theodore roosevelt-第63节

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　broke　off　relations　with　Germany　on　April　6；　1917。　At　last；　at　the　eleventh　hour；　the　United　States　by　President　Wilson's　consent　joined　the　great　alliance　of　free　nations　in　their　life　and…death　struggle　to　make　the　world　safe　for　Democracy。　Now　the　President　had　to　prepare　for　war；　and　prepare　in　haste；　which　rendered　careful　plans　and　economy　impossible。　At　the　start；　there　was　much　debate　over　the　employment　of　Volunteers；　the　rating　of　Regulars；　and　the　carrying　out　of　a　selective　draft。　True　to　his　policy　of　timidity　and　evasion　President　Wilson　did　not　openly　declare　war　on　Germany；　but　allowed　us　to　drift　into　a　state　of　war；　so　executives　who　do　not　wish　either　to　sign　or　veto　a　bill　let　it　become　a　law　without　their　signatures。　His　Secretary　of　War；　Lindley　M。　Garrison；　the　only　member　of　his　Cabinet　who　had　marked　ability；　had　resigned　the　year　before；　having　apparently　found　the　official　atmosphere　uncongenial。　At　the　Plattsburg　camp；　commanded　by　General　Leonard　Wood；　Colonel　Roosevelt　made　a　speech　of　ringing　patriotism　and　of　unveiled　criticism　of　the　lack　of　energy　in　the　Administration。　It　was　not　a　politic　thing　to　do；　although　there　seems　to　have　been　some　confusion　between　what　the　Colonel　said　to　the　Volunteers　in　camp；　and　what　he　said　that　same　evening　to　a　gathering　of　civilians　in　the　town。　The　indiscretion；　how　ever；　gave　the　Administration　the　opportunity　it　had　been　waiting　for；　but；　being　unable　to　punish　Roosevelt；　it　severely　reprimanded　General　Wood；　who　had　not　been　aware　of　what　the　Colonel　intended　to　say。　Indeed；　the　offensive　remarks　seem　to　have　been　extemporaneous；　because；　as　it　was　too　dark　for　him　to　read　his　prepared　speech；　he　spoke　impromptu。　In　any　event；　Secretary　Garrison　had　due　notice　that　Roosevelt　was　to　speak；　and　if　he　had　had　any　doubts　he　should　have　sent　word　to　General　Wood　to　cancel　the　engagement。　The　Administration　made　as　much　as　it　could　out　of　this　impropriety；　but　the　public　saw　the　humor　of　it；　because　it　knew　that　Secretary　Garrison　agreed　with　Roosevelt　and　Wood　in　their　crusade　for　preparedness。

Later；　when　Mr。　Garrison　resigned；　President　Wilson　put　Mr。　Newton　D。　Baker；　a　Pacifist；　in　his　place；　and　after　war　came；　the　military　preparation　and　direction　of　the　United　States　were　entrusted　to　him。　But　it　does　not　belong　to　this　biographical　sketch　to　narrate　the　story　of　the　American　conduct　of　the　war　under　the　Wilson　Administration。

To　Roosevelt；　the　vital　fact　was　that　war　was　at　hand；　the　great　object　for　which　he　had　striven　during　two　years　and　eight　months；　the　participation　in　the　war　which　would　redeem　the　honor　of　the　United　States；　call　forth　the　courage　of　its　citizens；　make　Americans　alone　dominant　in　America　and　so　purge　this　Republic　of　the　taints　of　pro…Germanism；　of　commercial　greed；　and　of　ignoble　worship　of　material　safety；　that　it　could　take　its　part　again　at　the　head　of　the　democracies　of　the　world。　He　thanked　God　that　his　country　could　stand　out　again　untarnished。　And　then　a　great　exultation　came　over　him；　as　he　believed　that　at　last　he　himself　having　put　on　his　sword；　would　be　allowed　to　join　the　American　army　bound　overseas；　share　its　dangers　and　glories　in　the　field；　and；　if　Fate　so　willed　it；　pay　with　his　body　the　debt　of　patriotism　which　nothing　else　could　pay。　He　wrote　immediately　to　the　War　Department；　offering　his　services　and　agreeing　to　raise　a　division　or　more　of　Volunteers；　to　be　sent　to　the　front　with　the　briefest　delay。　But　Secretary　Baker　replied　that　without　authorization　by　Congress；　he　could　not　accept　such　bodies　of　Volunteers。　On　being　pressed　further；　Mr。　Baker　replied　that　the　War　College　Division　of　the　General　Staff　wished　the　officers　of　the　Regular　Army　to　be　kept　at　home；　in　order　to　train　new　men；　and　then　to　lead　the　first　contingents　which　might　go　abroad。*

*　The　entire　correspondence　between　General　Wood　and　President　Wilson　and　Secretary　Baker　is　given　in　The　Foes　of　Our　Own　House　hold；　by　Theodore　Roosevelt　（Doran；　New　York；　1917；　pp。　304…47。）


Meanwhile；　at　the　first　suggestion　that　Roosevelt　might　head　a　body　of　troops　himself；　letters　poured　upon　him　from　every　State　in　the　Union；　from　men　of　all　classes　eager　to　serve　under　him；　and　eager；　in　this　way；　to　wipe　out　the　shame　which　they　felt　the　Administration；　by　its　delays　and　supineness；　had　put　upon　the　nation。　Then　Congress　passed　the　Draft　Law；　and；　on　May　18；　Roosevelt　appealed　again；　this　time　directly　to　President　Wilson；　offering　to　raise　four　divisions。　The　President；　in　a　public　statement；　declared　that　purely　military　reasons　caused　him　to　reject　the　plan。　In　a　telegram　to　Colonel　Roosevelt　he　said　that　his　action　was　〃based　entirely　upon　imperative　considerations　of　public　policy；　and　not　upon　personal　or　private　choice。〃　Roosevelt　summed　up　the　contention　with　this　flat　contradiction：　〃President　Wilson's　reasons　for　refusing　my　offer　had　nothing　to　do　either　with　military　considerations　or　with　public　needs。〃

