Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-25
WOOD IS POSITIVE
He WILL RETURN
General Declares Belief That
\ His Health viii Improve
6,
r Enough.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG,
staff Core pondent of The Star.

STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
STATE GAME LODGE. Black Hills
s. Oak, June 25.-There is not tn
slightest doubt in the mind of Mai
Gen. Leonard Wood about his beint
physically able to resume his duties
III The Fall as Governor General o
the Philippines.
A positive declaration TO this ef
feet was made publicly by the gen
eral yesterday afternoon at the Sum
mer White House just prior 10 m:
departure with Mrs. Wood, who was
with him during his brief visit with
the President and Mrs. Coolidge. fci
the East.
No matter what may be the per
eonal opinion of others regarding MS
ever being physically strong enough
to again return 10 Manila. GEN " coo
Is positive in his own mind that he
will quickly regain his strength tie
has tentatively set the middle ot sep
TENDER as the time for his going nacS
to the islands. These words NJ deter
mination came from man VINO Couio
hardly move as he sat stIffiN. virtually
in one position, as he talked with
newsnaper correspondents on the
porch Of the Presidents Summer
home.
President Announces Plan.
Earlier in the afternoon President
COOLIDGE had announced 10 the cor
respondents at the executive offices IN
Rapia civ that Gen. Wood would
return 10 the Philippines. He did not
qualify this direct statement with any
reference 10 Gen. Wood s physical con
dition. When informed later Of what
President Coolidge had said about his
RETURNING, Gen. Wood seemed pleased
and remarked that he had always had
President Coolidges fullest support
and -ast he appreciated the confidence
the latter had n him.
Considering my operations and &C.
c35entS. I am feeling pretty good.
Gen. Wood said, with the characters
TIC Wood smile Of optimism. 'Of
course. three broken ribs are inclined
60 make one & bit stiff and grouchy.
As matter o. delioacy no questions
we're rut 20 the general as 10 his ply
sea- condition. but he himself gave
tbs desired information. However. he
rasde no reference 10 his left side.
more especially his left arm and hand.
which gave the outward appearance
az hang noiionless. His right side is
moved only with difficulty. Several
times he tried 10 raise his right leg
over tbs other one, but only once did
he succeed. These movements appear
e5 painful. He said his only pain was
IL the region Of his broken ribs.
Speaks With Ightness.
In detailing his operations, of which
there were two for hernia. and the
automobile accident in the Philip
pines and his fall aboard the ship
bringing him TO this country, Gen.
Wood said, Never once during all this
time have I had degree of fever. My
blood pressure has never been above
$50, and my heart action has been
3ust about what they demand at West
Point"
Gen. Wood spoke with a lightness
and a spirit of determination that
pyon the admiration of those about
him. AS he sat there SO stiff1y he
presented figure marked in its con.
traSt with the figure of Leonard Wood
90 well known about the streets and
bride paths of Washington.
President Coolidge. who arranged
this interview, was not present dur
tng the hour the general talked with
the correspondents. Mrs. Wood sat
IN q chair near her husband and
military aide and Filipino stood at
the back of his chair.
Wears Civilian Clothes.
The general was dressed in civilian
clothes, a mixed worsted business suit.
and wore rather modish striped
uscktie. The most distinct feature Of
his attire was his wearing a ten.
GALLON" hat which had been presented
to him 'by one of my boys who served
with me in Cuba" and who was in a
group that met his train at Billings,
Mont. He admired this hat on the
former Rough Rider, who Immediately
handed it up to him, saying: Gen
eraI, it Is yours"
The general said that he was going
from here to New York and from
there to Washington.
He answered the reports about his
retirement to private life by saying
: that they evidently came to this coun-
try from some individuals who prob.
ably for political reasons would prefer
him to remain here.
While he is satisfied the Filipinos,
who have made a marvellous advance
ment. are not ready for self-govern'
ment, he believes that their independ.
ence will eventually come lust as
sure as there is a sun above U.S." He
declared it would be a grave mistake
for the United States to cast the
people Of the islands adrift before
they were fully prepared to meet
world problems.
Take China, for instance" he said.
There is a strong example of re-
public for unprepared people"
Agitators Lack Courage.
= He said that one of the great diff
culties in connection with the preach
tngs Of independence is that the ag
tators or leaders appear to be totally
unwilling to be frank and sincere with
the people in that they lack the cour
age to tell them what independence
would really mean; that the advance
rnent Of the islands and the present
prosperity is tied up entirely with the
! United States. He said: '"They dc
not tell the people that if the United
States gave the Islands their independ
ence- IL would mean the taking ava,
of the free trade with America tina
they now enjoy and many other priv
leges, without which help the F'ilipinos
| could not exist as government.
Again he said: 1.-The chaotic condi
I lions in China ore enough to make
Us think twice before creating any
more unprepared republics"
1 Gen. Wood referred several time,
70 the Presidents veto message o.
the Philippine plebiscite as express
ing clearly and intelligently thi
Governments relationship to tn,
Philippine people, its duty TOWARD
them and the economic reasons VIII!
1T would be unwise to grant indie
pendence at any time in the neal
Future. He commended the Philip
pine people for having the nationa
spirit TO cherish the thought of hav
Ing freedom some time. but TO Civ,
: them independence now would b,
betraying their own hopes. he said
adding, like giving a boy a fyini
, machine for a toy and then stepping
aside to wait for the crash