TL-191: Filling the Gaps

[bguy]

William Howard Taft (Democratic) (1895-1897)

This is the only one on the list I would question. Craigo's Robert Taft entry described him as "The grandson of a Cabinet member and son of a Congressman". That seems pretty explicit that William Howard Taft never got any higher than being a Congressman.

Did this Sumner Welles have the same scandal involving 2 black male Pullman car porters ? The Freedomites would have made mincemeat of him if they caught wind of that.

Maybe it was a Confederate Intelligence sponsored honey trap.

 

[Zoidberg12]

This is the only one on the list I would question. Craigo's Robert Taft entry described him as "The grandson of a Cabinet member and son of a Congressman". That seems pretty explicit that William Howard Taft never got any higher than being a Congressman.

Good point. I was a little wary of putting him on as he would only be 38 years old, but I decided to put him on anyway. Who should replace him?

 

[bguy]

Good point. I was a little wary of putting him on as he would only be 38 years old, but I decided to put him on anyway. Who should replace him?

Maybe Senator George Hoar of Massachusetts. He was an anti-imperialist which Reed would like. (Though Hoar was apparently fairly independent minded, so Reed might not want the hassle of having to deal with him in his Cabinet.)

Another possibility could be Nelson Dingley. OTL he was apparently one of Reed's closest friends in the Congress, so Reed could very easily appoint him to his Cabinet. (Dingley is probably more likely as a Secretary of the Treasury than Secretary of State, but maybe Reed wanted an expert on tariff policy at State and thus went with Dingley.)

 

[Zoidberg12]

Maybe Senator George Hoar of Massachusetts. He was an anti-imperialist which Reed would like. (Though Hoar was apparently fairly independent minded, so Reed might not want the hassle of having to deal with him in his Cabinet.)

Another possibility could be Nelson Dingley. OTL he was apparently one of Reed's closest friends in the Congress, so Reed could very easily appoint him to his Cabinet. (Dingley is probably more likely as a Secretary of the Treasury than Secretary of State, but maybe Reed wanted an expert on tariff policy at State and thus went with Dingley.)

I edited the post on the last page and went with Nelson Dingley, Jr. as Secretary of State from 1895 to 1897, because he wouldn't be as independent minded and disagreeable to Reed as George Hoar. I also edited the list so that it contained the Secrataries from 1790 to 1861, before the POD, as well as numberings.

 

[Zoidberg12]

Heres an uncompleted list of US Secretaries of War, mostly based on those mentioned in this thread. Any suggestions for who else should be on this list?

Edwin M. Stanton (Republican) (1862-1863)
Henry Winters Davis (Republican) (1863-1865)
?
Benjamin Harrison (Republican) (1881-1885)
?
Daniel Sickles (Democratic) (1889-1893)
? (Democratic) (1893-1897)
Russell A. Alger (Democratic) (1897-1900)
Theodore Roosevelt (Democratic) (1900-1905)
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. (Democratic) (1905-1909)
?
William Haywood (Socialist) (1921-1923)
Frank B. Kellogg (Republican) (1923-1925)
Norman Mattoon Thomas (Socialist) (1925-1928)
John Reed (Socialist) (1928-1929)
?
Franklin D. Roosevelt (Socialist) (1933-1937)
?
John Reed (Socialist) (1941-1949)

 

[President Mahan]

I had Sickles retire from the position of Secretary of War in late 1896 just shy of the full Reed administration. For all of his predilections for graft, he is an important political ally that locks down the Tamany faction. In reality Upton is running the war Department. Sickles isn't doing much.

The Craigo post on TR has Elihu Root as his secretary of war, at least during 1914-1915.

How about William C. Endicott. for Hancock or Thurmans Secretary of War. He was Clevelands first Secretary of War in OTL. He supported Army reform in OTL and was involved with the designing of coastal fortifications. That woul be much bigger in TL 191.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Crowninshield_Endicott

 

[bguy]

I had Sickles retire from the position of Secretary of War in late 1896 just shy of the full Reed administration. For all of his predilections for graft, he is an important political ally that locks down the Tamany faction. In reality Upton is running the war Department. Sickles isn't doing much.

