Devil's Garden

Chapter 32

The RMS steamer Monteagle was yet another ship of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company arriving from the Atlantic in 1906 to augment trans-Pacific service. She was a stolid, twin-screw vessel of 5,478 tons, with a single stack aft that would allow her to steam at a sedate 12 knots on a good day. Unlike the other ships in the service of Canadian Pacific, she did not have the sleek and elegant lines of a clipper-steamer, nor would she ever set any records for speed. Her freight had been varied over the years, from cattle boats and coal during the South African War, to refrigerated goods kept in her ice coolers. Bearing the designation “R.M.S,” she was also an official mail ship carrying the Royal Mail. Of late she had been refitted with cabin-class accommodations for 97 passengers with room for as many as a thousand more below decks in steerage.

She had just recently completed a mail run from Vancouver to Yokohama, and then on to Shanghai. Now Monteagle was east-bound again in the Sea of Japan, having transited the Tsushima straits the previous day. She was heading for the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu for a stop at Amori, and from there she would make a brief port of call in Dutch Harbor before swinging down to Vancouver again.

It was just her bad luck that day to be wallowing along in the exclusion zone Karpov had drawn in his mind. The Captain knew he could not patrol the entire sea, but wherever Kirov sailed, no other ship had leave unless he decided to permit the passage. This was the first ship he encountered since the sinking of Tatsu Maru and that brief scrap with the Japanese Navy. He thought he might teach a lesson to other powers in the region that their shipping was also unwelcome in Japanese waters. At the same time, a hard line here might renew his own resolve, and that of the crew, as he considered what to do. Fedorov’s sudden appearance in the mix had been most disconcerting.

So the Captain received the news of the new radar contact with quiet satisfaction. In fact, he had deliberately turned fifteen points to port three hours ago to take the ship closer to the coast of Japan to see what he might find.

“Signal that steamer, Mister Nikolin. I want to know their registry, cargo, and what ports they are bound for.”

He had his answer soon enough and quickly told Nikolin that their cargo of mail from China was to be considered contraband and they could not proceed unless it was first inspected and all mail bound for Japan removed.

“Sir,” said Rodenko, not understanding what the Captain was doing. “Why bother with a ship like this?”

“There could be significant military and diplomatic parcels in that mail cache, Rodenko. It is time we disrupted the flow here. Besides, it is not only Japanese registered vessels we will have to concern ourselves with, but those under foreign flags as well. Once we make an example of a few ships, the sea traffic to Japan should thin out considerably. News of an angry shark in these waters is exactly what we want here. We will board that ship and seize their mail cache. I want a party of twenty naval infantry ready in fifteen minutes.”

“Very well, sir.” Though it was clear Rodenko was not happy about the situation, he nonetheless sent the order down to the helo bay where the Marines would hold forth. They were to prepare a launch to make the boarding approach, and while they did so, Karpov maneuvered the ship in very close.

“That should give them a good long look at what they are facing, and it will certainly make the impression I want here.”

Yet the Captain on the other ship, even if intimidated by the sudden appearance of this monstrous warship off his starboard side, still had the pluck to make a strong protest.

“Captain, they are citing international laws of the sea and claim immunity as a neutral country undertaking commercial enterprises.”

“Well, tell him these waters are no longer considered safe international transit zones. This is now a military exclusion zone.”

Nikolin’s signal was sent, but the steamship Captain continued his protest, stating that any boarding would be illegal under international law and he was well within his rights to prevent it.

“Prevent it?” Karpov smiled. “I believe this man needs a little lesson or two. Mister Samsonov, if you please.”

“Captain?”

“Forward bow gun, as before with the Japanese tramp steamer. Give them a shot across the bow.”

“Aye, sir.” Karpov watched the deck gun quickly rotate to bear on the target with a single sharp recoil as the round was sent on its way. Then they waited, and the protest coming now from the Monteagle was ever more strident.

“Sir,” said Nikolin. “They now threaten to file a formal protest with the Russian government and state our conduct amounts to piracy and is outrageous.”

“Outrageous? My, what a colorful man. One more round, Mister Samsonov. I want you to hit the aft quarter of the ship if possible. Aim for that solitary smokestack.” Then to Nikolin he said: “Let them know we will disable their engines if they fail to cooperate.”

The sound of the gun was sharp in the air again, and the round hit home with a bright flash. It ignited a fire aft and Karpov laughed as he looked through his field glasses seeing how the other ship’s crew scrambled to put out the flames.

