The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-06-10
WOODS CONQUEST
OF YELLOW FEVER
Conquest OF Tropical Plague Due
TO His Initiatise-Father Of
cuba'S School System.
sy JOHN c. HolnE.
kvsher q The Life o. Leonard Weed. :


One Of the many duties ~ Leonard
Wood rs Governor ~ Cnha was q
draw az an electoral code whereby he
Cnhans might learn tn exercise Their
rights n free citizens ln seieclins
their representatives In the provisional
government which functioned during
the American occupation. An electoral
law modelled largely on our Fedora
law with the Australian ballot system
was promulgated.
The first election resulted 10 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
writers. were remarkably poor doors
Al the second election only fen rad
lcals were elected and AZ the third
none In this way Wood allowed the
cubans 10 work oul their own political
problems
Woods government collected some
thing over $4,000 90 IN public reve
nues from various sources. out of
which an Cuha'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 ever TO the
new Cuban Republic there was more
than half a million dollars IN the pub.
lie treasury on which 10 start national
Housekeeping
Appalling llliteracy.
As previously stated Wood had
opened 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 total popula
ton in 1899 Of 1 .572 S45 those posses
sing superior ed.cafion' numbered
only a little over 1900 The number
Of persons ten years old or over who
could read or write was only 1860
Wood addressed himself ia lire educa
tional problem With his whole soul 10
The labor Inside Of six mlsihs he had
increased the. schools from G3J tc|
1913. When he lcft the island more
than $500 schools had been opened
Wood did NOT conflne himself 10 nri
mary schools He established trade
and Industrial schools Tie court and
other public records were iu very
confused stare. Wood applied ono OF
his characteristic common sense meas
ures 10 correct ihls evil
What this country needs Is sfeuog
apherS and typewrlters hc eaia
mllwith he established eonmercal
school ln Havana, from which the
courts aud government as wen rs prl
yate business offices were supplied
with yonnp mon and women gcHogfa
pliers. typlsis aud filing clerks WHO
could and did, keep public and private
records clear
Governor Wood had the University
of Havana moved from rs old location
10 us present location on a bin com
handing a view Of the city and one OF
he bcauiy spots Of The capital Tho
university was thoroughly remodeled
,lnd equipped with the best laboratory
materials available IN the Omitted
states and Europe
When Wood took charge there wer,
only 1913 post Offices IN condition 20
render service In Cuba When he lef
there were 3G6 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. lie left Cubs
with a. stations and 3.51s miles Of
lines Hundreds Of miles OF streets In
he principal Cuban cities were paved
and permanent highways were built
10 the rich agricultural districts.
Woods Master Stroke.
We now come 10 the great master
stroke OF Woods Cuban adm nistra-
tion. the stamping out OF yellow fever
the greatest menace Of tropical Ameri
ca Being doctor Wood had follow
ed with keen interest the process ~
The fight against the disease. With
few other progressive physicians he
became convinced that yellow fever
was germ disease. and when Major |
Walter Reed with other distinguished |
physicians called 90 him FOR fEnds and I
authority 20 conduct experiments 70
establish he origia ~ the disease
Wood granted both ~ once The re
suit was the conviction Of q Little I
mosquito. found 10 be the carrier ~
the yellow fever germ Then came the |
wholesale execution ~ The insect. and /
The tragic story ~ yellow fever was
over
In eradicaiins this plague Wood ard |
his assistants conferred q world wide /
blessing on humanity while tropical 4