Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-02-05
varieties of it than it has been the lot
of many men ever to have placed up

OF many men ever 10 nave pi1ceu up
on their shoulders.
Not long after this there came the
greater opportunities in HAVANA. It
was necessary to re-write the election
laws to make them fit the habits of the
people. Production had to be stimu-
lated. for agriculture was the main
xource of the islands wealth. Hero
again the same measures We're follow
ed and as a result there We're estab.
lished law and order, protection Of
life and property, and liberty with
IN the law.
These were the foundation stones.
Wood knew that the government must
be run by the Cubans. and SO 80 per
cent of the officials engaged in the
great work rt reconstruction were
The Cubans were taught government
while the government was being built
and thus they were able to run it when
the rule of the island was turned over
to its inhabitants.
When it became necessary to reor-
cured the services of Sir William Van
Horne. president of the Canadian Pa
cfic. and of Granville NJ. Dodge, build
err of the Union Pacific.
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 chari-
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
tile desoates. Chief Justice White
of the Supreme court of the United
States. at that time an associate JUS
tice. was consulted rs to the method to
be pursued in recognizing the courts.
! Leonard Wood was in Cuba about
four years. He left there a reorgan-
lied and sound banking system. a
good railroad system, no debts, nearly
S2OO0.OO0 unincumhered money in the
/, treasury. a sugar crop of nearly 1,OO0.-
600 tons, sound municipal laws. fine
public works. firm agricultural
foundation and an 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
We're built which made communication
speedy. The hospitals erected under his
supervision We're 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 kline
which. if performed three Thousand
years ago would have made him
hero mixed up with the sun god in va
rious ways"
After the Cuban experience Woot
was for five years in the Philippines
confronted with the difficult labor o
establishing civil government. thi,
time among Mohammedan people
There he did the same successful
work he did in Cuba.
4 This period of residence in the Phil
ippines gave Wood an opportunity Il
study conditions in the British colo
MES. Borneo, Singapore and to keel
in close touch with conditions IL
Japan and along the China coast
Wood travelled through India, spen
some time with the Dutch in Java. an
with Lord Cromer in Egypt. Ell
gained and retained knowledge of al
which at that time came under his stu
diDuS observation.
Then Leonard Wood became chic
Of the general staff Of the Unite,
States army, in whose hands rest
very largely the direction and adIuin
istration of the military establishment
which after all is 80 per cent bust
ness matter.
I The administrative career of Leon
ard Wood is spread UPON the record
of his country. The work which h,
mas done is lasting 1t is states
man's work.