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inopportune visit of the Murderers and of Banquo's Ghost at his banquet。
General Wood had to be disciplined for allowing Colonel Roosevelt to make his impolitic speech to the Plattsburg Volunteers； he was accordingly removed from his New York headquarters to the South and then to Camp Funston in Kansas。 It was even proposed to relegate him to the Philippines。 When our troops began to go to France； he earnestly hoped to accompany them。 There were whispers that he was physically unfit for the stress of active war： but the most diligent physical examination by Army surgeons who would have overlooked no defects； showed him to be a man of astonishing health and vigor； as sound as hickory。 On the technical side； the best military experts regarded him as the best general officer in the American Army。 Nevertheless； in spite of his physical and military qualifications； President Wilson rejected him。 Why？ The unsympathetic asserted that Mr。 Wilson took care to assign no conspicuous officer to service abroad who might win laurels which would bring him forward as a Presidential possibility in 1920。 On the other hand； cynics； remembering the immemorial jealousy between the Regulars and Volunteers in both the Army and Navy； declared that an outsider like General Wood； who had not come into the Army through West Point； could expect no fairer treatment from the Staff which his achievements and irregular promotion had incensed。 History may be trusted to judge equitably on whom to place the blame。 But as Americans recede from the event； their amazement will increase that any personal pique or class jealousy should have deprived the United States from using the soldier best equipped for war at the point where war was raging。*
* In June； 1915； Colonel Paul Azan； who came to this country to command the French officers who taught American Volunteers at Harvard； and subsequently was commissioned by the French Government to oversee the work of all the French officers in the United States； told me that the Camp and Division commanded by General Wood were easily the best in the country and that General Wood was the only General we had who in knowledge and efficiency came up to the highest French standard。 Colonel Azan added that he was suggesting to the French War Department to invite the United States Government to send General Wood to France； but this request； if ever made； was not followed。
While Roosevelt could not denounce the Administration for debarring himself from military service abroad； he could； and did； attack it for its treatment of General Wood； treatment which both did injustice to a brave and very competent soldier and deprived our Army in its need of a precious source of strength。 Perhaps he drew some grim amusement from the banal utterances of the Honorable Newton D。 Baker； Secretary of War； whom he frequently referred to with appropriate comment。 Two months after we entered the war； Mr。 Baker issued an official bulletin in which he admitted the 〃difficulty； disorder； and confusion in getting things started； but；〃 he said； 〃it is a happy confusion。 I delight in the fact that when we entered this war we were not； like our adversary； ready for it； anxious for it； prepared for it； and inviting it。 Accustomed to peace； we were not ready。〃* Could any one； except a very young child at a soap…bubble party in the nursery； have spoken thus？ But Mr。 Baker was not a very young child； he was a Pacifist； he did not write from a nursery； but from the War Department of the United States。 In the following October he announced with undisguised self…satisfaction： 〃We are well on the way to the battle…field。〃 This was too much for Roosevelt； who wrote： 〃For comparison with this kind of military activity we must go back to the days of Tiglath Pileser； Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh。 The United States should adopt the standard of speed in war which belongs to the twentieth century A。D。； we should not be content with； and still less boast about； standards which were obsolete in the seventeenth century B。C。〃
*Official War Bulletin； June 7； 1917。
Roosevelt had now made a contract with the Metropolitan Magazine to furnish to it a monthly article on any topic he chose； and he was also writing for the Kansas City Stay frequent； and often daily； editorial articles。 Through these he gave vent to his passionate patriotism and the reader who wishes to measure both the variety and the vigor of his polemics at this time should look through the files of those journals。 But this work by no means limited his activity。 As occasion stirred him； he dispatched his communications to other journals。 He wrote letters； which were really elaborated arguments； to chance correspondents； and he made frequent addresses。 The necessity of hurrying on the preparation of our army and of backing up our troops with undivided enthusiasm were his main theme。 But he delivered himself on other subjects almost equally important。 He paid his respects to the 〃Conscientious Objector；〃 and he insisted at all times that 〃Murder is not debatable。〃 〃Murder is murder；〃 he wrote Professor Felix Frankfurter； 〃and it is rather more evil when committed in the name of a professed social movement。〃 * Mr。 Frankfurter was then acting； by appointment of President Wilson； as counsel to a Mediation Commission； which was dealing with recent crimes of the Industrial Workers of the World。 Anarchists； when arrested； had a suspicious way of professing that they espoused anarchism only as a 〃philosophical〃 theory。 Roosevelt branded several of the palliators of these〃the Hearsts and La Follettes and Bergers and Hillquits；〃 and othersas reactionaries； as the 〃Bolsheviki of America；〃 who really abetted the violent criminals by pleading for leniency for them on the ground that after all they were only 〃philosophical〃 theorists。 Roosevelt was not fooled by any such plea。 〃When you；〃 he told Mr。 Frankfurter； 〃as representing President Wilson； find yourself obliged to champion men of this stamp ＇the 〃philosophical〃 criminals＇； you ought by unequivocal affirmative action to make it evident that you are sternly against their general and habitual line of conduct。〃
* December 19； 1917。 Letter printed in full in the Boston Herald； June 6； 1919。
So Roosevelt pursued； without resting； his campaign to stimulate the patriotic zeal of his country men and to rebuke the delays and blunders of the Administration。 If any one had said that he was making rhetoric a substitute for warfarethe accusation with which he charged President Wilsonhe would have replied that Wilson condemned him to use the pen instead of the sword。 Forbidden to go himself； he felt supreme satisfaction in the going of all his four sons； and of his son…in…law； Dr。 Richard Derby。 They did honor to the Roosevelt name。 Theodore； Jr。； became a Lieutenant…Colonel； Kermit and Archibald became Captains； and Quentin； the youngest； a Lieutenant of Aviation； was killed in an air battle。
Roosevelt was prevented from fighting in France； indeed； but he was gratified to learn from good authority that his efforts in the spring of 1917 to secure a commission and lead troops over seas were the immediate cause of the sending of any American troops。 President Wilson； it was reported had no intention； when we went to war； of risking American lives over there； and the leisurely plans which he made for creating and training an army seemed to confirm this report。 But Roosevelt's insistence and the great mass of volunteers who begged to be allowed to join his divisions； if they were organized； awakened the President to the fact that the American people expected our country to give valid military support to the Allies； at death…grapple with the Hun。 The visit in May； 1917； of a French Mission with Marshal Joffre at its head； and of an English Mission under Mr。 Arthur Balfour； and their plain revelation of the dire distress of the French and British armies； forced Mr。 Wilson to promise immediate help； for Joffre and Balfour made him under stand that unless help came soon； it would come too late。 So President Wilson； who hoped to go down in history as the Peacemaker of the World War； and as the organizer of an American Army； which； without shedding a drop of blood； had brought peace about； was compelled to send the only too willing American soldiers； by the hundred thousand and the million； to join the Allied veterans in France。
Persons who do not penetrate beneath the flickering surfaces of life； regard these last years of Roosevelt's as an anticlimax which he passed in eclipse； as if they were the eight lean and overshadowed years； following the splendid decade in which as Governor and President he had the world's admiration and consent。 But this view wholly misconceives him。 It takes a man who had proved himself to be the greatest moral force in the public life of the world； and drops him when he steps down from the seat of power。 Now； of course； Theodore Roosevelt did not require to walk on a high platform or to sit in the equivalent of a throne in order to be Roosevelt； and if we would read the true meaning of his life we must understand； that the years which followed 1910 were the culmination and crown of all that went before。 He was a fighter from the days when； as a li