“Ask that upstart sea Captain if he wants me to repeat the lesson,” said Karpov, a smug look on his face.

The steamer quickly flew a white flag in return, and the boarding party had no further trouble making their inspection of the ship. There they found and confiscated five sizable mail bags, and removed them. When they returned to Kirov the Captain told them to store the material and he would look it over later.

“Did you have any trouble, Sergeant?” he asked over the intercom.

“No sir, but there were casualties on the ship when we got there. The second round aft killed three civilians.”

“Regrettable,” said Karpov. “Well it can’t be helped. Perhaps that sea Captain over there will get the wax out of his ears and listen the next time he’s given an order.”

To strengthen the lesson Karpov had Nikolin send over one last blunt message of warning. “RMS Monteagle. You are instructed to make for the nearest port and if you are found in these waters again, you will be sunk.”

Nikolin sent the message, but it went much farther than he or Karpov ever could have imagined, for among the 97 passengers booking accommodations on the Monteagle that day were several American citizens who had the unfortunate luck to be watching the incident from the aft gunwale of the steamer. Samsonov’s second round ended three lives, and the lives of all their successive generations, in one swift blow. And it also lit a fuse that burned all the way to the fiery heart of a most extraordinary man, and one determined to protect and defend the lives of American citizens, no matter where they were found in the world.

* * *

Theodore Roosevelt was in a good mood that morning, looking over reports on the progress of his latest grand venture. “Yes, we’ve fairly well kept all European powers at bay for the last hundred years, lately finishing with the Spanish, Mister Mahan.” The noted naval strategist was with the Roosevelt that day at the Presidential hunting camp in Yellowstone. “That was, in no small part due to our adoption of your policies concerning naval power, as you well know. As this new century begins the world has been impressed by only two things achieved by the United States. The first was the Panama Canal project, joining two oceans in a grand feat of engineering. The second is the voyage of our Great White Fleet in circumnavigating the world. Nothing has occurred in the history of the navy of greater and more significance to this country. It is the most important service I have ever rendered in peacetime to this nation when I secured funding for the voyage and forced it down the throats of those dandies in Congress. After we finish with this leg of the voyage nobody will forget that the American coast is on the Pacific as well as the Atlantic.”

“I agree wholeheartedly, Mister President. Sea power is the fundamental prerequisite for national greatness, the British being the most outstanding example of that in centuries past.”

“Yes, well what do you think of the Japanese? They seem to have read your books and papers as well Mister Mahan. The defeat of the Russian Pacific and Baltic Fleets was truly stunning in 1905. I don’t have to tell you that the United States might soon have to face Japan as a major Pacific power.”

“That may indeed be our national destiny, Mister President. We now control Hawaii, and the Philippines with our own recent victory over a European power-with much thanks to your efforts in that hot little war. The Spanish certainly learned a good lesson. Yes, it may come to a confrontation with Japan in time as well.”

“Our fleet is already in the Pacific and heading west, though in spite of the rumors circulating, I don’t think the Japanese have any plans to confront us there. Do you agree that the situation in Europe remains stable for the moment?”

“I do, sir.”

“Then we have nothing to fear by sending the whole fleet west into the Pacific.”

“Not at the moment, sir. There will be trouble in Europe soon, I fear, but not where we are concerned. Germany is the one to watch there. In time it could come to war. In the meantime, however, this voyage west is the perfect demonstration of our ability to move the fleet from the Atlantic to the Pacific any time we choose. And it will establish the fact that we have strong Pacific bases to support that fleet, and friends in Australia and New Zealand as well.”

The reception of the Great White Fleet had been overwhelming on the West coast, with over 300,000 turning out in San Francisco to see the fleet off to the Pacific. They were well on their way to achieving Roosevelt’s goal of circumnavigating the globe, but now the greatest ocean on earth lay before them, and there was a very long way to go. Thus far the voyage from the east coast had gone very well, and the fleet ships held up admirably under some very difficult sea conditions, particularly in rounding the straits of Magellan.

By the time the fleet reached San Francisco, however, two battleships had to stay there due to mechanical problems, the Maine and the Alabama, but they were replaced by Nebraska and Wisconsin. At the same time an ailing Admiral Evans who had commanded the fleet on its journey from Hampton Roads was also replaced by Admiral Sperry. Two Squadrons, each with two divisions of four battleships, would leave San Francisco, sixteen warships attended by several storeships, tenders, and the hospital ship Relief with the repair ship Panther. It was indeed a grand venture, an amazing show of both seamanship as well as America’s growing industrial and military prowess. But it would soon be darkened by the shadow of a war that no one of that day had discussed or expected.

