theodore roosevelt-第62节

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parent；　because　all　the　proprieties　prevented　justice　Hughes　from　expressing　any　opinion　on　political　subjects　until　he　resigned　from　the　Court。　Hence；　it　followed　that　no　great　enthusiasm　could　be　aroused　over　his　candidacy　for　nomination　since　nobody　knew　what　his　policy　would　be。

The　Progressives　held　their　Convention　in　Chicago　on　June　5th；　the　same　day　that　the　Republicans　met　there。　Some　of　the　original；　Simon…Pure　Progressives　disapproved　of　this　collusion；　declaring　that　it　represented　a　〃deal；〃　and　that　the　Progressive　Party；　which　had　come　into　existence　as　a　rebuke　of　Machine　politics；　ought　never　to　soil　itself　by　entering　into　a　〃deal。〃　Nevertheless；　the　will　of　the　more　worldly…minded　prevailed；　and　they　probably　thought　that　there　would　be　a　better　chance　to　have　the　Republicans　nominate　Roosevelt　if　he　were　already　the　nominee　of　the　Progressives。　But　they　were　disappointed。　They　nominated　Roosevelt　and　the　Republicans　Justice　Hughes。　Suspense　followed　as　to　whether　Roosevelt；　by　accepting；　would　oblige　the　Progressives　to　organize　another　campaign。　He　sent　only　a　conditional　acceptance　to　the　Progressive　Committee　and；　a　few　days　later；　he　announced　publicly　that　he　would　support　justice　Hughes；　because　he　regarded　the　defeat　of　Wilson　as　the　most　vital　object　before　the　American　people。　I　find　among　my　correspondence　from　him　a　reply　to　a　letter　of　mine　in　which　I　had　quite　needlessly　urged　this　action　upon　him。　I　quote　this　passage　because　it　epitomizes　what　might　be　expanded　over　many　pages。　The　letter　is　dated　June　16；　1916：

I　agree　entirely　with　you。　I　shall　do　all　I　can　for　Mr。　Hughes。　But　don't　forget　that　Mr。　Hughes　alone　can　make　it　possible　for　me　to　be　efficient　in　his　behalf。　If　he　merely　speaks　like　Mr。　Wilson；　only　a　little　more　weakly；　he　will　rob　my　support　of　its　effectiveness。　Speeches　such　as　those　of　mine；　to　which　you　kindly　allude；　have　their　merit　only　if　delivered　for　a　man　who　is　himself　speaking　uncompromisingly　and　without　equivocation。　I　have　just　sent　word　to　Hughes　through　one　of　our　big　New　York　financiers　to　make　a　smashing　attack　on　Wilson　for　his　actions；　and　to　do　it　immediately；　in　connection　with　this　Democratic　Nominating　Convention。　Wilson　was　afraid　of　me。　He　never　dared　answer　me；　but　if　Hughes　lets　him；　he　will　proceed　to　take　the　offensive　against　Hughes。　I　shall　do　everything　I　can　for　him；　but　don't　forget　that　the　efficiency　of　what　I　do　must　largely　depend　upon　Hughes。

Roosevelt　was　as　good　as　his　word；　and　made　four　or　five　powerful　speeches　in　behalf　of　Mr。　Hughes；　speeches　which　gave　a　sharper　edge　to　the　Republicans'　fight。　But　their　campaign　was　obviously　mismanaged。　They　put　their　candidate　to　the　torture　of　making　two　transcontinental　journeys；　in　which　he　had　to　speak　incessantly；　and　they　warned　him　against　uttering　any　downright　criticism　of　the　anti…American　throng；　whose　numbers　being　unknown　were　feared。　President　Wilson；　on　the　other　hand；　unexpectedly　flared　up　in　a　retort　which　doubtless　won　votes　for　him。　Jeremiah　O'Leary；　an　Irish　agitator　in　relations　with　the　German　propagandists；　tried　to　catch　Mr。　Wilson　in　a　pro…British　snare。　The　President　replied：　〃　I　would　feel　deeply　mortified　to　have　you　or　anybody　like　you　vote　for　me。　Since　you　have　access　to　so　many　disloyal　Americans；　and　I　have　not；　I　will　ask　you　to　convey　this　message　to　them。〃

The　result　of　the　election；　which　took　place　on　November　5th；　hung　in　suspense　for　many　days。　Then　it　appeared　that　Wilson；　by　capturing　thirteen　California　votes；　had　won　by　277　electoral　votes　to　254。　for　Hughes。　Of　the　popular　vote；　Wilson　got　9；128；00　and　Hughes；　8；536；000。　So　the　slogan；　〃He　kept　us　out　of　war；〃　accomplished　its　purpose。



CHAPTER　XXV。　PROMETHEUS　UNBOUND

During　the　winter　of　1916…17；　Roosevelt　never　relaxed　his　criticism　of　President　Wilson's　dilatory　and　evasive　policy；　or　his　efforts　to　arouse　the　American　people　to　a　sense　of　their　duty　to　civilization。　By　this　time　the　President　himself　felt　that　it　was　safe　for　him　to　speak　up　in　behalf　of　Americanism。　The　year　before；　Roosevelt　having　been　assured　that　it　would　be　dangerous　to　make　American　and　pro…Ally　speeches　in　the　Middle　West；　went　straight　to　the　so…called　German　cities；　and　was　most　enthusiastically　received　where　it　had　been　predicted　he　would　be　hooted　and　even　mobbed。　President　Wilson　ventured　to　follow　him　some　time　later；　and　suffered　no　harm。　By　the　summer　of　1916　he　became　almost　reckless；　as　it　seemed；　in　his　utterances。　He　said　to　the　graduating　cadets　at　West　Point：　〃My　conception　of　America　is　a　conception　of　infinite　dignity；　along　with　quiet；　unquestionable　power。　I　ask　you；　gentlemen；　to　join　with　me　in　that　conception；　and　let　us　all　in　our　several　spheres　be　soldiers　together　to　realize　it。〃*　Once　he　declared　that　he　too　came　of　fighting　blood。　Meanwhile；　how　ever；　the　German　submarines　went　on　sinking　ships；　Bernstorff　made　his　frequent　calls　of　studied　impudence　at　the　White　House；　German　agents　blew　up　munitions　factories　and　the　warehouses　where　shells　were　stored　before　shipment；　and　the　process　of　spreading　Prussian　gangrene　throughout　our　country　went　on　unchecked。

