The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-12-09
THAT FAILED.
A ROOSEVELT WAR
Ry E. j.

When the real inner history VI a"
the events that preceded and led up 10
the war with Spain is written, l as
sure you tina it will make sensational
| reading in the best meaning OF inc
word. I know enough Of the inner
history to justify me in saying this,
and l also am justified in adding thai
In that history-if it is ever written
the name of Theodore Roosevelt VIII
receive no insignificant mention"
The speaker was one who occupled
a very important official post at Wash
ington just before and during the war
with Spain, and for a yea or two after
1T was terminated.
Yes" he reiterated. "the name OF
Theodore Roosevelt will certainly re-
ceive more than passing notice; ana l
have reason for believing that MI.
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 wal with Spain.
In that event, 1 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 &C
cording to the strategy he planned.
This bit of inner history came within
my personal experience. and, so far as
l know, has never been put in print.
"One Of the most intimate friends
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 were just enough unlike IN
temperament to be entirely congenial
the one to the other. Each understood
the other perfectly. l believe that Proc
tor had a better understanding OF
Roosevelt's purposes than any other
of the latter's friends or acquaintance
possessed.
"a few days after the Maine had
been wrecked in HAVANA harbor I
chanced to meet Mr.. Proctor. He was
very much excited. He thought that
war was inevitable.
"But won't it be foolish to precipi-
tate warp l asked him. You know,
don't you, that we aven't ammunition
enough in our Atlantic coast defenses
to serve the guns more than once?
"'Yes, 1 know that he replied, and
so does Roosevelt. I'll tell you what
Roosevelt plans doing he went on
away. We're going to have war; that
can't be avoided. So Roosevelt is
planning to hay Dewey, who is now
hear Hong Kong with his fleet, go to
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 our
mercy
TT was the first time that I had
thought of the Philippines in connec-
ton with the impending war with
Spain, except remotely, and I said to
Proctor:
well, If Dewey destroys the fleet
and captures the Philippines, what are
we going to do with the archipelago?
"Oh, replied Proctor, I can't tell
you certainly, but / am strongly OF
the opinion that Roosevelt expects
that we can turn them over to Japan
after we have slashed the islands of
from Spain. You know, Formosa, which
Japan controls, isn't far away, an6
Japan would be only too happy te
add the Philippines to it's own archi-
pelago.'
Instantly it was plain to me thai
Mr.. Proctor spoke thus guardedly be-
cause he did not want to commit his
friend Roosevelt, but that he had pos
tive personal knowledge from head.
quarters that it was his youns
friends purpose to slice off the Philip.
pines from Spain and deliver then
into the keeping of Japan. I am posi-.
tive that If Roosevelt could have ha(
his way. this would have been done
with what consequences in the ia,
east no Ia can say. But h mo.
m%entous diplomacy which made Thu
action impossible is another story
and it, too, will make sensational his,
tory when it is told"
Copyright, 1909, by E. j. Edwards.