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. I advocate
preparation for war in order to avert war; and I should never
advocate war unless it were the only alternative to dishonor.
[Footnote: "Autobiography," p. 226.]

You will be able to see from what he did while he was President,
when he was in a position where he could have plunged the country
into war half a dozen times, whether these words were true, or
whether he was really the fire-eater which some of his enemies
insisted he was.

He secured from Congress nearly a million dollars, to permit the
Navy to engage in target-practice. To those who were alarmed at
such "waste," he remarked that gun-powder was meant to be burned,
and that sailors must learn to shoot, since in battle, the shots
that hit are the only ones that count. There is nothing wonderful
about such remarks. In looking back at them there seems to be