SoundnavalopinionwasoverwhelminglyinfavorofDeweytocommandonesquadron。Iwasalreadywatchinghim，forIhadbeenstruckbyanincidentinhispastcareer。ItwasatatimewhentherewasthreatoftroublewithChile。DeweywasofftheArgentine，andwastoldtogetreadytomovetotheothercoastofSouthAmerica。Ifthemovebecamenecessary，hewouldhavetohavecoal，andyetifhedidnotmakethemove，thecoalwouldnotbeneeded。InsuchacaseamanafraidofresponsibilityalwaysactsrigidlybytheregulationsandcommunicateswiththeDepartmentathometogetauthorityforeverythinghedoes；
andthereforeheusuallyaccomplishesnothingwhatever，butisabletosatisfyallindividualswithred-tapemindsbytriumphantlypointingouthiscompliancewiththeregulations。Inacrisis，themanworthhissaltisthemanwhomeetstheneedsofthesituationinwhateverwayisnecessary。Deweypurchasedthecoalandwasreadytomoveatonceifneedarose。Theaffairblewover；theneedtomovedidnotoccur；andforsometimethereseemedtobeachancethatDeweywouldgetintotroubleoverhavingpurchasedthecoal，forourpeoplearelikealmostallotherpeoplesinrequiringresponsibleofficersundersuchconditionstodecideattheirownpersonalperil，nomatterwhichcoursetheyfollow。However，thepeoplehigherupultimatelystoodbyDewey。
Theincidentmademefeelthatherewasamanwhocouldbereliedupontoprepareinadvance，andtoactpromptly，fearlessly，andonhisownresponsibilitywhentheemergencyarose。AccordinglyIdidmybesttogethimputincommandoftheAsiaticfleet，thefleetwhereitwasmostessentialtohaveamanwhowouldactwithoutreferringthingsbacktothehomeauthorities。Anofficerseniortohim，oftherespectablecommonplacetype，wasbeingpushedbycertainpoliticianswhoIknewhadinfluencewiththeNavyDepartmentandwiththePresident。IwouldhavepreferredtoseeDeweygettheappointmentwithoutappealingtoanypoliticianatall。Butwhilethiswasmypreference，theessentialthingwastogethimtheappointment。Foranavalofficertobringpressuretogethimselfasoftandeasyplaceisunpardonable；butalargeleniencyshouldbeobservedtowardthemanwhousesinfluenceonlytogethimselfaplaceinthepictureneartheflashingoftheguns。TherewasaSenator，ProctorofVermont，whoIknewwasclosetoMcKinley，andwhowasveryardentforthewar，anddesiroustohaveitfoughtinthemostefficientfashion。IsuggestedtoDeweythatheshouldenlisttheservicesofSenatorProctor，whichwasaccordinglydone。InafortunatehourfortheNation，DeweywasgivencommandoftheAsiaticsquadron。
WhentheMainewasblownupinHavanaHarbor，warbecameinevitable。A
numberofthepeace-at-any-pricemenofcoursepromptlyassumedthepositionthatshehadblownherselfup；butinvestigationshowedthattheexplosionwasfromoutside。And，inanyevent，itwouldhavebeenimpossibletopreventwar。Theenlistedmenofthenavy，whooftengrewboredtothepointofdesertioninpeace，becamekeyeduptoahighpitchofefficiency，andcrowdsoffineyoungfellows，fromtheinterioraswellasfromtheseacoast，throngedtoenlist。Thenavyofficersshowedalertabilityandunweariedindustryingettingthingsready。Therewasonedeficiency，however，whichtherewasnotimetoremedy，andoftheveryexistenceofwhich，strangetosay，mostofourbestmenwereignorant。Ournavyhadnoideahowlowourstandardofmarksmanshipwas。Wehadnotrealizedthatthemodernbattle-shiphadbecomesuchacomplicatedpieceofmechanismthattheoldmethodsoftraininginmarksmanshipwereasobsoleteastheoldmuzzle-loadingbroadsidegunsthemselves。AlmosttheonlymaninthenavywhofullyrealizedthiswasournavalattacheatParis，LieutenantSims。Hewroteletterafterletterpointingouthowfrightfullybackwardwewereinmarksmanship。Iwasmuchimpressedbyhisletters；butWainwrightwasabouttheonlyothermanwhowas。AndasSimsprovedtobemistakeninhisbeliefthattheFrenchhadtaughttheSpaniardshowtoshoot，andastheSpaniardsprovedtobemuchworseeventhanwewere，intheservicegenerallySimswastreatedasanalarmist。ButalthoughIatfirstpartlyacquiescedinthisview，IgrewuneasywhenIstudiedthesmallproportionofhitstoshotsmadebyourvesselsinbattle。WhenIwasPresidentItookupthematter，andspeedilybecameconvincedthatweneededtorevolutionizeourwholetraininginmarksmanship。Simswasgiventheleadinorganizingandintroducingthenewsystem；andtohimmorethantoanyotheronemanwasduetheastonishingprogressmadebyourfleetinthisrespect，aprogresswhichmadethefleet，gunforgun，atleastthreetimesaseffective，inpointoffightingefficiency，in1908，asitwasin1902。Theshotsthathitaretheshotsthatcount！
