Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-12-02
A ROOSEVELT WAR
PLAN THAT FAILED
eY e. .. EDWARDS.

Mnen IlS real inner history Oh an
the events that preceded and led up to
tie war with Spain is written, l as
sure YOU that it will make sensational
reading In the best meaning of the
word. l know enough of the inner
history to justify me in saying this,
and also am justified in adding that
in that history-if it is ever written
the name of Theodore Roosevelt will
receive no insignificant mention"
The speaker was one who occupied
a very important official post at Wash
ington just before and during the war
With Spain, and for a year or two after
it was terminated.
Yes" he reiterated, "the name of
Theodore Roosevelt Will certainly re-
ceive more than passing notice; and
have reason for believing that Mr..
Roosevelt has kept complete documen-
tary data and that he himself may
be the man who will sometime give US
our real history of the war with Spain.
In that event, daresay, he will tell.
among other things, what he, as as
sistant secretary Of the navy, purposed
doing with the Philippine islands after
we had wrested them from Spain ac-
cording to the strategy he planned.
This bit OF inner history came within
my personal experience. and, so far as
know, has never been put in print
whom Colonel Roosevelt ever had was
the late John r. Proctor, president Of
the United States civil service COM
mission, and under whom Mr.. Roose-
Welt served as a commissioner. The
two men We're just enough unlike in
temperament to be entirely congenial
the one to the other. Each understood
the other perfectly. believe that Proc
tor had a better understanding of
Roosevelt's purposes than any other
of the latters friends or acquaintances
possessed.
"A few days after the Maine had
been wrecked in Havana harbor |
CHANGED to meet Mr. Proctor. He was
very much excited. He thought that
war was inevitable.
But won't 1t be foolish to precipi-
tate war? i asked him. You know,
don't you, that we haven't ammunition
enough in our Atlantic coast defenscs
to serve the guns more than once
eyes, / know that he replied, and
Roosevelt plans doing he went on
hastily, and he's going to do it right
away. We're going to have war; that
can't be avoided. So Roosevelt is
planning to have Dewey, who is now
near Hong Kong with his fleet, go tc
| Manila and destroy the Spanish fleet
| there. Roosevelt says that Dewey can
within two hours. Then, when he has
done that the Philippines are at oul
mercy
ut was the first time that / had
thought Of the Philippines in connec-
ton with the impending war with
Spain, except remotely, and l said to
Proctor:
! "'Well, If Dewey destroys the fleet
and captures the Philippines, what arc
| we going to do with the archipelago?
you certainly, but ] am strongly OF
i that we can turn them over to japan
I from Spain. You know Formosa, which
Japan would be only too happy to
pelago'
INSTANTLY it was plain to me tina,
Mr.. Proctor spoke thus guardedly be-
friend Roosevelt but that he had pos
tive personal knowledge from head
quarters that 1t was his young
friends purpose to slice off the Philip.
! pines from Spain and deliver then
into the keeping of japan. am posi-
tive that If Roosevelt could have haf
his way, this would have been done
with what consequences in the fal
mentous diplomacy which made thi.
and 1t, too, will make sensational his.
tory when 1t is told"
Copyright, 1909, by e. j. Edwards,