theodore roosevelt-第34节

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and　to　stimulate　the　pro…German　conspiracy　here。　Accordingly　Prince　Henry　of　Prussia　came　over　and　made　a　whirlwind　trip；　as　far　as　Chicago；　but　it　was　in　no　sense　a　royal　progress。　Multitudes　flocked　to　see　him　out　of　curiosity；　but　Prince　Henry　realized；　and　so　did　the　German　kin　here；　that　his　mission　had　failed。　A　scapegoat　must　be　found；　and　apparently　Holleben　was　the　chosen　victim。

The　Kaiser　cabled　him　to　resign　and　take　the　next　day's　steamer　home；　alleging　〃chronic　illness〃　as　an　excuse。　He　sailed　from　Hoboken　obediently；　and　there　were　none　so　poor　as　to　do　him　reverence。　The　sycophants　who　had　fawned　upon　him　while　he　was　enjoying　the　Imperial　favor　as　Ambassador　took　care　not　to　be　seen　waving　a　farewell　to　him　from　the　pier。　Instead　of　that；　they　were　busy　telling　over　his　blunders。　He　had　served　French　instead　of　German　champagne　at　a　banquet　for　Prince　Henry；　and　he　had　allowed　the　Kaiser's　yacht　to　be　christened　in　French　champagne。　How　could　such　a　blunderer　satisfy　the　diplomatic　requirements　of　the　vain　and　petty　Kaiser？　And　yet！　Holleben　was　utterly　devoted　and　willing　to　grovel　in　the　mud。　He　even　suggested　to　President　Roosevelt　that　at　the　State　Banquet　at　the　White　House；　Prince　Henry；　as　a　Hohenzollern；　and　the　representative　of　the　Almightiest　Kaiser；　should　walk　out　to　dinner　first；　but　there　was　no　discussion；　for　the　President　replied　curtly；　〃No　person　living　precedes　the　President　of　the　United　States　in　the　White　House。〃

Henceforth　the　Kaiser　understood　that　the　United　States　Government；　at　least　as　long　as　Roosevelt　was　President；　would　repel　any　attempt　by　foreigners　to　violate　the　Monroe　Doctrine；　and　set　up　a　nucleus　of　foreign　power　in　either　North　or　South　America。　He　devoted　himself　all　the　more　earnestly　to　pushing　the　sly　work　of　peaceful　penetration；　that　work　of　spying　and　lying　in　which　the　German　people　proved　itself　easily　first。　The　diabolical　propaganda；　aimed　not　only　at　undermining　the　United　States；　at　seducing　the　Irish　and　other　hyphenate　groups　of　Americans；　but　at　polluting　the　Mexicans　and　several　of　the　South　American　States；　and　later　there　was　a　thoroughly　organized　conspiracy　to　stir　up　animosity　between　this　country　and　Japan　by　making　the　Japanese　hate　and　suspect　the　Americans；　and　by　making　the　Americans　hate　and　suspect　the　Japanese。　I　alluded　just　now　to　the　fact　that　German　intrigue　was　working　in　Bogota；　and　influenced　the　Colombian　blackmailers　in　refusing　to　sign　the　Hay　Herran　Canal　Treaty　with　the　United　States；　and　peered　about　in　the　hope　of　snapping　up　the　Canal　rights　for　Germany。

Outwardly；　during　the　first　decade　of　the　twentieth　century；　the　Kaiser　seemed　to　be　most　active　in　interfering　in　European　politics；　including　those　of　Morocco；　in　which　the　French　were　entangled。　In　1904　the　war　between　Russia　and　Japan　broke　out。　Roosevelt　remained　strictly　neutral　towards　both　belligerents；　making　it　evident；　however；　that　either　or　both　of　them　could　count　on　his　friendly　offices　if　they　sought　mediation。　At　the　beginning　of　the　war；　it　was　generally　assumed　that　the　German　Kaiser　shed　no　tears　over　the　Russian　reverses；　for　the　weaker　Russia　became；　the　less　Germany　needed　to　fear　her　as　a　neighbor。　At　length；　however；　when　it　looked　as　if　the　Japanese　might　actually　shatter　the　Russian　Empire；　Germany　and　the　other　European　Powers　seemed　to　have　had　a　common　feeling　that　a　decided　victory　by　an　Asiatic　nation　like　Japan　would　certainly　require　a　readjustment　of　world　politics；　and　might　not　only　put　in　jeopardy　European　interests　and　control　in　Asia；　but　also　raise　up　against　Europe　what　the　Kaiser　had　already　advertised　as　the　Yellow　Peril。　I　have　no　evidence　that　President　Roosevelt　shared　this　anxiety；　on　the　contrary；　I　think　that　he　was　not　unwilling　that　a　strong　Japan　should　exist　to　prevent　the　dismemberment　of　Eastern　Asia　by　European　land…grabbers。

