The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-01-23

varieties or 1t than 1t has been the lot
Of many men ever to have placed up.
on their shoulders.
Not long after this there came tho
greater opportunities In Havana. L
was necessary to re-write the election
laws to make them At the habits Of the
lated. for agriculture was the main
source Of the islands wealth. Here
again the same measures were follow
ed and as a result there were estab-
lished law and order, protection Of
life and property, and liberty with
In the law.
These were the foundation stones.
Wood knew that the government must
be run by the Cubans, and so 90 per
cent Of the officials engaged in the
great work Of reconstruction were
selected from the people Of the island.
The Cubans were taught government
while the government was being built
and thus they were able to run It when
the rule Of the island was turned over
to its inhabitants.
When 1t became necessary to reors
ganize the Cuban railroads Wood -
cured the services Of Sir. William Van
Horne. president Of the Canadian Pa.
ciflc, and Of Granville N. 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 chari-
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
Of the Supreme court Of the United
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, He left there a reorgan.
lied and sound banking system, .
good railroad system. no debts. nearly
81, 600. 900 unincumbered money in the
treasury, a sugar crop Of nearly 1,OOO,.
600 tons. sound municipal laws. nne
public works. drm agricultural
f6und1stDn atla an absolute respect
ansona the neslleH for iife Ind prop.
erty. The school system which Wood
established was founded on the laws
Of Massachusetts and Ohio. Roads
were built which made communicate
speedy. The hospitals erected under his
supervision were Of the highest type.
Lord Cromer said he wished this
American of1cer 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. II performed three thousand
years ago. would have made him .
hero mixed mp with the sun god In va
rious ways
After the Cuban experience Wood
was for i've years in the Philippines
confronted with the dlnicuit labor Of
establishing = civil government. this
time among q 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 to keep
!. In close touch with conditions In
Japan and along the, China coast.
Wood travelled through India. spent
some time with the Dutch in Java, and
with Lord Cromer In Egypt. He
gnined and retained knowledge Of all
which at that time came under his stu.
dious observation.
Then Leonard Wood became chief
Of the general staff of the United
States army, In whose hands rests
very largely the direction and admin
istration Of the military establishment,
which after all is 90 per cent busi-
ness matter.
The administrative career Of Leon
ard Wood is spread upon the records
Of his country. The work which he
has done is lasting. It is states.
mans work.