Didn't you also have John Logan take over for Benjamin Harrison in 1882?

 

[Zoidberg12]

I did some research of my own and heres an almost complete list. Only five more slots need to filled. Any help is more than welcome!

Edwin M. Stanton (Republican) (1862-1863)
Henry Winters Davis (Republican) (1863-1865)
? (Democratic) (1865-1869)
? (Democratic) (1869-1873)
? (Democratic) (1873-1877)
? (Democratic) (1877-1881)
Benjamin Harrison (Republican) (1881-1885)
William Crowninshield Endicott (Democratic) (1885-1889)
Daniel Sickles (Democratic) (1889-1896)
Daniel S. Lamont (Democratic) (1896-1897)
Russell A. Alger (Democratic) (1897-1900)
Theodore Roosevelt (Democratic) (1900-1905)
William Avery Rockefeller, Jr. (Democratic) (1905-1909)
? (Democratic) (1909-1913)
Elihu Root (Democratic) (1913-1917)
Lindley Miller Garrison (Democratic) (1917-1921)
William Haywood (Socialist) (1921-1923)
Frank B. Kellogg (Republican) (1923-1925)
Norman Mattoon Thomas (Socialist) (1925-1928)
John Reed (Socialist) (1928-1929)
Harry Hines Woodring (Socialist) (1929-1933)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (Socialist) (1933-1937)
Henry L. Stimson (Democratic) (1937-1941)
John Reed (Socialist) (1941-1949)

 

[President Mahan]

I did have John Logan become Secretary of War after Harrison.I forgot, he also kept Blaine from completely getting on board with Uptons proposals. The idea was Harrison left after and was replaced by John Logan, he was important because he prevented Blaine from dismantling the Militia system.

 

[bguy]

I did some research of my own and heres an almost complete list. Only five more slots need to filled. Any help is more than welcome!

Maybe Thomas Seymour for the 1865 slot. He was a Peace Democrat, but also a war hero from the Mexican War, so he has military credentials. (OTL he died in 1868, but since his death was from typhoid it could be butterflied in TL-191.)

 

[President Mahan]

Henry Cabot Lodge Part V
1901
Second Mahan Inauguration
President Mahan’s Inauguration was another bright spot for the nation, despite frigid temperatures most of the government made the trek south from Philadelphia to Washington DC. After more the 18 years since the cities bombardment and occupation; its reconstruction was complete. Despite the construction of new office buildings for the Navy and War Department and the completion of repairs to the White House and Capitol, neither President nor Congress seriously contemplated moving operations back to the city. As a result Washington would remained a small provincial town full of empty government buildings for the foreseeable future.

Mahan staying at the White House was not the first or the last President to refer to sleeping in the Executive Mansion, like sleeping in an empty museum. Lodge again helped to author the President’s speech. The speech was shorter than his first inauguration. It focused first on international and military issues. It called for the nation to be steadfast in its re-armament programs, to continue the sacrifices it has been making to never again allow the chaos and humiliation of a second defeat. However he reminded the American people the purpose of the countries new martial prowess was for the defense of the American people and their interests. The United States needed to defend its rights, but not act as a bully. That other nations, even enemies, wished to cooperate with US was a symbol of our strength and should be exploited. Most importantly he warned of the ever growing system of national alliances, a development that could leave the United Stats again isolated and vulnerable. The US needed cultivate its own allies or risk being encircled.

President Mahan was brief on domestic issues, reminding the American people that economic prosperity needed to be jealously defended from Socialist agitators and bi-metalists. That prosperity in this new world required a strong federal government, capable of harnessing the nations industrial might. He then curiously assert a brief remark on the necessity of harmony between the classes, which required sacrifices by all parties.

