should have been offered
posts in the Philippines, Hawaii and California when he was applying
for service in France. Lloyd George wanted him; France wanted him; and
the American Army wanted him.

All sorts and conditions of men throughout the United States expressed
their opinion upon the subject during this war period and are doing so
{234} still, but the one man who has said nothing is General Wood
himself. With his inherited and acquired characteristic of doing
something, of never remaining idle, with the habit acquired from years
of military discipline and respect for orders emanating from properly
constituted authority, he put in his application again and again for
service and then accepted without public comment whatever orders were
issued to him.

Here again is the same simple, direct mind of the man who has at no
time lost his sense of proportion, who has not become excited because
his chance was not given him--the chance for which he had spent long
years of preparation--who did not let this outward
wallpaper--plaster--showy thing divert him from the essential point,
the great beam of our war preparation house--the necessity that every
man, woman and child should do all he or she could do to help the
Government of the United States carry the war--or our part of it--to a
successful conclusion when that Government finally made up its mind to
go in.

Wood declined to become a martyr. He had no bitter feelings. He was,
as any other man of {235} his prominence and character would be,
disappointed at having no opportunity to serve his country at the
front. But he took what came to him and did it as usual with
extraordinary quickness, effectiveness and thoroughness.

Indeed speculation on the subject is not likely to produce much
profit. It is only of importance in the present place as illustrating
again the make-up of the subject of this biographical sketch. He took
no steps other than those regularly and properly open to him to secure
service. He attempted no roundabout methods. He kept his own counsel
and followed his old maxim of "Do it and don't talk about it." His
requests for reasons for denying him of all men the right to fight for
his country on the battle line made through proper channels--never
otherwise--produced no answers in any case and to this day the whole
amazing episode is entirely without explanation.

Meantime the man's characteristic energy and thoroughness produced
extraordinary results i