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Show Ull Sidelights and searchIightQ I li'HI I lW I ON PUBLIC MEN ANO KVENTS OJL ' V J Leonard Wood Buffer; America's Hanking General Iteduced to Satisfy Sat-isfy Old Political Grudge. Washington, April 13. No satisfactory satis-factory reason has yot been advanced by the administration for tho transfer trans-fer ot General Leonard Wood from tho department of tbo east to the comparatively unimportant post at Charleston, S, C. Or course, the best things Congress has to glvo are all going South, for tho South la In tho saddle at Washington as It never was before. Even tho new govornment armor plant Is to bo taken away from steel centers and It to be locatod at Rome, Ga., or some other southern city. Tho big nitrate plant for which hundreds of thousands of dollars have been appropriated will undoubtedly undoubt-edly bo located at Mussel Shoals, Alnbama. nut why tho ranking general of, the army, whoso ability Is unquestioned, unques-tioned, should summarily bo removed from tho most vulnerable point on the American coast, at a tlmo whon tho country Is on tho vory vergo of war is not understood In Washington. Washing-ton. Tho first official news General Wood had of tho proposed transfer was when ho had word from tho secretary sec-retary of war saying ho could go to Hawaii, tho Philippines or tho lois Important post, Charleston. To this Genoral Wood ropllcd, briefly, that, of the threo, ho proferrcd Charleston. When newspaper men attempted to Intorviow him, ho simply said, "I am a soldier and I go where I am or dered." Not that General Dell, who has been assigned to tho new northern north-ern department with head quarters at' Now York City, Is not a good soldier. sol-dier. Ho is. Dut all during tho preparedness plans, General Wood has been Working night and day at his poet on Governors Island, Now York, and Is largely responsible for the success of the Hattsburg camps, tho biggest step in preparedness. New York, of course, is the richest city In 'tho country and the richest prize for any foreign fleet. It Is honeycombed hon-eycombed with plots and sprinkled with spies. Within the northern department de-partment are located somo of the most Important ammunition making plants, which would havo to supply America In tho event of war. Qoneral Wood knew Just what ho would do In case of an attack. Tho mon of New York who have been leading In preparedness plans regardless regard-less of politics were ready to stand behind him. Ho had no thought of his transfer until suddenly, the war department concludes to send him to Charleston, S. C, unless, as thoy told him, ho wanted to got, clear out of the country and sit down in tho Philippines, or Hawaii. It may bo, of course, that tho administration ad-ministration has good reasons for tho general's transfer, but If It has, the reasons havo not been advanced. In tho meantlmo, members of Congress and citizens genorally, although lay-al lay-al to tho government and standing by tho President, ore sajlng that this, llko tho promotion of Dr. Cary Grayson, Gray-son, Is a bad example of petty party I politics at a tlmo when tho very life ot tho nation may bo at stake. Meanwhile, Leonard Wood, ranking rank-ing general ot tha United States army, tho man who cleaned up Cuba, tho old (Ightor whoso fnco has grown llnod and whoso hair has tournod gray, In working for tho nation's defence., de-fence., propares, at tho behest of a, young secrotary of war, to go to tho subordinate post In tho South. |