Likethepeople，theGovernmentwasforalongtimeunwillingtoprepareforwar，becausesomanyhonestbutmisguidedmenbelievedthatthepreparationitselftendedtobringonthewar。Ididnotintheleastsharethisfeeling，andwheneverIwasleftasActingSecretaryIdideverythinginmypowertoputusinreadiness。IknewthatintheeventofwarDeweycouldbeslippedlikeawolf-houndfromaleash；Iwassurethatifheweregivenhalfachancehewouldstrikeinstantlyandwithtellingeffect；andImadeupmymindthatallIcoulddotogivehimthathalf-chanceshouldbedone。IwasintheclosesttouchwithSenatorLodgethroughoutthisperiod，andeitherconsultedhimaboutornotifiedhimofallthemovesIwastaking。BytheendofFebruaryIfeltitwasvitaltosendDeweyaswellaseachofourothercommanderswhowerenotinhomewaters
instructionsthatwouldenablehimtobeinreadinessforimmediateaction。OntheafternoonofSaturday，February25，whenIwasActingSecretary，LodgecalledonmejustasIwaspreparingtheorder，whichasitwasaddressedtoamanoftherightstampwasofmuchimportancetothesubsequentoperations。AdmiralDeweyspeaksoftheincidentasfollows，inhisautobiography：
“Thefirstrealstep[asregardsactivenavalpreparations]wastakenonFebruary25，whentelegraphicinstructionsweresenttotheAsiatic，European，andSouthAtlanticsquadronstorendezvousatcertainconvenientpointswhere，shouldwarbreakout，theywouldbemostavailable。
“ThemessagetotheAsiaticsquadronborethesignatureofthatAssistantSecretarywhohadseizedtheopportunitywhileActingSecretarytohastenpreparationsforaconflictwhichwasinevitable。AsMr。Rooseveltreasoned，precautionsforreadinesswouldcostlittleintimeofpeace，andyetwouldbeinvaluableincaseofwar。Hiscablegramwasasfollows：
“’Washington，February25，’98。
“’/Dewey，HongKong/：
“’Orderthesquadron，excepttheMonocacy，toHongKong。Keepfullofcoal。IntheeventofdeclarationofwarSpain，yourdutywillbetoseethattheSpanishsquadrondoesnotleavetheAsiaticcoast，andthenoffensiveoperationsinPhilippineIslands。KeepOlympiauntilfurtherorders。
ROOSEVELT。’
“ThereferencetokeepingtheOlympiauntilfurtherorderswasduetothefactthatIhadbeennotifiedthatshewouldsoonberecalledtotheUnitedStates。“
AllthatwasneededwithDeweywastogivehimthechancetogetready，andthentostrike，withoutbeinghamperedbyordersfromthosenotontheground。Successinwardependsverylargelyuponchoosingamanfittoexercisesuchpowers，andthengivinghimthepowers。
Itwouldbeinstructivetoremember，ifonlywewerewillingtodoso，thefairlycomicpanicwhichsweptinwavesoverourseacoast，firstwhenitbecameevidentthatwarwasabouttobedeclared，andthenwhenitwasdeclared。ThepublicwakeduptothesufficientlyobviousfactthattheGovernmentwasinitsusualstate——perennialunreadinessforwar。Thereuponthepeopleoftheseaboarddistrictpassedatoneboundfromunreasoningconfidencethatwarnevercouldcometounreasoningfearastowhatmighthappennowthatithadcome。ThatacutephilosopherMr。DooleyproclaimedthatintheSpanishWarwewereinadream，butthattheSpaniardswereinatrance。Thisjustaboutsummedupthefacts。Ourpeoplehadfordecadesscoffedatthethoughtofmakingreadyforpossiblewar。Now，whenitwastoolate，theynotonlybackedeverymeasure，wiseandunwise，thatofferedachanceofsupplyinganeedthatoughttohavebeenmetbefore，buttheyalsofellintoaconditionofpanicapprehensionastowhatthefoemightdo。
