the path of empire-第16部分

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but　they　hardly　made　an　empire。

It　is　not；　therefore；　a　daring　conjecture　that　the　Kaiser　was　as　carefully　watching　the　decrepit　empire　of　Spain　as　he　was　the　traditional　sick　man　of　Europe；　the　empire　of　Turkey。　In　1898　revolutions　were　sapping　both　the　extremities　of　the　Spanish　dominions。　The　Kaiser；　while　he　doubtless　realized　that　Cuba　would　not　fall　to　him；　in　all　probability　expected　that　he　would　be　able　to　get　the　Philippines。　Certain　it　is　that　at　the　close　of　the　Spanish　American　War　he　bought　all　the　remaining　Spanish　possessions　in　the　Pacific。　If　such　had　been　his　expectations　with　regard　to　the　Philippines；　the　news　of　Dewey's　victory　must　have　brought　him　a　bitter　disappointment；　while　at　the　same　time　the　careless　and　indiscreet　remark　of　an　American　official　to　certain　Germans〃We　don't　want　the　Philippines；　why　don't　you　take　them？〃may　well　have　given　him　a　feeling　that　perhaps　the　question　was　still　open。

Under　such　circumstances；　with　Europe　none　too　well…disposed　and　the　Kaiser　watching　events　with　a　jealous　eye；　it　was　very　important　to　the　United　States　not　to　be　without　a　friend。　In　England　sympathy　for　America　ran　strong　and　deep。　The　British　Government　was　somewhat　in　alarm　over　the　political　solitude　in　which　Great　Britain　found　herself；　even　though　its　head；　Lord　Salisbury；　described　the　position　as　one　of　〃splendid　isolation。〃　The　unexpected　reaction　of　friendliness　on　the　part　of　Great　Britain　which　had　followed　the　Venezuela　affair　continued　to　augment；　and　relations　between　the　two　countries　were　kept　smooth　by　the　new　American　Ambassador；　John　Hay；　whom　Queen　Victoria　described　as　〃the　most　interesting　of　all　the　ambassadors　I　have　known。〃　More　important　still；　in　Great　Britain　alone　was　there　a　public　who　appreciated　the　real　sentiment　of　humanity　underlying　the　entrance　of　the　United　States　into　the　war　with　Spain；　and　this　public　actually　had　some　weight　in　politics。　The　people　of　both　Great　Britain　and　the　United　States　were　easily　moved　to　respond　with　money　and　personal　service　to　the　cry　of　suffering　anywhere　in　the　world。　Just　before　the　Spanish　American　War；　Gladstone　had　made　his　last　great　campaign　protesting　against　the　new　massacres　in　Armenia；　and　in　the　United　States　the　Republican　platform　of　1896　had　declared　that　〃the　massacres　in　Armenia　have　aroused　the　deep　sympathy　and　just　indignation　of　the　American　people；　and　we　believe　that　the　United　States　should　exercise　all　the　influence　it　can　properly　exert　to　bring　these　atrocities　to　an　end。〃

John　Hay　wrote　to　Henry　Cabot　Lodge；　of　the　Senate　Committee　on　Foreign　Affairs；　April　5；　1898；　as　follows：　〃For　the　first　time　in　my　life　I　find　the　drawing…room　sentiment　altogether　with　us。　If　we　wanted　itwhich；　of　course；　we　do　notwe　could　have　the　practical　assistance　of　the　British　Navyon　the　do　ut　des　principle；　naturally。〃　On　the　25th　of　May　he　added：　〃It　is　a　moment　of　immense　importance；　not　only　for　the　present；　but　for　all　the　future。　It　is　hardly　too　much　to　say　the　interests　of　civilization　are　bound　up　in　the　direction　the　relations　of　England　and　America　are　to　take　in　the　next　few　months。〃　Already　on　the　15th　of　May；　Joseph　Chamberlain；　the　Colonial　Secretary；　had　said　to　the　Birmingham　Liberal　Unionists：　〃What　is　our　next　duty？　It　is　to　establish　and　to　maintain　bonds　of　permanent　amity　with　our　kinsmen　across　the　Atlantic。　There　is　a　powerful　and　a　generous　nation。。。。　Their　laws；　their　literature；　their　standpoint　upon　every　question　are　the　same　as　ours。〃

