theodore roosevelt-第15章

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hose　who　knew　the　two　gentlemen　wondered　whether　the　somewhat　leisurely　and　conservative　Secretary　could　leash　in　his　restless　young　First　Assistant；　with　his　Titanic　energy　and　his　head　full　of　projects。　No　one　believed　that　even　Roosevelt　could　startle　Governor　Long　out　of　his　habitual　urbanity；　but　every　one　could　foresee　that　they　might　so　clash　in　policy　that　either　the　head　or　the　assistant　would　have　to　retire。

Nothing　is　waste　that　touches　the　man　of　genius。　So　the　two　years　which　Roosevelt　spent　in　writing；　fifteen　years　before；　the　〃History　of…the　Naval　War　of　1812；〃　now　served　him　to　good　purpose；　for　it　gave　him　much　information　about　the　past　of　the　United　States　Navy　and　it　quickened　his　interest　in　the　problems　of　the　Navy　as　it　should　be　at　that　time。　The　close　of　the　Civil　War　in　1865　left　the　United　States　with　a　formidable　fleet；　which　during　the　next　quarter　of　a　century　deteriorated　until　it　comprised　only　a　collection　of　rotting　and　unserviceable　ships。　Then　came　a　reaction；　followed　by　the　construction　of　an　up…to…date　fleet；　and　by　the　recognition　by　Congress　that　the　United　States　must　pursue　a　modern　policy　in　naval　affairs。　Roosevelt　had　always　felt　the　danger　to　the　United　States　of　maintaining　a　despicable　or　an　inadequate　Navy；　and　from　the　moment　he　entered　the　Department　he　set　about　pushing　the　construction　of　the　unfinished　vessels　and　of　improving　the　quality　of　the　personnel。

He　was　impelled　to　do　this；　not　merely　by　his　instinct　to　bring　whatever　he　undertook　up　to　the　highest　standard；　but　also　because　he　had　a　premonition　that　a　crisis　was　at　hand　which　might　call　the　country　at　an　instant's　notice　to　protect　itself　with　all　the　power　it　had。　Two　recent　events　aroused　his　vigilance。　In　December；　1895；　President　Cleveland　sent　to　England　a　message　upholding　the　Monroe　Doctrine　and　warning　the　British　that　they　must　arbitrate　their　dispute　with　Venezuela　over　a　boundary；　or　fight。　This　sledgehammer　blow　at　England's　pride　might　well　have　caused　war　had　not　sober　patriots　on　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic；　aghast　at　this　shocking　possibility；　smoothed　the　way　to　an　understanding；　and　had　not　the　British　Government　itself　acknowledged　the　rightness　of　the　demand　for　arbitration。　So　the　danger　vanished；　but　Roosevelt；　and　every　other　thoughtful　American；　said　to　himself；　〃Suppose　England　had　taken　up　the　challenge；　what　had　we　to　defend　ourselves　with？〃　And　we　compared　the　long　roll　of　the　great　British　Fleet　with　the　paltry　list　of　our　own　ships；　and　realized　that　we　should　have　been　helpless。

The　other　fact　which　impressed　Roosevelt　was　the　insurrection　in　Cuba　which　kept　that　island　in　perpetual　disorder。　The　cruel　means；　especially　reconcentration　and　starvation；　by　which　the　Spaniards　tried　to　put　down　the　Cubans　stirred　the　sympathy　of　the　Americans；　and　the　number　of　those　who　believed　that　the　United　States　ought　to　interfere　in　behalf　of　humanity　grew　from　month　to　month。　A　spark　might　kindle　an　explosion。　Obviously；　therefore；　the　United　States　must　have　a　Navy　equipped　and　ready　for　any　emergency　in　the　Caribbean。

During　his　first　year　in　office；　Assistant　Secretary　Roosevelt　busied　himself　with　all　the　details　of　preparation；　he　encouraged　the　enthusiasm　of　the　officers　of　the　New　Navy；　for　he　shared　their　hopes；　he　added；　wherever　he　could；　to　its　efficiency；　as　when　by　securing　from　Congress　an　appropriation　of　nearly　a　million　dollarswhich　seemed　then　enormousfor　target　practice。　He　promoted　a　spirit　of　alertnessand　all　the　while　he　watched　the　horizon　towards　Cuba　where　the　signs　grew　angrier　and　angrier。

