was available to fol-
low him in his reconstruction work
in Egypt. Elihu Root said this work
never was paralleled in colonial pos
sessions anywhere. Theodore Roose-
Welt said that Leonard Wood "has
rendered services to Cuba of q kind
which, If performed three thousand
years ago, would have made him a
hero mixed up with the sun god In va
rious ways"
After the Cuban experience Wood
was for five years in the Philippines
confronted with the difficult labor of
establishing civil government, this
time among a Mohammedan people.
LhVIS hc ulu TIC SuIllt SuCCtSSlul
work he did in Cuba.
This period Of residence In the Phil
ippines gave Wood an opportunity to
study conditions In the British colo
MES, Bornco, Singapore, and to keep
In close touch with conditions in
Japan and along the China coast.
: Wood Travelled through. India, spent
Fsome, time with, the Dutch, In Java; and
with Lord Cromer in Egypt. He
gained and retained knowledge Of all
which at that time came under his stu
dious observation.
Then Leonard Wood became chief
Of the general staff Of the United
States army, In whose hands rests
very largely the direction and admin.
istration of the military establishment.
which after all is 90 per cent a bcsi-
ness matter. -
The administrative career of Leon.
ard Wood is spread upon the records
q his country. The work which be
D. lone is lasting. It Is a states
Mks g..