In　Manila　Harbor；　where　Dewey　lay　with　his　squadron；　these　distant　forces　of　European　colonial　policy　were　at　work。　The　presence　of　representative　foreign　warships　to　observe　the　maintenance　of　the　blockade　was　a　natural　and　usual　naval　circumstance。　The　arrival　of　two　German　vessels　therefore　caused　no　remark；　although　they　failed　to　pay　the　usual　respects　to　the　blockading　squadron。　On　the　12th　of　May　a　third　arrived　and　created　some　technical　inconvenience　by　being　commanded　by　an　officer　who　outranked　Commodore　Dewey。　A　German　transport　which　was　in　the　harbor　made　the　total　number　of　German　personnel　superior　to　that　of　the　Americans；　and　the　arrival　of　the　Kaiser　on　the　12th　of　June　gave　the　Germans　distinct　naval　preponderance。

The　presence　of　so　powerful　a　squadron　in　itself　closely　approached　an　international　discourtesy。　Disregarding　the　laws　of　blockade；　as　Dewey；　trained　in　the　Civil　War　blockade　of　the　South；　interpreted　them；　the　German　officers　were　actively　familiar　both　with　the　Spanish　officials　of　Manila　and　with　the　insurgents。　Finally　they　ensconced　themselves　in　the　quarantine　station　at　the　entrance　of　the　Bay；　and　Admiral　Diedrichs　took　up　land　quarters。　Further；　they　interfered　between　the　insurgents　and　the　Spaniards　outside　of　Manila　Bay。　In　the　controversy　between　Diedrichs　and　Dewey　which　grew　out　of　these　difficulties；　Captain　Chichester；　commanding　the　British　squadron；　supported　Dewey's　course　unqualifiedly　and；　moreover；　let　it　be　clearly　known　that；　in　the　event　of　hostilities；　the　British　vessels　would　take　their　stand　with　the　Americans。



CHAPTER　IX。　The　Blockade　Of　Cuba

While　the　first　victory　of　the　war　was　in　the　Far　East　and　the　possibility　of　events　of　world…wide　significance　hung　upon　the　level…headedness　of　Commodore　Dewey　at　Manila；　it　was　realized　that　the　war　must　really　be　fought　in　the　West。　Both　President　McKinley　and　the　Queen　Regent　of　Spain　had　issued　proclamations　stating　that　they　would　adhere　to　the　rules　of　the　Declaration　of　Paris　and　not　resort　to　the　use　of　privateers。　The　naval　contest；　therefore；　was　confined　to　the　regular　navies。　Actually　the　American　fleet　was　superior　in　battleships；　monitors；　and　protected　cruisers；　the　Spanish　was　the　better　equipped　in　armored　cruisers；　gunboats；　and　destroyers。

Both　Spain　and　the　United　States　hastily　purchased；　in　the　last　days　of　peace；　a　few　vessels；　but　not　enough　seriously　to　affect　their　relative　strength。　Both　also　drew　upon　their　own　merchant　marines。　Spain　added　18　medium…sized　vessels　to　her　navy；　the　United　States　added　in　all　123；　most　of　which　were　small　and　used　for　scouting　purposes。　The　largest　and　most　efficient　of　these　additional　American　ships　were　the　subsidized　St。　Paul；　St。　Louis；　New　York；　and　Paris　of　the　American　line；　of　which　the　last　two；　renamed　the　Harvard　and　Yale；　proved　to　be　of　great　service。　It　was　characteristic　of　American　conditions　that　28　were　private　yachts；　of　which　the　Mayflower　was　the　most　notable。　To　man　these　new　ships；　the　personnel　of　the　American　Navy　was　increased　from　13；750　to　24；123；　of　whom　a　large　number　were　men　who　had　received　some　training　in　the　naval　reserves　of　the　various　States。