But　the　young　Secretary　had　to　act　with　circumspection。　In　the　first　place　the　policy　of　the　Department　was　formulated　by　Secretary　Long。　In　the　next　place　the　Navy　could　not　come　into　action　until　President　McKinley　and　the　Department　of　State　gave　the　word。　The　President；　desiring　to　keep　the　peace　up　to　the　very　end；　would　not　countenance　any　move　which　might　seem　to　the　Spaniards　either　a　threat　or　an　insult。　As　the　open　speeding…up　of　naval　preparations　would　be　construed　as　both；　nothing　must　be　done　to　excite　alarm。　In　the　autumn　of　1897；　however；　some　of　the　Spaniards　at　Havana　treated　the　American　residents　there　with　so　much　surliness　that　the　American　Government　took　the　precaution　to　send　a　battleship　to　the　Havana　Harbor　as　a　warning　to　the　menacing　Spaniards；　and　as　a　protection；　in　case　of　outbreak；　to　American　citizens　and　their　property。

But　what　was　meant　for　a　precaution　proved　to　be　the　immediate　cause　of　war。　Early　in　the　evening　of　February　15？？；　1898；　the　battleship　Maine；　peaceably　riding　at　her　moorings　in　the　harbor；　was　blown　up。　Two　officers　and　266　enlisted　men　were　killed　by　the　explosion　and　in　the　sinking　of　the　ship。　Nearly　as　many　more；　with　Captain　Charles　D。　Sigsbee；　the　commander；　were　rescued。　The　next　morning　the　newspapers　carried　the　report　to　all　parts　of　the　United　States；　and；　indeed；　to　the　whole　world。　A　tidal　wave　of　anger　surged　over　this　country。　〃That　means　war！〃　was　the　common　utterance。　Some　of　us；　who　abhorred　the　thought　of　war；　urged　that　at　least　we　wait　until　the　guilt　could　be　fixed。　The　reports　of　the　catastrophe　conflicted。　Was　the　ship　destroyed　by　the　explosion　of　shells　in　its　own　magazine；　or　was　it　blown　up　from　outside？　If　the　latter；　who　set　off　the　mine？　The　Spaniards？　It　seemed　unlikely；　if　they　wished　war；　that　they　should　resort　to　so　clumsy　a　provocation！　Might　not　the　insurgents　themselves　have　done　it；　in　order　to　force　the　United　States　to　interfere？　While　the　country　waited；　the　anger　grew。　At　Washington；　nobody　denied　that　war　was　coming。　All　that　our　diplomacy　attempted　to　do　was　to　stave　off　the　actual　declaration　long　enough　to　give　time　for　our　naval　and　military　preparation。

I　doubt　whether　Roosevelt　ever　worked　with　greater　relish　than　during　the　weeks　succeeding　the　blowing…up　of　the　Maine。　At　last　he　had　his　opportunity；　which　he　improved　night　and　day。　The　Navy　Department　arranged　in　hot　haste　to　victual　the　ships；　to　provide　them　with　stores　of　coal　and　ammunition；　to　bring　the　crews　up　to　their　full　quota　by　enlisting；　to　lay　out　a　plan　of　campaign；　to　see　to　the　naval　bases　and　the　lines　of　communication；　and　to　cooperate　with　the　War　Department　in　making　ready　the　land　fortifications　along　the　shore。　Of　course　all　these　labors　did　not　fall　on　Roosevelt's　shoulders　alone；　but　being　a　tireless　and　willing　worker　he　had　more　than　one　man's　share　in　the　preparations。

But　the　great　fact　that　war　was　comingwar；　the　test　delighted　him；　and　his　sense　of　humor　was　not　allowed　to　sleep。　For　the　peace…at…any…price　folk；　the　denouncers　of　the　Navy　and　the　Army；　the　preachers　of　the　doctrine　that　as　all　men　are　good　it　was　wicked　to　build　defenses　as　if　we　suspected　the　goodness　of　our　neighbors；　now　rushed　to　the　Government　for　protection。　A　certain　lady　of　importance；　who　had　a　seaside　villa；　begged　that　a　battleship　should　be　anchored　just　outside　of　it。　Seaboard　cities　frantically　demanded　that　adequate　protection　should　be　sent　to　them。　The　spokesman　for　one　of　these　cities　happened　to　be　a　politician　of　such　importance　that　President　McKinley　told　the　Assistant　Secretary　that　his　request　must　be　granted。　Accordingly；　Roosevelt　put　one　of　the　old　monitors　in　commission；　and　had　a　tug　tow　it；　at　the　imminent　risk　of　its　crew；　to　the　harbor　which　it　was　to　guard；　and　there　the　water…logged　old　craft　stayed；　to　the　relief　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　city　and　the　self…satisfaction　of　the　Congressman　who　was　able　to　give　them　so　shining　a　proof　of　his　power　with　the　Administration。　Many　frightened　Bostonians　transferred　their　securities　to　the　bank　vaults　of　Worcester；　and　they；　too；　clamored　for　naval　watch　and　ward。　Roosevelt　must　have　been　made　unusually　merry　by　such　tidings　from　Boston；　the　city　which　he　regarded　as　particularly　prolific　in　〃the　men　who　formed　the　lunatic　fringe　in　all　reform　movements。〃