Foryearswehadbeensaying，justasanynumberofourpeoplenowsay，thatnonationwouldventuretoattackus。Thenwhenwedidgotowarwithanexceedinglyfeeblenation，we，forthetimebeing，rushedtotheotherextremeoffeeling，andattributedtothisfeeblenationplansofoffensivewarfarewhichitneverdreamedofmaking，andwhich，ifmade，itwouldhavebeenwhollyunabletoexecute。SomeofmyreadersdoubtlessrememberthesinisterintentionsandunlimitedpotentialitiesfordestructionwithwhichthefertileimaginationoftheyellowpressendowedthearmoredcruiserViscayawhensheappearedinAmericanwatersjustbeforewarwasdeclared。Thestateofnervousnessalongmuchoftheseacoastwasfunnyinviewofthelackoffoundationforit；butitofferedfoodforseriousthoughtastowhatwouldhappenifweeverbecameengagedwithaseriousfoe。
TheGovernorofoneStateactuallyannouncedthathewouldnotpermittheNationalGuardofthatStatetoleaveitsborders，theideabeingtoretainitagainstapossibleSpanishinvasion。SomanyofthebusinessmenofthecityofBostontooktheirsecuritiesinlandtoWorcesterthatthesafedepositcompaniesofWorcesterprovedunabletotakecareofthem。InmyownneighborhoodonLongIslandclausesweregravelyputintoleasestotheeffectthatifthepropertyweredestroyedbytheSpaniardstheleaseshouldlapse。AsAssistantSecretaryoftheNavyIhadeveryconceivableimpossiblerequestmadetome。MembersofCongresswhohadactivelyopposedbuildinganynavycameclamorouslyaroundtoaskeachforashipforsomespecialpurposeofprotectionconnectedwithhisdistrict。Itseemsincredible，butitistrue，thatnotonlytheseCongressmenbuttheChambersofCommerceandBoardsofTradeofdifferentcoastcitiesalllosttheirheadsforthetimebeing，andraisedadeafeningclamorandbroughteveryspeciesofpressuretobearontheAdministrationtogetittoadopttheonemostfatalcourse——thatis，todistributethenavy，shipbyship，atallkindsofpointsandinallkindsofportswiththeideaofprotectingeverythingeverywhere，andtherebyrenderingitabsolutelycertainthateventheSpanishfleet，poorthoughitwas，wouldbeabletopickupourownnavyshipbyshipindetail。OneCongressmanbesoughtmeforashiptoprotectJekyllIsland，offthecoastofGeorgia，anislandwhichderiveditssoleconsequencebecauseitcontainedthewinterhomesofcertainmillionaires。Aladywhosehusbandoccupiedaveryinfluentialposition，andwhowasnormallyamostadmirableandsensiblewoman，cametoinsistthatashipshouldbeanchoredoffahugeseasidehotelbecauseshehadahouseintheneighborhood。
Thereweremanysuchinstances。Onestoodoutabovetheothers。A
certainseaboardStatecontainedinitsCongressionaldelegationoneofthemostinfluentialmenintheSenate，andoneofthemostinfluentialmeninthelowerhouse。Thesetwomenhadbeenworsethanlukewarmaboutbuildingupthenavy，andhadscoffedattheideaofthereeverbeinganydangerfromanyforeignpower。Withtheadventofwarthefeelingsoftheirconstituents，andthereforetheirownfeelings，sufferedanimmediatechange，andtheydemandedthatashipbeanchoredintheharboroftheircityasaprotection。Gettingnocomfortfromme，theywent“higherup。”andbecameakindofpermanentcommitteeinattendanceuponthePresident。TheywereveryinfluentialmenintheHouses，withwhomitwasimportantfortheAdministrationtokeepongoodterms；and，moreover，theypossessedapertinacityasgreatasthewidowwhowonhercasefromtheunjustjudge。FinallythePresidentgaveinandnotifiedmetoseethatashipwassenttothecityinquestion。Iwasboundthat，aslongasashiphadtobesent，itshouldnotbeashipworthanything。AccordinglyaCivilWarMonitor，withonesmooth-boregun，managedbyacrewofabouttwenty-
onenavalmilitia，wassenttothecityinquestion，underconvoyofatug。Itwasahazardoustripfortheunfortunatenavalmilitiamen，butitwassafelyaccomplished；andjoyandpeacedescendedupontheSenatorandtheCongressman，anduponthePresidentwhomtheyhadjointlyharassed。Incidentally，thefactthattheprotectingwar-