He pointed out the folly of the pacifist type of public men, like Mr.
Bryan and Mr. Ford. The latter, helpless as a butterfly in those iron
years, led his quarreling group of pilgrims to Europe, on his "Peace
Ship," and then left them to their incessant fights with each other.
The American public was quick to see the contrast, when war came,
and Roosevelt's four sons and son-in-law all volunteered, while Mr.
Ford's son took advantage of some law and avoided military duty, in
order to add more millions to his already enormous heap. The lesson
of Roosevelt's teaching and example was not lost, and the people
recognized that the country would endure while it had men like the
Roosevelts, but that it would go down in infamy if the other sort
became numerous.
In the election of 1916 Mr. Roosevelt, after refusing the Progressive
nomination, supported Mr. Hughes, the Republican, against President
Wilson. He tried hard to get Mr. Hughes to come out with some utterance
which would put him plainly on record against the Germans and
Pro-Germans who were filling America with their poisonous schemes. For
we continued to entertain German diplomats and agents (paymasters, as
they were, of murderers and plotters of arson) and to run on Germany's
errands in various countries. The cry "He kept us out of war" was
effectively used to reelect Mr. Wilson, although members of the
Government must have been thoroughly well aware that war was coming and
coming soon.
It had long been Mr. Roosevelt's hope that if war came he might be
allowed to raise a division, as he had once helped to raise a regiment,
and take them, after suitable training, to the front. He knew where he
could put his hands on the men, regular army officers, ex-volunteers
and Rough Riders of the Spanish War, and other men of experience, who
in turn could find other men, who could be made into soldiers, for they
knew the important parts of a soldier's work, and could be trained
quickly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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