The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-03-12
BY EDWARD 9. CLARK.

N Aheh ouuSiue OF the armyf What
does ne know about conditions In the
mHerent parts Of the United States
ana In our overseas possessions? Has
ne any thorough knowledge OF foreign
analrs and of our foreign relationsf"
The administrative qualities Of
Leonard Wood have been tested and
proved. No American living has been
Tried more thoroughly than he In com
plex fields Of constructive civil work.
administrative work of the highest
order which carried with 1t the neces-
sity for the exercise OF keen business
acumen.
The republic of Cuba, built upon
firm democratic foundations. is a mon.
ument to the administrative ability of
Leonard Wood. In the Philippines Is
TO be found another monument TO his
craftsmanship
Leonard Wood graduated In medi-
cine from Harvard University In 1884
and served for more than a year In
one OF the great hospitals, later to
take charge of the charity depart.
ton where the poor lived.
Not long after the completion of
Woods work In Boston he became an
assistant surgeon in the army, comiag
into contact with the western pisIns-
man, the miner, the people generally,
and giving much of his time to the
work Of assisting the Indians and to
study of the problems of irrigation
and reclamation.
Then for Leonard Wood there came
four years In California. He covered
the state many times in pursuance of
his duties and extended his field as
occasion required into the states of
the Northwest. Then for two years he
was In service In the South. having
headquarters In Georgia.
From the South Leonard Wood went
TO the city Of Washington, where his
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
q few weeks later of the entire east
ern. half of Cuba. ......... Vi. ~.
When 1t became necessary to reor-
ganize the Cuban railroads Wood Sc
cured the services of Sir William Van
Horne, president of the Canadian Pa
cif1c, 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 the
establishment OF system for placing
and permanently caring for these lit
tie desolates. Chief Justice White
States, at that time an associate jus
tice, was consulted as to the method to
be pursued in reorganizing the courts.
Leonard Wood was In Cuba about
four years. BE left there a reorgan-
ICED and sound banking system, a
good railroad system, no debts, nearly
$2,000,000 unincumbered money in the
treasury, a sugar crop of nearly 1000
600 tons, sound municipal laws, fine
public works, a 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
were 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-
velt said that Leonard Wood has
rendered services to Cuba Of a kind
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 Weod
was for Eve years In the Philippines
confronted with the difficult iaboT or
establishing eivil 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
nies. Borneo. Singapore, and 10 keep
In close touch with conditions In
Japan and along the China coast.
Wood Travelled through India. spent
- Afx,..> x<-3rh fh., na1fah In laws and