theodore roosevelt-第33节

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Now　at　first；　as　I　have　suggested；　his　chief　duty　was　to　continue　President　McKinley's　policies；　which　concerned　mostly　the　establishment　of　our　insular　dependencies；　and　the　readjustment　of　our　diplomatic　relations。　I　have　described　how　he　closed　the　dispute　over　the　Alaskan　Boundary；　over　our　joint　control　with　England　over　the　Isthmus　of　Panama；　and　how　he　circumvented　the　attempt　of　the　Colombian　blackmailers　to　block　our　construction　of　the　Canal。

We　must　now　glance　at　a　matter　of　almost　equal　importanceour　relations　with　Germany。　The　German　attack　on　civilization；　which　was　openly　delivered　in　194；　revealed　to　the　world　that　for　twenty　years　before　the　German　Emperor　had　been　secretly　preparing　his　mad　project　of　Universal　Conquest。　We　see　now　that　he　used　all　sorts　of　base　tools　German　exchange　professors；　spies；　bribers；　conventional　insinuators　and　corrupters；　organizers　of　pro…German　sentiment；　and　of　societies　of　German　Americans。　So　little　did　he　and　his　lackeys　understand　the　American　spirit　that　they　assumed　that　at　the　given　signal　the　people　of　the　United　States　would　gladly　go　over　to　them。　He　counted　on　securing　North　and　South　America　by　commerce　and　corruption；　and　not　by　armed　force。　The　reaffirmation　of　the　Monroe　Doctrine　by　President　Cleveland　in　1895　seriously　troubled　him；　for　he　contemplated　planting　German　colonies　in　Central　and　South　America　without　resistance；　but　the　Monroe　Doctrine　in　its　latest　interpretation　forbade　him　or　any　foreign　government　from　establishing　dominion　in　either　American　continent。　Still；　two　things　comforted　him：　the　Americans　were；　he　thought；　a　loose；　happy…go…lucky　people；　without　any　consecutive　or　deep…laid　policy；　as　foolish　republicans　must　be；　and　next；　he　knew　that　he　had　the　most　powerful　army　in　the　world；　which；　if　put　to　the　test；　would　crush　the　undisciplined　American　militia　at　the　first　onset。　He　adopted；　therefore；　a　double　policy：　he　pretended　openly　to　be　most　friendly　to　the　Americans；　he　flattered　all　of　them　whom　he　could　reach　in　Berlin；　and　he　directed　an　effusive　propaganda　in　the　United　States。　In　secret；　how　ever；　he　lost　no　occasion　to　harm　this　country。　When　the　Spanish　War　came　in　1898；　he　tried　to　form　a　naval　coalition　of　his　fleet　with　those　of　France　and　England；　and　it　was　only　the　refusal　of　England　to…　join　in　it　which　saved　this　country　from　disaster。　The　United　States　owe　Mr。　Balfour；　who　at　that　time　controlled　the　British　Foreign　Office；　an　eternal　debt　of　gratitude；　because　it　was　he　who　replied　to　the　Kaiser's　secret　temptation：　〃No：　if　the　British　fleet　takes　any　part　in　this　war；　it　will　be　to　put　itself　between　the　American　fleet　and　those　of　your　coalition。〃

The　Kaiser　expressed　his　real　sentiment　towards　the　United　States　in　a　remark　which　he　made　later；　not　expecting　that　it　would　reach　American　ears。　〃If　I　had　had　ships　enough；〃　he　said；　〃I　would　have　taken　the　Americans　by　the　scruff　of　the　neck。〃　As　it　was；　he　showed　his　purpose　to　those　who　had　eyes　to　see　it；　by　ordering　the　German　Squadron　under　Diederichs　to　go　to　Manila　and　take　what　he　could　there。　Fortunately　before　he　could　take　Manila　or　the　Philippines　he　had　to　take　the　American　Commodore；　George　Dewey；　and　when　he　discovered　what　sort　of　a　sea…fighter　the　mountains　of　Vermont　had　produced　in　Dewey；　he　decided　not　to　attack　him。　Perhaps　also　the　fact　that　the　English　commander　at　Manila；　Captain　Chichester；　stood　ready　to　back　up　Dewey　caused　Diederichs　to　back　down。　The　true　Prussian　truculence　always　oozes　out　when　it　has　not　a　safe　margin　of　superiority　in　strength　on　its　side。

The　Kaiser　was　not　to　be　foiled；　however；　in　his　determination　to　get　a　foothold　in　America。　As　the　likelihood　that　the　Panama　Canal　would　be　constructed　became　a　certainty；　he　redoubled　his　efforts。　He　tried　to　buy　from　a　Mexican　Land　Company　two　large　ports　in　Lower　California　for　〃his　personal　use。〃　These　would　have　given　him；　of　course；　control　over　the　approach　to　the　Canal　from　the　Pacific。　Simultaneously　he　sent　a　surveying　expedition　to　the　Caribbean　Sea；　which　found　a　spacious　harbor；　that　might　serve　as　a　naval　base；　on　an　unoccupied　island　near　the　main　line　of　vessels　approaching　the　Canal　from　the　east；　but　before　he　could　plant　a　force　there；　the　presence　of　his　surveyors　was　discovered；　and　they　sailed　away。