The　first　duty　of　the　navy　was　to　protect　the　American　coast。　In　1885　the　War　Department　had　planned　and　Congress　had　sanctioned　a　system　of　coast　defense。　Up　to　1898；　however；　only　one　quarter　of　the　sum　considered　necessary　had　been　appropriated。　Mines　and　torpedoes　were　laid　at　the　entrances　to　American　harbors　as　soon　as　war　broke　out；　but　there　was　a　lack　of　highpower　guns。　Rumors　of　a　projected　raid　by　the　fast　Spanish　armored　cruisers　kept　the　coast　cities　in　a　state　of　high　excitement；　and　many　sought；　by　petition　and　political　pressure；　to　compel　the　Navy　Department　to　detach　vessels　for　their　defense。　The　Naval　War　Board；　however；　had　to　remember　that　it　must　protect　not　only　the　coast　but　commerce　also；　and　that　the　United　States　was　at　war　not　to　defend　herself　but　to　attack。　Cuba　was　the　objective；　and　Cuba　must　be　cut　off　from　Spain　by　blockade；　and　the　seas　must　be　made　safe　for　the　passage　of　the　American　Army。　If　the　navy　were　to　accomplish　all　these　purposes；　it　must　destroy　the　Spanish　Navy。　To　achieve　this　end；　it　would　have　to　work　upon　the　principle　of　concentration　and　not　dispersion。

For　several　months　before　the　actual　declaration　of　war　with　Spain；　the　Navy　Department　had　been　effecting　this　concentration。　On　the　21st　of　April；　Captain　William　T。　Sampson　was　appointed　to　command　the　forces　on　the　North　Atlantic　station。　This　included　practically　the　whole　fleet；　except　the　Pacific　squadron　under　Dewey；　and　the　Oregon；　a　new　battleship　of　unusual　design；　which　was　on　the　Pacific　coast。　On　the　1st　of　March　she　was　ordered　from　the　Bremerton　Yard；　in　the　State　of　Washington；　to　San　Francisco；　and　thence　to　report　in　the　Atlantic。　Her　voyage　was　the　longest　emergency　run　undertaken　up　to　that　time　by　a　modern　battleship。　The　outbreak　of　the　war　with　Spain　meant　the　sealing　of　all　ports　in　which　she　might　have　been　repaired　in　case　of　emergency。　Rumors　were　rife　of　Spanish　vessels　ready　to　intercept　her；　and　the　eyes　not　only　of　the　United　States　but　of　the　world　were　upon　the　Oregon。　A　feeling　of　relief　and　rejoicing　therefore　passed　through　the　country　when　this　American　warship　arrived　at　Key　West　on　the　26th　of　May；　fit　for　immediate　and　efficient　service。

The　fleet；　though　concentrated　in　the　Atlantic　within　the　region　of　immediate　hostility；　was　divided　for　purposes　of　operation　into　a　major　division　under　the　immediate　command　of　Admiral　Sampson　and　a　flying　squadron　under　Commodore　Schley。*　The　first　undertook　the　enforcement　of　the　blockade　which　was　declared　on　the　21st　of　April　against　Cuba；　and　patrolled　the　northern　coast　from　Gardenas　to　Bahia。　Key　West　was　soon　filled　with　Spanish　prizes。　On　the　27th　of　April　a　brush　took　place　between　batteries　at　Matanzas　and　some　of　the　American　vessels；　without　loss　of　life　on　either　side；　except　for　a　mule　which　bids　fair　to　become　immortal　in　history　through　being　reported　by　the　Spanish　as　their　only　casualty　and　the　first　of　the　war。　Admiral　Sampson；　following　the　tradition　of　the　American　Navy　of　aiming　at　a　vital　spot；　wished　to　attack　Havana；　and　a　careful　study　of　its　fortifications　seems　to　show　that　he　would　have　had　a　good　chance　of　success。　Chance；　however；　might　have　caused　the　loss　of　some　of　his　vessels；　and；　with　the　small　margin　of　naval　superiority　at　its　disposal　the　Naval　War　Board　was　probably　wise　in　not　allowing　him　to　take　the　risk。

*　A　patrol　squadron　of　cruisers　under　Commodore　Howell　was　also　established　to　protect　the　coast　from　the　Delaware　capes　to　eastern　Maine。　〃It　can　scarcely　be　supposed；〃　writes　Ad