A rider came pounding into the camp on a swirl of dust, dismounting quickly and huffing up to Roosevelt where he sat by the morning campfire. He stepped smartly up, saluting as he came, and reached into a leather dispatch pouch at his hip.

“Mister President, sir. News from the Pacific!”

“Well what is it that needs a special courier, soldier? Couldn’t it wait until I get the morning Paper? You look like you’ve been riding all night.”

“It’s from Mister Root, sir. There’s been a new outbreak of hostilities between Japan and Russia.” Root was the former secretary of war, replaced by William Howard Taft after Roosevelt won the election of 1904. Now he served as the current Secretary of State, and he was a strong proponent of military preparedness as well.

“Japan and Russia? I thought we settled that affair years ago. Let me see it.” Roosevelt reached for the dispatch, reaching into this buckskin shirt pocket to fetch out his eyeglasses. “Well, well, well…Your presence here may be fortuitous, Mister Mahan, though we may just have to postpone our hunt this morning.”

“I certainly hope the Russians haven’t crossed the border into Manchuria again, Mister President.”

“Nothing so pedestrian, my man. Why this situation is right up your alley. There’s been an engagement between Russian and Japanese warships in the Sea of Japan! A Russian battleship has apparently sunk Japanese commercial shipping and what’s this bit here?” The President leaned in closer, adjusting his eyepiece. “Well, by God, the Russians have fired on a Canadian steamship as well. American passengers were aboard and three were killed!”

“That is regrettable, sir. Why would the Russians do such a thing?”

Roosevelt folded his arms, clearly unhappy, a smoldering anger in him now. “Well God damnit, I thought I made it very clear what would happen when American citizens are harmed or interfered with overseas. That business in Morocco some years back was a strong lesson that we are not to be trifled with.”

In 1904 a brigand, the Raisuli of the Rif of Morocco, had kidnapped citizens of the United States from their home in Tangiers, a man named Perdicaris and his son. With an election looming Roosevelt made a strong protest and declared “this government wants Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead!” The catchphrase galvanized the electorate and helped carry him to a second term, even though the ”gunboat diplomacy” he exercised in sending seven warships to Tangiers was more theater than anything else.

“Are there any details, sir?” Mahan leaned in, eying the dispatch with some interest.

“The details are plain enough, Mister Mahan. Some crazy Russian sea Captain has been taking pot shots at shipping in the Sea of Japan. Here….it says he has sunk a Japanese steamer, engaged the Japanese Navy, then slipped away to fire on a Canadian ship and kill three American citizens. I spent a good bit of political capital negotiating that damn treaty in Portsmouth, and the Russians got off easy. The Japanese wanted the whole of Sakhalin Island and we talked them out of that to save a little face for the Russians. Now where do they get off re-lighting that old powder keg?”

“Does it name the ship involved, sir? The Russians had very little seaworthy in Vladivostok after that war.”

“Which is why this makes so little sense. They were beaten to the canvas with two black eyes, a bloody nose, and a broken jaw! The Japanese inflicted a crushing defeat on them at Tsushima. Now they get up off the deck after the final bell has rung and take a sucker punch at the other fellow. That’s very unsportsman-like.”

“And it’s also very unwise, sir. Russia can ill afford another conflict erupting with the Japanese.”

“Yes… well they just hit the referee with this little swipe, Mister Mahan. Perhaps we need to let them know just how unwise that sucker punch was! You there!” The President turned to a staffer attending the campfire. “Take a message to Sperry on the Great White Fleet. Tell them I want them to make short work of that port call in Hawaii and get the fleet to Yokohama instead of Manila first. I want them there as soon as possible.”

Mahan raised his eyebrows at that. “You’re going to change the fleet’s itinerary? Might we be overreacting just a tad at this incident, sir?”

“Overreacting? That’s a thing for children and women, Mister Mahan. The President of the United States doesn’t overreact. He does precisely what he intends. I think a little restructuring of the fleet’s itinerary will be all that’s required here. The Russians will certainly take notice. The fleet wasn’t due to visit Japan until October, but I want it in Japanese home waters at the earliest possible opportunity. We’ll send another message to the Japanese Ambassador and tell them we are shocked to hear of this incident and will make every effort to set the matter right. If Russia and Japan decide to get into the ring again, this time our referee will be the sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet!”