Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-03-16

10 the c1ry or washington, wnere MS
work brought him into daily contact
with Grover Cleveland. Then he had
the same intimate relations with VIII
liam Mckinley and the men Of his
time.
Then came the Spanish war and the
active campaign in Cuba as the col
onel of the regiment OF rough riders
of which Theodore Roosevelt was the
lieutenant colonel.
At the close of the Spanish war
Leonard Woods supreme administra-
tive duties began. He was made the
governor of the city of Santiago and
a few weeks later Of the entire east
ern half of Cuba
Under Wood profteering was abol-
ished, industry was built up, agricul-
ture rehabilitated, hospitals organ
lied, equipped and maintained. tens
of thousands Of people clothed and
fed-and all this done In a thorough
bBsinesslike manner. Ii was done I'M
der tribulations which arose from
the fact that the people were i'm
poverished to the point of starva
ton and had been dying by thousands
for the lack OF the things which Wood
quickly provided.
Then there came the rehabilitation
of the municipalities, the establish
ment of schools. the opening of roads,
the organizing of government in the
provinces, the readjustment Of taxa
ton and Of the courts, and the work
Of providing for the thousands OF chill
dren made orphans by war or famine.
There was more business and more
varieties of Ii than 1t has been the lot
of many men ever 10 have placed up
on their shoulders.
Not long after this there came the
greater opportunities in Havana 1t
was necessary 10 re-write the election
laws 10 make them f1t the habits of the
people. Production had 10 be stimu-
lated. for agriculture was the main
source of the islands wealth. Here
again the same measures were follow
ed and as a result there were 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 40 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 able to run il when
the rule of the island was turned over
TO its inhabitants.
When ii became necessary to reor-
ganize the Cuban railroads Wood Sc
cured the services of Sir William Van
Herne. president OF the Canadian Pa
cific, and of Granville NJ Dodge, build
er 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 chart
ties OF the state OF New York, was
called to Cuba by Wood TO aid in tire
establishment of a system for placing
and permanently caring for these lit
tie desolstes Chief Justice White
Of the Supreme court OF the United
States. ut that time zr associate jus
tice, was consulted as TO the method 10
be pursued in reorgsnising the courts
Leonard Wood was ia Cuba about
-four years. He left there a reorgan-
ixeo and sound banking system. a
good railroad system no debts. nearly
s2.ooo,0oO unineumbered money In the
treasury, sugar crop OF nearly LOCO
GOO tons, sound municipal laws. fine
public works, hrm 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
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 10 fol-
low him in his reconstruction work
In Egypt. Elihu Root said this work
never was parslleled in colonial pos
sessions anywhere. Theodore Roose-
Welt said that Leonard Wood has
rendered services 10 Cuba OF kind
which. II 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 Mohammedan people.
There he did the same successful
work he did in Cuba.
This period Of residence In the Phil
ippines gave Wood an opportunity TO
study conditions in the British colo.
mics, Borneo. Singapore, and to keep
In close touch with conditions In
Japan and along the Chins coast
Wood travelled through India, spent
some time with the Dutch in Java. and
with Lord Cromer in Egypt. Hs
gained and retained knowledge OF all