the path of empire-第17部分

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The　Spanish　Admiral　Montojo　tried；　though　ineffectually；　to　come　to　close　quarters；　for　his　guns　were　of　smaller　caliber　than　those　of　the　American　ships；　but　he　was　forced　to　keep　his　vessels　for　the　most　part　in　line　between　the　Americans　and　the　shore。　Commodore　Dewey　sailed　back　and　forth　five　times；　raking　the　Spanish　ships　and　the　shore　batteries　with　his　fire。　Having　guns　of　longer　range　than　those　of　the　Spaniards；　he　could　have　kept　out　of　their　fire　and　slowly　hammered　them　to　pieces；　but　he　preferred　a　closer　position　where　he　could　use　more　guns　and　therefore　do　quicker　work。　How　well　he　was　justified　in　taking　this　risk　is　shown　by　the　fact　that　no　man　was　killed　on　the　American　fleet　that　day　and　only　a　few　were　wounded。　After　a　few　hours'　fighting；　with　a　curious　interval　when　the　Americans　withdrew　and　breakfasted；　Dewey　completed　the　destruction　or　capture　of　the　Spanish　fleet；　and　found　himself　the　victor　with　his　own　ships　uninjured　and　in　full　fighting　trim。　By　the　3d　of　May；　the　naval　station　at　Cavite　and　the　batteries　at　the　entrance　of　Manila　Bay　were　in　the　hands　of　Commodore　Dewey；　and　the　Asiatic　squadron　had　wrested　a　safe　and　commodious　harbor　from　the　enemy。

Secure　for　the　moment　and　free；　Dewey　found　himself　in　as　precarious　a　strategic　position　as　has　ever　confronted　a　naval　officer。　With　his　six　war　vessels　and　1707　men；　he　was　unsupported　and　at　least　a　month's　voyage　from　America。　It　was　two　months；　indeed；　before　any　American　troops　or　additional　ships　reached　him。　Meanwhile　the　Spaniards　held　Manila；　and　a　Spanish　fleet；　formidable　under　the　circumstances；　began　to　sail　for　the　Philippines。　Nevertheless　Dewey　proceeded　to　blockade　Manila；　which　was　besieged　on　the　land　side　by　the　Filipino　insurgents　under　Aguinaldo。　This　siege　was　indeed　an　advantage　to　the　Americans　as　it　distressed　the　enemy　and　gave　an　opportunity　to　obtain　supplies　from　the　mainland。　Dewey；　however；　placed　no　confidence　in　Aguinaldo；　and　further　was　instructed　by　Secretary　Long　on　the　26th　of　May　as　follows：　〃It　is　desirable；　as　far　as　possible；　and　consistent　for　your　success　and　safety；　not　to　have　political　alliances　with　the　insurgents　or　any　faction　in　the　islands　that　would　incur　liability　to　maintain　their　cause　in　the　future。〃　Meanwhile　foreign　nations　were　rushing　vessels　to　this　critical　spot　in　the　Pacific。　On　the　17th　of　June；　Dewey　sent　a　cable；　which　had　to　be　relayed　to　Hongkong　by　boat；　reporting　that　there　were　collected；　in　Manila　Bay；　a　French　and　a　Japanese　warship；　two　British；　and　three　German。　Another　German　man…of…war　was　expected；　which　would　make　the　German　squadron　as　strong　as　the　American。

The　presence　of　so　large　a　German　force；　it　was　felt；　could　hardly　fail　to　have　definite　significance；　and　therefore　caused　an　anxiety　at　home　which　would；　indeed；　have　been　all　the　keener　had　Admiral　Dewey　not　kept　many　of　his　troubles　to　himself。　European　sympathy　was　almost　wholly　with　Spain。　The　French；　for　instance；　had　invested　heavily　in　Spanish　bonds；　many　of　which　were　secured　on　the　Cuban　revenues。　There　was　also　perhaps　some　sense　of　solidarity　among　the　Latin　races　in　Europe　and　a　feeling　that　the　United　States　was　a　colossus　willfully　exerting　itself　against　a　weak　antagonist。　It　was　not　likely　that　this　feeling　was　strong　enough　to　lead　to　action；　but　at　least　during　that　summer　of　1898　it　was　somewhat　unpleasant　for　American　tourists　in　Paris；　and　an　untoward　episode　might　easily　have　brought　unfriendly　sentiment　to　a　dangerous　head。　Austria　had　never　been　very　friendly　to　the　United　States；　particularly　since　the　execution　of　the　Emperor　Maximilian　in　Mexico；　which　his　brother　Francis　Joseph　believed　the　United　States　could　have　prevented；　and　was　tied　to　Spain　by　the　fact　that　the　Queen　Regent　was　an　Austrian　Hapsburg。

It　was　evident；　moreover；　that　in　Europe　there　was　a　vague　but　nevertheless　real　dread　of　the　economic　potentialities　of　the　United　Statesa　fear　which　led；　in　the　next　few　years；　to　the　suggestion　that　the　American　invasion　of　trade　should　be　resisted　by　a　general　European　economic　organization　which　would　even　overrule　the　natural　tendency　of　powers　to　group　themselves　into　hostile　camps。　In　1898　it　seemed　possible　that　the　United　States　was　consciously　planning　to　become　a　world　military　power　also；　and　a　feeling；　not　exactly　like　Blaine's　〃America　for　the　Americans〃　but　rather　of　〃the　world　for　Europeans；〃　gathered　force　to　meet　any　attempt　at　American　expansion。

Even　before　war　had　broken　out　between　Spain　and　the　United　States；　this　sentiment　had　sufficiently　crystallized　to　result　in　a　not　quite　usual　diplomatic　action。　On　April　6；　1898；　the　representatives　of　Great　Britain；　Germany；　France；　Austro…Hungary；　Russia；　and　Italy；　presented　a　note　to　the　Government　of　the　United　States　making　〃a　pressing　appeal　to　the　feelings　of　humanity　and　moderation　of　the　President　and　of　the　American　people　in　their　differences　with　Spain。　They　earnestly　hope　that　further　negotiations　will　lead　to　an　agreement　which；　while　securing　the　maintenance　of　peace；　will　afford　all　necessary　guarantees　for　the　reestablishment　of　order　in　Cuba。〃

Of　all　the　European　powers　none　was　more　interested　than　Germany　in　the　situation　in　the　Western　Hemisphere。　There　seems　to　be　no　doubt　that　the　Kaiser　made　the　remark　to　an　Englishman　with　reference　to　the　Spanish　American　War：　〃If　I　had　had　a　larger　fleet　I　would　have　taken　Uncle　Sam　by　the　scruff　of　his　neck。〃　Though　the　reason　for　Germany's　attitude　has　never　been　proven　by　documents；　circumstantial　evidence　points　convincingly　to　the　explanation。　The　quest　for　a　colonial　empire；　upon　which　Bismarck　had　embarked　rather　reluctantly　and　late；　had　been　taken　up　with　feverish　zeal　by　William　II；　his　successor　in　the　direction　of　German　policy。　Not　content　with　the　commercial　conquests　which　German　trade　was　making　in　all　countries　of　the　earth；　the　Kaiser　wanted　a　place　in　the　sun　exclusively　his　own。　The　world　seemed；　however；　as　firmly　closed　to　the　late…comer　in　search　of　colonies　as　it　was　open　to　him　as　the　bearer　of　cheap　and　useful　goods。　Such　remnants　of　territory　as　lay　on　the　counter　he　quickly　seized；　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　rela