LEONARD WOOD 563 lation had been rescued from starvation; one of the foulest cities in the world had been transformed into one of the clean- est; its daily death-rate had been reduced from two hundred to ten ; much progress had been made toward paving the city ; radical reforms had taken place in the custom house service ; municipal expenses had been greatly reduced; the misman- agement of jailSy hospitals, schools, and courts had been cor- rected ; business conjfidence had been restored. Wood was appointed military governor of Cuba December 12, 1899, and served in that capacity until the formation of the Cuban Republic in 1902. After his advancement to the rank of Major-GFeneral in 1903 came an offer of forty thousand dollars a year from a private concern and, at the same time, an appointment from President McEinley to head of the Department of Mindanao in the Philippines. On the one hand was rest and affluence ; on the other, danger and moderate pay. General Wood went to the Philippines. Journeying to his post of duty by way of India, Ceylon, Java, and the Straits Settlements he took occasion to study colonial conditions at each stop, collecting cases of statistics for assistance on the job. He talked with British and Dutch officials, and investigated conditions among the natives. How thoroughly he prepared for his new work is shown by an anec- dote told by Robert H. Murray.* ^^A visitor, sitting with him in his library in Manila, glanc- ed at the bookshelves which covered three walls of the room. Most of the volumes were on military and colonial subjects. ^^ 'I have gathered them together since I came out here,' remarked the GFeneral.
- *It*s a fine collection. When do you expect to find time
to read them?*
- 'Read them,' replied Wood, ^Ie already read every line
in every one of them. They Ve helped me a lot. * ' ' General Wood reached Manila in July, 1903. He held a conference with Governor Taft regarding the civil aspect of » World's Work, October, 1908.