By　the　spring　of　1905；　both　Russia　and　Japan　had　fought　almost　to　exhaustion。　The　probability　was　that　Russia　with　her　vast　population　could　continue　to　replenish　her　army。　Japan；　with　great　pluck；　after　winning　amazing　victories；　which　left　her　weaker　and　weaker；　made　no　sign　of　wishing　for　an　armistice。　Roosevelt；　however；　on　his　own　motion　wrote　a　private　letter　to　the　Czar；　Nicholas　II；　and　sent　George　Meyer；　Ambassador　to　Italy；　with　it　on　a　special　mission　to　Petrograd。　The　President　urged　the　Czar　to　consider　making　peace；　since　both　the　Russians　and　the　Japanese　had　nearly　fought　them　selves　out；　and　further　warfare　would　add　to　the　losses　and　burdens；　already　tremendous；　of　both　people。　Probably　he　hinted　also　that　another　disaster　in　the　field　might　cause　an　outbreak　by　the　Russian　Revolutionists。　I　have　not　seen　his　letterperhaps　a　copy　of　it　has　escaped；　in　the　Czar's　secret　archives；　the　violence　of　the　Bolshevistsbut　I　have　heard　him　speak　about　it。　I　have　reason　to　suppose　also　that　he　wrote　privately　to　the　Kaiser　to　use　his　influence　with　the　Czar。　At　any　rate；　the　Czar　listened　to　the　President's　advice；　and　by　one　of　those　diplomatic　devices　by　which　both　parties　saved　their　dignity；　an　armistice　was　arranged　and；　in　the　summer　of　1905；　the　Peace　was　signed。　The　following　year；　the　Trustees　of　the　Nobel　Peace　Prize　recognized　Roosevelt's　large　part　in　stopping　the　war；　by　giving　the　Prize　to　him。

Meanwhile；　the　irritation　between　France　and　Germany　had　increased　to　the　point　where　open　rupture　was　feared。　For　years　Germany　had　been　waiting　for　a　propitious　moment　to　swoop　down　on　France　and　overwhelm　her。　The　French　intrigues　in　Morocco；　which　were　leading　visibly　to　a　French　Protectorate　over　that　country；　aroused　German　resentment；　for　the　Germans　coveted　Morocco　themselves。　The　Kaiser　went　so　far　as　to　invite　Roosevelt　to　interfere　with　him　in　Morocco；　but　this；　the　President　replied；　was　impossible。　Probably　he　was　not　unwilling　to　have　the　German　Emperor　understand　that；　while　the　United　States　would　interfere　with　all　their　might　to　prevent　a　foreign　attack　on　the　Monroe　Doctrine；　they　meant　to　keep　their　hands　off　in　European　quarrels。　That　he　also　had　a　clear　idea　of　William　II's　temperament　appears　from　the　following　opinion　which　I　find　in　a　private　letter　of　his　at　this　time：　〃The　Kaiser　had　weekly　pipe　dreams。〃

The　situation　grew　very　angry；　and　von　Billow；　the　German　Chancellor；　did　not　hide　his　purpose　of　upholding　the　German　pretensions；　even　at　the　cost　of　war。　President　Roosevelt　then　wroteprivatelyto　the　Kaiser　impressing　it　upon　him　that　for　Germany　to　make　war　on　France　would　be　a　crime　against　civilization；　and　he　suggested　that　a　Conference　of　Powers　be　held　to　discuss　the　Moroccan　difficulty；　and　to　agree　upon　terms　for　a　peaceful　adjustment。　The　Kaiser　finally　accepted　Roosevelt's　advice；　and　after　a　long　debate　over　the　preliminaries；　the　Conference　was　held　at　Algeciras；　Spain。

That　Roosevelt　understood；　or　even　suspected；　the　great　German　conspiracy　which　the　Kaiser's　hire　lings　were　weaving　over　the　United　States　is　wholly　improbable。　Had　he　known　of　any　plot　he　would　have　been　the　first　to　hunt　it　down　and　crush　it。　He　knew　in　general　of　the　extravagant　vaporings　of　the　Pan…Germans；　but；　like　most　of　us；　he　supposed　that　there　was　still　enough　sanity；　not　to　say　common　sense；　left　in　Germany　to　laugh　such　follies　away。　Through　his　intimate　friend；　Spring…Rice；　subsequently　the　British　Ambassador；　he　had　early　and　sound　information　of　the　conditions　of　Germany。　He　watched　with　curiosity　the　abnormal　expansion　of　the　German　Fleet。　All　these　things　simply　confirmed　his　belief　that　the　United　States　must　attend　seriously　to　the　business　of　making　military　and　naval　preparations。

Secretary　Hay　had　already　secured　the　recognition　by　the　European　Powers　of　the　policy　of　the　Open　Door　in　China；　the　year　before　Roosevelt　became　President；　but　the　struggle　to　maintain　that　policy　had　to　be　kept　up　for　several　years。　On　November　21；　1900；　John　Hay　wrote　to　Henry　Adams：　〃At　least　we　are　spared　the　infamy　of　an　alliance　with　Germany。　I　would　rather；　I　think；　be　the　dupe　of　China；　than　chum　of　the　Kaiser。　Have　you　noticed　how　the　world　will　take　anything　nowadays　from　a　German？　Billow　said　yesterday　in　substance'We　have　demanded　of　China　everything　we　can　think　of。　If　we　think　of　anything　else　we　will　demand　that；　and　be　dd　to　you'and　not　a　man　in　the　world　kicks。〃*

*　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；　II；　248。


By　an　adroit　move　similar　to　that　by　which　Hay　had　secured　the　unwilling　adherence　of　the　Powers　to　his　original　proposal　of　the　Open　Door；　he；　with　Roosevelt's　sanction；　prevented　the　German　Emperor　from　carrying　out　a　plan　to　cut　up　China　and　divide　the　slices　among　the　Europeans。

Equally　adroit　was　Roosevelt's　method　of　dealing　with　the　Czar　in　1903。　Russian　mobs　ran　amuck　and　massacred　many　Jews　in　the　city　of　Kishineff。　The　news　of　this　atrocity　reached　the　outside　world　slowly：　when　it　came；　the　Jews　of　western　Europe；　and　especially　those　of　the　United　States；　cried　out　in　horror；　held　meetings；　drew　up　protests；　and　framed　petitions；　asking　the　Czar　to　punish　the　criminals。　Leading　American　Jews　besought　Roosevelt　to　plead　their　cause　before　the　Czar。　As　it　was　well　known　that　the　Czar　would　refuse　to　receive　such　petitions；　and　would　re