The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-12-01

WENT OVER HEAD OF i,
SECRETARY LONG
Made Dewey's Victory at Manila Bay
Possible Gave That Officer Or
ders In February Preceding the Bat
tle-Predicted Russian Revolution.


tle-Predicted Russian Revolution.
NEW YORK, Dee. Theodore
Roosevelt was the ''gadhy" who, in 1898,
stung Washington bureaucracy and paci-
| heation into preparation. for the war with
Spain, says Joseph Bucklin Bishop, the
| coloneFs biographer, in fresh revelations
of the former Presidents public service,
which will appear in the Forthcoming is.
| sue OF Scribners Magazine
| The article, the third of the series, was
compiled from public records, and some OF
the 10000 letters written by Colonel
Roosevelt during the course or his active
HE. 1t deals entirely with his part in
the Spanlsh-American war, period of
about one year but period rich in ma
terial of historical value" says Mr.. Bish-
OPP In it the biographer of the former
President tells of Rooseyelt.s work as as
sistant secretary of the navy, declaring
that although the war was only y months
away when he entered Office, until he be-
gan IAN energetic and systematic agita-
ton for preparation not step had been
taken to get the army and navy ready for
it"
Action taken by Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt, he says, ''in the face of the
persistent opposition of Secretary Long,
his superior officer, and over that officer S
head while he was absent from office,
made il possible for Dewey to fight and
win the battle of Manila Roosevelt S
gift Of foresight is again touched upon, the
letters showing that nearly % years be
fore the revolution in Russia he predicted
that unless her rulers changed their con
duct they would sometime experience a
red terror that will make the French Rev
! olution pale. At the same time, in 1897
he predicted: Germany is the power
with which We may very possibly have
| ultimately to come into hostile contact
Il When the battleship Maine was blown
up on Feb. Is, 1899 in the harbor of Hav
ana, Roosevelt, who had previously de-
nounced the Spanish regime IN Cuba, EN-.
phatically declared himself in favor OF
war with Spain. Writing to Elhu Roo,
on April 5, 1898, he said: ''You would
ha amazed and Mortified at the peace-at
any-price kilograms OF the most ablect
description which come in multitude.
from New York, Boston, and elsewher,
to the President and senator's Two day
later, after saying that Mckinley had tax
| en- "a position from which he cannot bacl
/ down." Roosevelt wrote: I'VE have on
/ plans in the navy and beyond that Their
II Is absolutely nothing The Presiden
Il doesn't know what message be will sen,
Il in or what he will do Il ne have war
II What Mr.. Bishop regards as "the mos
Il interesting aud Illuminating letter in tn
II collection is enc written to Roosevelt b
Il Senator Lodge on September 81, 1885, al
II ter the peace protocol had been signe
H with Spain, In it he tells OF preparin
II articles on the war and Of seeking fror
II Secretary Long the facts regarding Roost
II velts order to Dewey on the previor
II February 25 when he cabed the admire
II at Hong Kong:
II Order the squadron except the Mono,
aey to Hong Kong Keep full of Goa
II In the event of declaration of war Spai,
II your duty will be to see that the SPANS
II squadron does not leave the Asiatie coas
IL and then offensive operations i'll Phil
II pines. Keep Olympia until further order
II Roosevelt"
II In letter to DIR. W Sturgis Bigelo1
II of Boston, an old friend, on March >
II 1898 shortly before he resigned his po
II in Washington to organize the Roua
|! Riders, Roosevelt wrote ~ mans us
II fulness depends upon his living up TO j
ii ideals as far as he can / like life vel
II much. have always led joyous life
II like thought and | like action and it vi
III be very bitter for me to leave my wi
II and children: and while | think | cou
II face death with dignity. have no desi
Il before my time has come to go out in
II everlasting darkness So T shall not
II into a war with any such exhilarati,
II OF spirits or III e frame OF mind IN al
II way approaching recklessness or levity.
II Il have constantly preached what u
II opponents are pleased to call lingo do
trines' for a good many years One of Il
| commonest taunts directed at men iii
II myself is that we are armchair and pa
H lor Jingoes who wish to see others
II what we only advocate doing I care We
II little for such taunt except as it {
II fects my usefulness but cannot affo
II to disregard the fact that my power I
II good, whatever it may be, would be gol
II il didn't try to live IN to the doctrin
Hi have tried TO preach. Moreover
II seems to me that it would be a good de
II more important from the standpoint
II the nation as a whole that men like IN
II self should 90 to war than that we shou
II STAY comfortably in Offices at home and
n others carry on the war that we ha
l