Roosevelt　issued　an　announcement　to　the　men　who　had　applied　for　service　under　himthey　were　said　already　to　number　over　300；000regretting　that　they　could　not　all　go　together　on　their　country's　errand；　and　brushing　aside　the　insinuation　of　his　enemies　that　he　was　merely　seeking　political　and　selfish　ends。　That　is　a　charge；　of　course；　to　which　all　of　our　statesmen；　from　Washington　down；　have　been　exposed。　Its　final　refutation　comes　from　examining　the　entire　public　career　and　the　character　of　the　person　accused。　To　any　one　who　knew　what　Roosevelt's　life　had　been；　and　who　knew　how　poignantly　he　felt　the　national　dangers　and　humiliation　of　the　past　three　years；　the　idea　that　he　was　playing　politics；　and　merely　pretending　to　be　terribly　in　earnest　as　a　patriot；　is　grotesque。　And　I　believe　that　no　greater　disappointment　ever　came　to　him　than　when　he　was　prohibited　from　going　out　to　battle　in　1917。　Mr。　Wilson　and　the　obsolescent　members　of　the　General　Staff　had　obviously　a　plausible　reason　when　they　said　that　the　European　War　was　not　an　affair　for　amateurs；　that　no　troops；　however　brave　and　willing；　could；　like　the　Rough　Riders　in　the　Spanish　War；　be　fitted　for　action　in　a　month。　Only　by　long　drill　and　by　the　coordination　of　all　branches　of　the　service；　organized　on　a　vaster　scale　than　the　world　had　ever　seen　before；　and　commanded　by　experts；　could　an　army　enter　the　field　with　any　hope　of　holding　its　own　against　the　veteran　armies　of　Europe。　We　may　accept　this　plea；　but　the　fact　remains　that　President　Wilson　refused　to　make　the　very　obvious　use　of　Roosevelt　which　he　might　have　made。　Roosevelt　was　known　throughout　the　world　as　the　incarnation　of　Americanism。　If　he　had　been　sent　to　Europe　in　April；　19　117；　when　he　first　requested；　with　only　a　corporal's　guard　to　attend　him；　he　would　have　been　a　visible　proof　to　the　masses　in　England；　in　France；　and　in　Italy；　that　the　United　States　had　actually　joined　the　Allies。　He　would　have　been　the　forerunner　of　the　armies　that　were　to。　follow；　and　his　presence　would　have　heartened　immensely　the　then　sorely　perplexed；　if　not　discouraged；　populations　which　the　Hun　seemed　sure　to　overwhelm。　But　President　Wilson　had　shown　no　desire　to　employ　any　American　on　any　task　where　he　might　get　credit　which　the　President　coveted　for　himself。　In　his　Cabinet；　his　rule　was　to　appoint　only　mediocre　or　third…class　persons；　whose　opinions　he　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　consult。　It　was　quite　unlikely；　there　fore；　that　he　would　give　Roosevelt　any　chance　to　shine　in　the　service　of　the　country；　for　Roosevelt　was　not　only　his　political　opponent；　but　his　most　formidable　critic；　who　had　laid　bare　the　weakness　of　the　Wilson　regime。　When　Cavour　was　assembling　all　the　elements　in　Italy　to　undertake　the　great　struggle　for　Italian　liberty　and　independence；　he　adroitly　secured　the　cooperation　of　Garibaldi　and　his　followers；　although　Garibaldi　had　declared　himself　the　personal　enemy　of　Cavour。　Personal　enemy　or　not；　Cavour　would　have　him　as　a　symbol；　and　Garibaldi's　concurrence　proved　of　immense　value　to　Italy。　So　would　that　of　Roosevelt　have　proved　to　the　Allies　if　he　had　been　officially　accredited　by　President　Wilson。　But　Cavour　was　a　statesman；　who　looked　far　ahead；　a　patriot　uninfluenced　by　personal　likes　and　dislikes。　Roosevelt　felt　his　own　deprivation　mightily；　but　the　shutting…out　of　General　Leonard　Wood　roused　his　angerall　injustice　roused　his　anger。　As　the　motive　for　General　Wood's　exclusion　was　not　frankly　avowed；　the　public　naturally　drew　its　own　inferences。　To　him；　more　than　to　any　other　American；　we　owed　what　little　preparation　for　war　existed　when　we　entered　the　war。　He　founded　the　Plattsburg　Camp；　he　preached　very　solemnly　our　needs　and　our　dangers；　and　he　did　these　things　at　the　very　period　when　President　Wilson　was　assuring　the　country　that　we　ought　not　to　think　of　preparing。　Doubtless；　in　1919；　Mr。　Wilson　would　be　glad　to　have　those　sayings　of　his；　and　many　othersincluding　the　〃too　proud　to　fight；〃　the　laudation　of　German　〃humanity　and　justice；〃　the　〃war…mad　Europe；〃　whose　ravings　did　not　concern　us；　the　〃peace　without　victory〃　forgotten；　but　that　cannot　be；　and　they　rise　to　accuse　him　now。　Macbeth　did　not　welcome　the　inopportune　visit　of　the　Murderers　and　of　Banquo's　Ghost　at　his　banquet。

General　Wood　had　to　be