Smyrna times., 1920-05-19
WOODS CONQUEST
OF YELLOW fever
Conquest of Tropical Plague Due
to His Initiative-Father OF
Cuba'S School System.
By JOHN c. HoLME,
Author of HThe Life of Leonard Wood"

their representatives Ill lIle pIONISlOHdl
government which functiOned dun ing
the American occupation. An electoral
law modelled largely on our Federal
law with the Australian ballot system
was promulgated.
The first election resulted in a great
triumph for the radicals. Wood made
no objections, but the Cubans soon did
They found out that the radicals,
while remarkably plausible takers and
writer's, were remarkably poor dOerS.
At the second election only few rad
icals were elected and at the third
none. In this way Wood allowed the
Cubans to work out their own political
problems.
Woods government collected some
thing over $5S,000 900 in public reve-
nues from various sources, out of
which all Cuba's running expenses and
debts were paid, leaving enough to
pay for great public Improvements,
and when on May 20. 1902, Governor
Wood turned the island over to the
new Cuban Republic there was more
than half a million dollars in the pub.
tic treasury on which to start national
housekeeping.
Appalling llIteracy.
AS previously stated, Wood had
Hened the first public schools in the
island while he was military governor
of Santiago. Most of the improve
ments which he started there became
models for the military governors of
other cities and provinces to copy
The state of education on the island
was appalling Out of a total popula-
tiOn in 1899 of 1,572,S S45 those losses
sing superior education" numbered
only a little over 10000. The number
of persons ten years old or over who
could read or write was only 443, go
Wood addressed himself to the educa
tiOnal problem with his whole soul in
the labor. Inside of six months he had
increased the schools from 635 t.
3.313. When he left the island more
than $500 schools had been opened
Wood did not cOnfine himself to pri.
mary schools. He established trade
and industrial schools. The court and
other public records were in a very
confused state. Wood applied one of
his Characteristic common sense meas
ures to correct this evil.
"What this country needs is stenOg.
raphers and typewriters," he said.
Forthwith he established a commercial
school in Havana, from which the
courts and government as well as pri-
vate business offices were supplied
with young men and women stenogra-
piers, typists and filing clerks, who
could, and did, keep public and private
records clear.
Governor Wood had the University
of Havana moved from its old location
to its present location on a hill CON-
manding view of the city and one of
the beauty spots of the capital. The
university was thoroughly remodeled
and equipped with the best laboratory
materials available in the United
States and Europe.
When Wood took charge there were
only 1913 post offices in condition TO
render service in Cuba. When he left
there were 966 post offices giving
excellent service. He found the
telegraph service poor and limited
With the help of the United States
signal Corps the old lines were repair.
ed and new ones laid. He left Cuba
WIN u stations and 3,51S miles of
lihes. Hundreds of miles of streets in
the principal Cuban cities were paved
ana permanent highways were built
IN the rich agricultural districts
Woods Master Stroke.
we now come to the great master
stroke OF Woods Cuban administra-
tlon' the stamping out of yellow fever.
the greatest menace Of tropical Anferi-
Ca Being doctor, Wood had follow
eu with keen interest the process of
the nght against the disease With
rev other progressive physicians he
became convinced that yellow fever
vas germ disease, and when Major
waiter Reed with other distinguished
physicians called on him for funds and
uuthorlty to conduct experiments to
establish the origin of the disease
"oOd granted both at once. The 70
A~ NOhNlCtlOn OF q LITTLE
mosquito found to be the carrier Of
the yellow fever germ. Then came tbe
wholesale execution of the insect and
the tragic story of yellow fever was
over. was
In eradicating this plague Wood and
MS assistants conferred n world w,do
oiesslhg on humanity, while tropical
America was made safe for the ont.
slde world. This triumph of medical
science, moreover, paved the wav for
the worlds greatest engineering feat
Inc United States could not have con.
structed the Panama Canal when II
ulu II Wood had not taken the initia.
1--WE In giving the Reed Medical Com.
mission full authority and the neces-
sary funds to perform the necessary
experiments
Yellow fever was stamped out with
dramatic suddenness, and this trIumnb
or medical science immortslized tbo
names of Major Reed and DIR Carlos
>. Flnlay, the Cuban doctor. who f,rst
advanced the theory that the germ