The Washington herald., 1913-09-21


comic manic which swept in waves yer
our seacoast, first when il became eN"'
dent that war was about to be declared,
and then when it was declared. The
public walked up to the sufficiently OBJ
vious fac: that the government was in its
usual state-perennial unreadtness for
war.
Thereupon the people Of the seaboard
district passed at one bound from un-
reasoning confidence that war never
could come TO unreasOning fear as to
what might happen now that 1t had
come. That acute philosopher. Mr..
pooley. proclaimed that in the Spanish
War We were in a dream, but that the
S7aniards were in a trance. This Just
about summed up the facts.
Our Deople had for decades scOffed at
the thought Of making ready for possible
war Now when it was too late. they
not only backed every measure, wise and
unwise. that offered a chance Of supply
ing need that ought to have been met
before but they also fell into a condition
OF panic apprehension as 10 what the
zoe might do.
For years we had been saying. just as
any number of our people now say. that
no nation would venture TO attack us.
Then when We did go To war with an
exceedingly feeble nation, we. for the
time beimg rushed 10 the other extreme
ur feeling and attributed to this feeble
nation plans Of offensive warfare which
II uc,,.r dreamed Of making. and which,
if mad" it would have been wholly un-
able to execute. Some of my readers
douhtl-ss remember the sinister inten-
tons and unlimited potentialities for
destruction with which the fertile imagi-
nation of the yellow press endowed the
armored cruiser Niscaya when she ap-
psarpd in American waters Just before
war wa declared. The state of nervous
ness along much Of the seaCoast was
funny in view OF the lack of foundation
for it, but it offered food for serious
thought as TO what would happen if We
ever became engaged with serious foe.
The Governor OF one State actually an
nounCed that he would not permit the
national guard Of that State to leave its
borders. the idea being TO retain il
against a possible Spanish invasion. So
many o. the business men OF the city of
Boston took their securities inland to
Worcester that the ssafe deposit COM
panies of Worcester proved unable to take
care OF them. In my own nelghbOrhoOd
on Long Island clauses We're gravely put
into leases to the effect that if the prop
erty were destroyed ~ the Spaniards the
lease should lapse
CIRnor for Protection.
AS Assistant Secretary Of the Navy
had every conceivable impossible request
made to me. Members OF Congress who
had actively opposed building any navy
came ClamOruusly around TO ask EACH for
ship for some special purpose Of pro-
lection connected with his district. 1t
seems incredible. but il is true that not
only these Congressman but the cham
hers of commerce and boards Of trade
Of different coast cities all lost their
heads for the time being. and raised
a deafening Clamor and brought every
species OF pressure TO bear on the admin
istration to get ii to adopt the one most
fatal course-that is, to distribute the
navy. ship by ship. at all kinds Of points
and in all kinds of ports with the idea o.
protecting everything everywhere, and
thereby rendering it absolutely certain
that even the Spanish fleet. poor though
il was. would be able to pick up our own
navy ship by ship in detail. One Con-
gresham Eesought me for ship to prSC
tect Jekyll Island. off the coast OF GeOr-
gia. an island which derived its sole con-
sequence because it contained the winter
homes of certain millionaires. lady
whose husband occupied Il very infuen-
tiaI position. and who was normally
most admirable and sensible woman.
came To insist that a ship be anchored
on hug, seaside hotel because she had
A house in the neighborhood.
SnooIh-BOre Defense.
There were many such instances. One
stooE out above the others certain
Ses,board State contained in its Congress
81, lfRI delegation one OF the most infiuen-
tiaI men in the Senate, and one of the
most influential men in the lower House
These two men had been worse than
Iukewarm about building up the navy,
and had scoffed at the idea of there ever
being any danger from any foreign
power With the advent of war the feel
ings OF their constituents, and therefore
their own feelings. suffered an immediate
change. and they demanded that ship
be anchored in the harbor of their city
As = nrotection. Getting no comfort from
me- they went higher up and became
a kind of permanent committee in attend
ance uDon the President. They were
very influential men in the Houses, with
whom il was important for the admins
tration to keep on good terms; and
moreover they possessed pertinacity as
great as the widow who won her case
from, the unjust Judge. Finally the Presi-
a
ship WAS sent to the city in question
I was bound that, as long as ship had
to be sent it should not be ship worth
ANYTHING Accordingly, a civil war mon
itor with one smooth-bore gun, manned
bv a crew Of about twenty-one naval
militia was sent to the city in question
under convoy of a tug. 1t was hazard
ous trip for the unfortunate naval mill
tIamen, but ii was safely Accomplishment
and JOY and peace descended upon the
senator and the Congressman, and upon
tie President whom they had jointly har-
assed. Incidentally, the ract that the
protecting war vessel would not nave
heen A formidable foe to any antagonists
Of much more modern construction than
the gaIleys of Alcibiades seemed to dis
turb nobody.
The Call to Arms.
This was one side of the picture. The
,tber side was that the crisis at once
brought to the front any amount OF
latent fighting strength. There were
Dlentv of Representatives who showed
,ool-headed wisdom and resolution. The
plain people, the men and women BACK
of the persons who lost their heals, set
seriously to work to see that We did
whatever was necessary. and made the
lob a thorough one. The young 1nen
swarmed to enlist.
In time OF peace it had been difficult
10 fH the scanty regular army and navy.
and there were innumerable desertions;