Nobody liked
to have to do this for we naturally sympathized with the Cubans,
who were making such a brave fight against stupid and tyrannical
governors sent from Spain. One of the last of these was
particularly bad. He herded the Cuban people into camps where they
died of disease and starvation, and he had great numbers of them
shot without mercy. We had justly revolted against the mis-
government of King George III in 1776, but nothing that King
George's governors and generals had done to us was as bad as the
things the Spaniards were doing in Cuba, in 1896 and 1897.
Many of the men in Washington felt that war would come sooner or
later. Roosevelt believed it and worked constantly to have the
Navy ready. He had the support of the President and of Secretary
Long in nearly everything that he proposed, and so was able to do
some useful work. It is important to understand what Roosevelt
thought about war, not only about this, but about all wars. Here
it is in his own words.
I abhor unjust war. I abhor injustice and bullying by the strong
at the expense of the weak, whether among nations or individuals,
I abhor violence and bloodshed. I believe that war should never be
resorted to when, or so long as, it is honorably possible to avoid
it. I respect all men and women who from high motives and with
sanity and self-respect do all they can to avert war.
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