He　now　resorted　to　a　more　cunning　ruse。　The　people　of　Venezuela　owed　considerable　sums　to　merchants　and　bankers　in　Germany；　England；　and　Italy；　and　the　creditors　could　recover　neither　their　capital　nor　the　interest　on　it。　The　Kaiser　bethought　him　self　of　the　simple　plan　of　making　a　naval　demonstration　against　the　Venezuelans　if　they　did　not　pay　up；　he　would　send　his　troops　ashore；　occupy　the　chief　harbors；　and　take　in　the　customs。　To　disguise　his　ulterior　motive；　he　persuaded　England　and　Italy　to　join　him　in　collecting　their　bill　against　Venezuela。　So　warships　of　the　three　nations　appeared　off　the　Venezuelan　coast；　and　for　some　time　they　maintained　what　they　called　〃A　peaceful　blockade。〃　After　a　while　Secretary　Hay　pointed　out　that　there　could　be　no　such　thing　as　a　peaceful　blockade；　that　a　blockade　was；　by　its　very　nature；　an　act　of　war；　accordingly　the　blockaders　declared　a　state　of　belligerency　between　themselves　and　Venezuela；　and　Germany　threatened　to　bombard　the　seacoast　towns　unless　the　debt　was　settled　without　further　delay。　President　Roosevelt　had　no　illusions　as　to　what　bombardment　and　occupation　by　German　troops　would　mean。　If　a　regiment　or　two　of　Germans　once　went　into　garrison　at　Caracas　or　Porto　Cabello；　the　Kaiser　would　secure　the　foothold　he　craved　on　the　American　Coast　within　striking　distance　of　the　projected　Canal；　and　Venezuela；　unable　to　ward　off　his　aggression；　would　certainly　be　helpless　to　drive　him　out。　Mr。　Roosevelt　allowed　Mr。　Herbert　W。　Bowen；　the　American　Minister　to　Venezuela；　to　serve　as　Special　Commissioner　for　Venezuela　in　conducting　her　negotiations　with。　Germany。　He；　himself；　however；　took　the　matter　into　his　own　hands　at　Washington。　Having　sounded　England　and　Italy；　and　learned　that　they　were　willing　to　arbitrate；　and　knowing　also　that　neither　of　them　schemed　to　take　territorial　payment　for　their　bills；　he　directed　his　diplomatic　attack　straight　at　the　Kaiser。　When　the　German　Ambassador；　Dr。　von　Holleben；　one　of　the　pompous　and　ponderous　professorial　sort　of　German　officials；　was　calling　on　him　at　the　White　House；　the　President　told　him　to　warn　the　Kaiser　that　unless　he　consented；　within　a　given　timeabout　ten　daysto　arbitrate　the　Venezuelan　dispute；　the　American　fleet　under　Admiral　Dewey　would　appear　off　the　Venezuelan　coast　and　defend　it　from　any　attack　which　the　German　Squadron　might　attempt　to　make。　Holleben　displayed　consternation；　he　protested　that　since　his　Imperial　Master　had　refused　to　arbitrate；　there　could　be　no　arbitration。　His　Imperial　Master　could　not　change　his　Imperial　Mind；　and　the　dutiful　servant　asked　the　President　whether　he　realized　what　such　a　demand　meant。　The　President　replied　calmly　that　he　knew　it　meant　war。　A　week　passed；　but　brought　no　reply　from　Berlin；　then　Holleben　called　again　at　the　White　House　on　some　unimportant　matters；　as　he　turned　to　go　the　President　inquired；　〃Have　you　heard　from　Berlin？〃　〃No；〃　said　Holleben。　〃Of　course　His　Imperial　Majesty　cannot　arbitrate。〃　〃Very　well；　〃　said　Roosevelt；　〃you　may　think　it　worth　while　to　cable　to　Berlin　that　I　have　changed　my　mind。　I　am　sending　instructions　to　Admiral　Dewey　to　take　our　fleet　to　Venezuela　next　Monday　instead　of　Tuesday。〃　Holleben　brought　the　interview　to　a　close　at　once　and　departed　with　evident　signs　of　alarm。　He　returned　in　less　than　thirty…six　hours　with　relief　and　satisfaction　written　on　his　face；　as　he　informed　the　President；　〃His　Imperial　Majesty　consents　to　arbitrate。〃

In　order　to　screen　the　Kaiser's　mortification　from　the　world；　Roosevelt　declared　that　his　transactionwhich　only　he；　the　Kaiser；　and　Holleben　knew　aboutshould　not　be　made　public　at　the　time；　and　he　even　went　so　far；　a　little　later；　in　speaking　on　the　matter　as　to　refer　to　the　German　Emperor　as　a　good　friend　and　practicer　of　arbitration。

Many　years　later；　when　Roosevelt　and　I　discussed　this　episode　we　cast　about　for　reasons　to　account　for　the　Kaiser's　sudden　back…down。　We　concluded　that　after　the　first　interview　Holleben　either　did　not　cable　to　Berlin　at　all；　or　he　gave　the　message　with　his　own　comment　that　it　was　all　a　bluff。　After　the　second　interview；　he　consulted　Buenz；　the　German　Consul…General　at　New　York；　who　knew　Roosevelt　well　and　knew　also　the　powerfulness　of　Dewey's　fleet。　He　assured　Holleben　that　the　President　was　not　bluffing；　and　that　Dewey　could　blow　all　the　German　Navy；　then　in　existence；　out　of　the　water　in　half　an　hour。　So　Holleben　sent　a　hot　cablegram　to　Berlin；　and　Berlin　understood　that　only　an　immediate　answer　would　do。

Poor；　servile；　old　bureaucrat　Holleben！　The　Kaiser　soon　treated　him　as　he　was　in　the　habit　of　treating　any　of　his　servile　creatures；　high　or　low；　who　made　a　fiasco。　Deceived　by　the　glowing　reports　which　his　agents　in　the　United　States　sent　to　him；　the　Kaiser　believed　that　the　time　was　ripe　for　a　visit　by　a　Hohenzollern；　to　let　off　the　pent…up　enthusiasm　of　the　German…Americans　and　to　stimulate　the　pro…German　conspiracy　here。