Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-05-27
WOODS CONQUEST
OF YELLOW fever
Conquest of Tropical Plague Due
to His Initiative-Father of
Cuba's School System.
BY JOHN G. HolME,
Author Of "The Life Of Leonard Wood"

Author OF Il no LILO OF Leonard Wooo.
vi.
One Of the many duties Of Leonard
Wood as Governor of Cuba was to
draw up an electoral code whereby the
Cubans might learn to exercise their
rights as free citizens in selecting
their representatives In the provisional
government which functioned during
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 doors.
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 $58,0O0 600 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
lie treasury on which to start national
housekeeping.
Appalling IIliteracy.
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 1,572,845 those posses
sing superior education" numbered
only little over 10000. The number
Of persons ten years old or over who
could read or write was only 443,670.
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 to
1913. 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 indus r. oil cnhnnlc Tho nd
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-
"aphers and typewriters, he said
Forthwith he established 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
w 40 pitoCht IOtdlloll VII al lllll COU1-
handing 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 500 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
with IT stations and 3,51S miles of
lines. Hundreds Of miles of streets In
the principal Cuban cities were paved
and permanent highways were built
IN the rich agricultural districts.
Woods Master Stroke.
We now come TO the great master
stroke Of Woods Cuban admnistra
lion, the stamping out of yellow fever
he greatest menace Of tropical Amerl
"a. Being doctor, Wood had follow
ID with keen interest the process O
| the fight against the disease. witt
few other progressive physicians h,
BECAME convinced that yellow feve
was germ disease, and when Majo
Walter Reed with other distinguish,
physicians called on him for funds an.
authority to conduct experiments t
establish the origin Of the diseasi
Wood granted both at once. The re
suit was the conviction Of a it'll
mosquito, found to be the carrier D
the yellow fever germ. Then came tn
wholesale execution of the insect, an,
the tragic story Of yellow fever wa
over.
In Graduating this plague Wood an,
his assistants conferred a world wild
blessing on humanity, while tropica
America was made safe for the out
side world This triumph of medica
science, moreover, paved the way TO
the worlds greatest engineering feat
The United States could not have con
structed the Panama Canal when |