“For our own sakes, and in particular for the sake of any naval officer who in the future may be called upon to do such a piece of work as Dewey did, let us keep in mind the further fact that he could not have accomplished his feat if he had not had first-class vessels and excellently trained men; if his warships had not been so good and his captains and crews such thorough masters of their art. “A man of less daring courage than Dewey would never have done what he did; but the courage itself was not enough. The Spaniards, too, had courage. What they lacked was energy, training, forethought. They fought their vessels until they burned or sank; but their gunnery was so poor that they did not kill a man in the American fleet. Even Dewey’s splendid capacity would not have enabled him to win the battle of Manila Bay had it not been for the traditional energy and seamanship of our naval service, so well illustrated in his captains, and the excellent gun practice of the crews, the result of years of steady training.” Roosevelt never lost his interest in the navy. Admiral Chadwick wrote a book on the early period of the American navy. As soon as the book was published Senator Lodge hurried to the White House, hoping to surprise Mr. Roosevelt with the news of the publication. “I see,” he remarked, “that Admiral Chadwick has written a book on the American navy.” “Yes,” broke in Roosevelt, “I have read it. It’s bully. I didn’t think Chadwick was equal to it.” Roosevelt felt that his work for the navy was done at the outbreak of the war. “I have nothing more to do,” he said. “I must go to war myself.” He was urged to keep his position. The women of the Cabinet reminded him that he had six children. “I have done what I could to bring about the war,” he said; “now I have no right to ask others to fight it out while I stay home.” He resigned to go to the front. VIII Roosevelt’s Rough Riders When America went to war with Germany she was in her typical state of unpreparedness. In spite of her handicaps, the world admits that she did her tremendous job efficiently. The same state of confusion and unpreparedness existed when America went to war with Spain. The thing that saved the day in both cases was the latent fighting strength of the nation. At the beginning of the Spanish war, just as at the beginning of the war with Germany, the young men thronged the enlistment centers. Regiments and ships were besieged with applicants. Men who had deserted in peace times returned, begging for a chance to fight. ROOSEVELT AND WOOD