It　did　not　astonish　him　that　the　financiers　and　the　business　men；　who　were　amassing　great　fortunes　in　peace；　should　frown　on　war；　which　interrupted　their　fortune…making；　but　he　laughed　when　he　remembered　what　they　and　many　other　vague　pacifists　had　been　solemnly　proclaiming。　There　was　the　Senator；　for　instance；　who　had　denied　that　we　needed　a　Navy；　because；　if　the　emergency　came；　he　said；　we　could　improvise　one；　and　〃build　a　battleship　in　every　creek。〃　There　were　also　the　spread　eagle　Americans；　the　swaggerers　and　braggarts；　who　amused　themselves　in　tail…twisting　and　insulting　other　nations　so　long　as　they　could　do　this　with　impunity；　but　now　they　were　brought　to　book；　and　their　fears　magnified　the　possible　danger　they　might　run　from　the　invasion　of　irate　Spaniards。　Their　imagination　pictured　to　them　the　poor　old　Spanish　warship　Viscaya；　as　having　as　great　possibility　for　destruction　as　the　entire　British　Fleet　itself。

At　all　these　things　Roosevelt　laughed　to　himself；　because　they　confirmed　the　gospel　of　military　and　naval　preparedness；　which　he　had　been　preaching　for　years；　the　gospel　which　these　very　opponents　reviled　him　for；　but　instead　of　contenting　himself　by　saying　to　them；　〃I　told　you　so；〃　he　pushed　on　preparations　for　war　at　full　speed；　determined　to　make　the　utmost　of　the　existing　resources。　The　Navy　had　clearly　two　tasks　before　it。　It　must　blockade　Cuba；　which　entailed　the　patrol　of　the　Caribbean　Sea　and　the　protection　of　the　Atlantic　ports；　and　it　must　prevent　the　Spanish　Fleet；　known　to　be　at　the

Philippines；　from　crossing　the　Pacific　Ocean；　harassing　our　commerce；　and　threatening　our　harbors　on　our　Western　coast。　Through　Roosevelt's　instrumentality；　Commodore　George　Dewey　had　been　appointed　in　the　preceding　autumn　to　command　our　Asiatic　Squadron；　and　while；　in　the　absence　of　Governor　Long；　Roosevelt　was　Acting…Secretary；　he　sent　the　following　dispatch：

Washington；　February　25；'98。　Dewey；　Hong　Kong：

Order　the　squadron；　except　the　Monocacy；　to　Hong　Kong。　Keep　full　of　coal。　In　the　event　of　declaration　of　war　Spain；　your　duty　will　be　to　see　that　the　Spanish　squadron　does　not　leave　the　Asiatic　coast；　and　then　offensive　operations　in　Philippine　Islands。　Keep　Olympia　until　further　orders。

ROOSEVELT

I　would　not　give　the　impression　that　Roosevelt　was　the　dictator　of　the　Navy　Department；　or　that　all；　or　most；　of　its　notable　achievements　came　from　his　suggestion；　but　the　plain　fact　is；　wherever　you　look　at　its　most　active　and　fruitful　preparations　for　war；　you　find　him　vigorously　assisting。　The　order　he　sent　Commodore　Dewey　led　directly　to　the　chief　naval　event　of　the　war；　the　destruction　of　the　Spanish　Fleet　by　our　Asiatic　Squadron　in　Manila　Bay；　on　May　1st。　Long　before　this　victory　came　to　pass；　however；　Roosevelt　had　resigned　from　the　Navy　Department　and　was　seeking　an　ampler　outlet　for　his　energy。

Having　accomplished　his　duty　as　Assistant　Secretarya　post　which　he　felt　was　primarily　for　a　civilianhe　thought　that　he　had　a　right　to　retire　from　it；　and　to　gratify　his　long…cherished　desire　to　take　part　in　the　actual　warfare。　He　did　not　wish；　he　said；　to　have　to　give　some　excuse　to　his　children　for　not　having　fought　in　the　war。　As　he　had　insisted　that　we　ought　to　free　Cuba　from　Spanish　tyranny　and　cruelty；　he　could　not　consistently　refuse　to　join　actively　in　the　liberation。