The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-10-21
ROOSEVELT VAS
TOO IHPE ETUOUS.
Wanted to attack Spain Before
War Was Declared.
EI-sEeREThRY LONGS CHARGE.
An Article by the Former Chief
OF Mr. Roosevelt, Which Has
Caused Considerable of
Sensation.

Washington, Oct. 15.-Ex-Secretary ~
! of the Navy John D. Long has contrib
uted an article to a New York maya
zine on the conduct of Theodore Roose-
velt while he was Assistant Secretary
Of the Navy, and especially during the
period Of the Spanish war.
The article is largely lauditory OF
Mr.. Rcoseyelt's strenuosity, but there
one statement which has caused
something Of a sensation both in and
ont of administration circles.
Mr.. Long declares that his assistant
was anxious to send feet across
she Atlantic ocean to sink the Spanish
ships, while 1--WE were yet at peace
with Spain. -
member of the cabinet, whose at
5en5ion was called to the statement.
said he did not believe Mr.. Roosevelt
ever had made such proposition, or
that Mr.. Long intended to make such
strong and startling assertion. Al
though he knew nothing of any sug-
sessions MIR. Roosevelt might have
made as Assistant Secretary, he said
the proposition might have been :" to
send feet to foreign waters near
Spain, so as to be ready to strike a
decisive blow at the enemy the instant
hostilties were declared. -
Naval officers who have carefully
read Mr.. Longs article believe the
President will resent it. Is is recalled
that in Personal "reminiscences, -
published in the same magazine, Mr..
Long bore with great stress upon the
extreme conservative demeanor IN the
cabinet room of President Mckinley.
The tone Of the article. it is pointed
ont, was such as to intimate con-
trast between Presidents Mckinley and
Roosevelt.
There IS possible political phase
involved in the publication Of Mr..
Longs comments at this time, and
friends Of the Roosevelt administra-
sion Wae have not forgotten the ric.
E5on just previous to the war with
Spain are asking if the ex-Secretary,
who still has large following in Mas
aachnsetts politics. intends to keep up
ms criticisms Of the President.
The cabinet minister to whom Mr..
Longs article was shown said he did
not believe it had come to Prsident
Rooseyelt's eye as yet. At least, the,
President had made no mention Of it.
The article by Secretary Long ap-
Dears in the current number Of The
e0ptaook. The references TO Mr.. Roose-
.Vels are as follows:
Mr.. Roosevelt was an interesting
personality as Assistant Secretary of
.aha Navy, as, indeed, he. is in any
scaDacity. There were several candi-
estes for the place, which President
Mckinley allowed me to fill. In May,
1897, on TIE retirement OF M. Nc
Adoo. an excellent Official under the
previous administration. who had
consented TO hold over till that time,
I selected Mr. Roosevelt, who had had,
and indeed has had, and indeed has
to this day, hearty interest in the
navy.
His activity was characteristic. He
was jealous in tne work of putting
the navy in coudition for the appre
hended struggle. His ardor sometimes
went faster than the President or the
department approved.
Just before the war he, as well as
some naval officers, was anxious to
send squadron across the ocean to
sink the ships and torpedo boat de-
stroyers Of tie Spanish feet while we
were yet at peace with Spain. He
worked indefatigably, frequently in
cooperating his views in memoranda,
which he would place every morning
or my desk. Most Of his suggestions
had, however, so far as applicable,
been already adopted by the various
bureaus, tue chiefs of which were
staining every nerve and leaving moth
ing not done. When I suggested to
him that some future historian, read,
ing the memoranda, if they were put
on record, would get the impression
that the bureaus vere Inefficient, be
acceped the suggestion with the gener-
GUS good nature, which is SO marked
in him. Indeed, nothing could be
pleasanter than our relations.
\ He was heart and soul in his work.
His typewriters had no rest. He, too,
lacks the rare knack Of breTity.
He was especially stimulating to the
Younger officers who gathered about
him and made his office as busy as
hive. He was especially helpful in
the purchasing Of ships and in every
lire where he could push On the work
of preparation for war. Almost as
soon, however, as it was declared, he
resigned the Assistant Secretaryship of
the Navy to accept the lieutenant col
onelcy of the Rough Rider regiment in
the army. Together witt many
friends, urged him strenuously to re-
main in the navy, arguing that he
would there make signal reputation
and that to go into the army would
be only to fight mosquitoes On the
Florida sands or fret in camps at
Chickamauga. How right he was in
bis prognosis and how wrong we were
in ours the result has shown. He
took the straight course to fame, to
the Governorship of New York and to
the Presidency of the United States.
His room in the Navy Department,
after his decision to enter the army,
which preceded for some time his
RESIGNATION as Assistant Secretary,
was an interesting scene. It bubhled
over with enthusiasm and was tlled
with bright young fellows from all
over the country, colleges graduates
and old associates from the Western