*　July　14；　1916。


Worse　than　this；　the　military　situation　in　Europe　was　almost　disheartening。　Imperial　Russia　had　disappeared　and　the　Germans　were　preparing　to　carve　up　the　vast　amorphous　Russian　carcass。　Having　driven　their　way　through　the　Balkans　to　Constantinople　they　were　on　the　point　of　opening　their　boasted　direct　route　from　Berlin　to　Bagdad。　England；　France　and　Italy　began　to　feel　war…weary。　The　German　submarines　threatened　to　cut　off　their　supplies　of　food；　and　unless　the　Allied　countries　could　be　succored　they　might　be　starved　into　making　peace。　When　they　looked　across　the　Atlantic　they　beheld　this　mighty　Republic　leaving　them　in　the　lurch；　too　busy　piling　up　millions　of　dollars　drawn　from　the　Allies　in　their　distress　to　heed　that　distress；　and　drugging　their　compunctions；　if　they　had　any；　by　saying　to　themselves　that　a　nation　may　be　〃too　proud　to　fight；〃　and　that　they　had　the　best　authority　for　remembering　that　they　must　remain　〃neutral　even　in　thought。〃

I　need　not　describe　in　detail　what　Roosevelt　thought　of　this。　He　himself　expressed　his　scorn　for　making　war　by　rhetoric。　He　knew　that　a　man　may　boast　of　coming　of　fighting　blood；　and　come　so　late　that　all　the　fighting　quality　in　the　blood　has　evaporated。　Could　not　many　of　the　Pacifists　trace　back　to　Revolutionary　and　to　Puritan　ancestors；　who　fought　as　they　prayed；　without　hesitation　or　doubt；　for　the　Lord　of　Hosts？　They　could；　and　their　present　attitude　simply　made　their　shame　the　greater。　The　Colonel　had　said　very　early　in　the　conflict：　〃I　do　not　believe　that　the　firm　assertion　of　our　rights　means　war；　but　in　any　event；　it　is　well　to　remember　there　are　things　worse　than　war。〃　In　1917　he　declared：　〃For　two　years　after　the　Lusitania　was　sunk；　we　continued　to　fawn　on　the　blood…stained　murderers　of　our　people；　we　were　false　to　ourselves　and　we　were　false　to　the　cause　of　right　and　of　liberty　and　democracy　through　out　the　world。〃　He　kept　hammering　at　our　need　of　preparation。　He　told　a　great　audience　at　Detroit：*　〃We　first　hysterically　announced　that　we　would　not　prepare　because　we　were　afraid　that　preparation　might　make　us　lose　our　vantage…ground　as　a　peace　loving　people。　Then　we　became　frightened　and　announced　loudly　that　we　ought　to　prepare；　that　the　world　was　on　fire；　that　our　national　structure　was　in　danger　of　catching　aflame；　and　that　we　must　immediately　make　ready。　Then　we　turned　an　other　somersault　and　abandoned　all　talk　of　preparedness；　and　we　never　did　anything　more　than　talk。〃

*　May　9；1916。


At　last；　at　the　beginning　of　1917；　the　German　truculence　became　too　great　even　for　President　Wilson　to　palliate。　The　Kaiser；　whose　atrocious　submarine　policy　had　already　failed；　decided　that　it　could　be　made　to　succeed　by　increasing　its　horror。　He　proposed　to　sink　indiscriminately　all　ships；　whether　neutral　or　enemy；　but　out　of　his　Imperial　generosity　he　would　allow　the　Americans　to　send　one　ship　a　week　to　Falmouth；　England；　provided　it　followed　a　certain　line　marked　out　by　him　on　the　chart；　flew　a　certain　flag；　and　was　painted　a　color　which　he　specified。　As　late　as　December　18；　1916；　the　President　had　put　forth　a　message　only　less　startling　than　his　〃too…proud…to…fight〃　dictum；　in　which　he　announced　that　the　warring　world　must　plan　for　a　〃peace　without　victory〃　if　it　would　hope　to　end　the　war　at　all。　〃Peace　without　victory〃　would　mean；　of　course；　a　peace　favorable　to　Germany。　But　the　Germans；　with　characteristic　stupidity；　instead　of　using　even　a　specious　courtesy　towards　the　President　who　had　been　long…suffering　in　their　favor；　immediately　sent　out　their　〃Once…a…week…to…Falmouth〃　order。　Perhaps　they　thought　that　Mr。　Wilson　would　consent　even　to　that。

President　Wilson's　friends　have　assured　us　that　he　devotes　himself　to　finding　out　what　the　American　people　wants　and　then　in　doing　it。　He　soon　learned　what　the　American　people　wanted；　after　it　understood　the　purport　of　the　〃Once…a…week…to…Falmouth〃　order；　and　after　the　interchange　of　two　or　three　more　notes；　he　broke　off　relations　with　Germany　on　April　6；　1917。　At　last；　at　the　eleventh　hour；　the　United　States