Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-03-05
RoOSEVELT'S TRIBUTE
TO LEONARD WOOD
(By John G. Holme)

leadership fallen on the shoulders o
Leonard Wood?
This question has been widely dis
cussed by political writers ever sine
General Wood was first mentioned a
candidate for the Republican Presiden
tial nomination. 1t is a rhetorical
question which cannot be answered by
yes or no.
1t is true that General Wood derives
his principal support for the Republi
can nomination from the political CAM
of the late Theodore Roosevelt. TIL,
men who were Roosevelt's sinceres
admirers and his most loyal champions
are now leading the Wood fight Theo
dore Roosevelt, Jr., eldest son of thu
former President and now a member o
the New York State Assembly is &
vice-chairman of the Leonard WOOD
National Campaign Committee, Thi:
partly answers the question.
We may find further answer in the
public utterances of Roosevelt about
his friend, Leonard Wood. No man
has written in more admiring terms OF
Wood than he did In his book, "The
Rough Riders" dealing with exploits
of this famous regiment in the Spanish
American War, Roosevelt says of
Wood, who was the first Colonel of the
regiment:
81 only met him after l entered the
navy department, but we soon found
that we had kindred tastes and kindred
principles. He had served in General
Miles's inconceivably harassing cam
paigns against the Apaches where he
had displayed such courage that he
won that most coveted of distinctions
the Medal of Honor; such eXtraordi-
nary physical strength and endurance
that he grew to be recognized as one
of the two or three white men who
could stand fatigue and hardship as
well as an Apache; and such judgment
that toward the close of the campaigns
he was given, though a surgeon, the
actual command of more than one eX
petition against the bands of renegade
Indians. Like so many of the gallant
fighters with whom it was later my
good fortune to serve, he combined, in
a very high degree, the qualities of en-
tire manliness with entire uprightness
and cleanliness of character 1t was a
pleasure to deal with a man of high
ideals, who scorned everything mean
and base, and who also possessed those
robust and hardy qualities of body
and mind for the lack of which no
merely negative virtue can ever atone.
He was by nature a soldier OF the high
est type, and, like most natural sol
diers, he was, of course, born with a
keen longing for adventure; and,
though an excellent doctor, what he
really desired was the chance to lead
men in some kind of hazard To
every possibility of such adventure he
paid quick attention. For instance, he
had a great desire to get me to 90 with
Aim on an expedition into the Klondike
in mid-winter, at the time when it was
thought that relief party would have
to be sent there to help the starving
miners
an the summer he and l took long
walks together through the beautiful
broken country surrounding Washing
ton In winter we sometimes varied
hese walks by kicking a football in an
emDty lot, or, on the rare occasions
when there was enough snow, by try
ng a couple of sets of skis or snow
shoes, which had been sent me from
Canada.
But always on our way out to and
back from these walks and sport, there
vas one topic to which, in our talking,
We returned, and that was the possible
var with SPAIN We both felt very
trong.y that such a war would be as
righteous as it would be advantageous
o the honor and the interests of the
lation; and after the blowing up of the
Maine, we felt that it was inevitable
We then at once began to try to see
hat we had our share in it. The
President and nv own chief, Secretary
-ong, were very firm against my going
,ut they said that if l was bent upon
ding they would help me Wood was
he medical advisor of both the Presi-
lent and the Secretary of War, and
,ould count upon their friendship SO
We started with the odds in our favor"
But the chief odds in favor of the
Rough Riders consisted of Woods per
ect knowledge of the routine matters
n the War Department, and his ability
o cut red tape" That is the reason
Why Wood and Roosevelt were able to
ecruit and equip the Rough Riders in
n incredibly short period and get them
eady for the fight in Cuba. /
In the same volume Roosevelt re-
ates the following incident of the bat
lie of Las Guasimas, Cuba:
81 had not seen Wood since the be-
inning of the skirmsh, when he hur-
led forward. When the firing opened
ONE of the men began to curse. Don't
wear-shootl growled Wood, as he
trode along the path leading his horse,
nd everyone laughed and became cool
gain. The Spanish outposts were very
ear our advance guard, and some min
ties of the hottest kind of firing fol-
owed before they were driven back
when l came to the front | found
he men spread out in a very thin
kirmish line, advancing through com
open ground each man tax
lg advantage of what cover he could,