Mahan’s Second Cabinet
After a few brief dinners and balls in the nations de jura capitol the government boarded trains to return to Philadelphia and to get back to work. Mahan had decided on some significant changes in his cabinet reflecting the growing power of the Remembrance faction. Few Democrats were still advocating dismantling the federal institutions, created by the Reed and Mahan administrations. It seemed the Bourbon faction was slowly dissolving. Instead the party was dividing between those that wanted to use federal power to regulate commerce and implement civil service reform and those Conservative Democrats that wanted to use federal power only for national defense. Mahan in his first administration had been largely silent on domestic issues. The Cabinet would now be all Remembrance Democrats and reflect the balance between reformers and conservative democrats.

• Secretary of State Henry Cabot Lodge (MA)[D-R]
• Attorney General Philander Knox (PA) [D-R]
• Secretary of War Theodore Roosevelt (NY) [D-R]
• Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw (IA) [D-C]
• Secretary of Industry George B. Cortelyou (NY) [D-C]
• Secretary of the Navy Paul Morton (MI) [D-R] (1901-190, Victor H. Metcalf (CA)[D-R] (1903-1904)
• Secretary of the Interior Elihu Root (NY)[D-R]

These changes were reflected in Congress as well when Henry Adams replaced the retiring William McKinley as Speaker of the House. Adams was a friend with Mahan, Roosevelt and Lodge. Though he agreed with them on defense issues he was a strong anti- imperialist. He agreed to work with Mahan on defense issues but threatened to table any bills for the purchase of overseas territory. Despite tis tension Adams helped pass Mahan’s new military budget. This called for a continued increase in funding for the nations growing Pacific Fleet, plus the construct of two new major bases in Seattle and San Diego. It also called reorganizing the Army into six field Armies and reaching a strength of a million soldiers by 1916.

When Chief of Staff Upton balked at what he saw a favoritism of the Navy over the Army, Adams sided with Mahan. Mahan, Adams, Lodge and Roosevelt were unsettled by Upton’s blatant flaunting of the nations tradition of civilian control of the military. Upton had surrounded himself by a click of officers who were openly disdainful of the President and Congress. Few could be heard in social circles, speaking of their admiration of the power of the German military in the state. One officer on Upton’s staff joked in a dinner party about the greatest mistake of the War of Secession being General McClellan’s failure to march on Washington and hang Lincoln for incompetence and being a secret Red.

Even Roosevelt who saw Upton as a mentor was disturbed by how Upton spoke of the President in public and his disdain for civil government. He pleaded with Upton to act with greater tact and reminded him that the he ran the war department and would always watch after the Armies interests. This was to no avail. When Adams gave Mahan proof that his Whip caught army officers threatening congressman with moving bases out of their districts if they didn’t increase army funding it was the last straw. Mahan asked for Upton’s resignation in July of 1901, informing him that Charles Adams would be his replacement. Upton was incredulous but did not when he was told by Roosevelt that Congress controlled by Adam’s brother would not care he reluctantly agreed. For his years of service however Congress, normally disdainful of elaborate titles agreed increase his rank upon retirement to Lieutenant General. He would be the first active duty Lieutenant General since Washington.

Secretary of State Lodge
For years Lodge had been his primary advisor on foreign policy and domestic issues, he had been indispensable in his advice during the Nicaragua Crises and reining other more zealous Democrats at the outbreak of the Boer. Primarily Lodge was brought in because Mahan, Lodge and Roosevelt had agreed that the nations attitude toward foreign entanglements had changed. Mahan believed now was the time to forge a formal alliance with the German Empire.

Mahan had cultivated a less active persona then his predecessor. Reed was a hands on President who crafted the image of personally handling all the duties of the Chief Executive and Commander and Chief. He personally dealt with Congress and the Senate, cutting deals and offering offices for votes. In contrast Mahan was more comfortable with his duties as commander and chief, worrying about the geopolitical balance and allowing Cabinet members to handle domestic matters. He was generally more comfortable working through intermediaries and Cabinet members. For most of the first administration Mahan served as his own Secretary of the Navy and State. He primarily tasked Olney with managing the State Department, while he and trusted advisors carried out the diplomatic decision making. However the controversial nature of the alliance would require a more capable senior diplomat and statesmen. Lodge was known by his fellow Senators, if not well liked, as a capable administrator and legislator. He was crucial in the passing of many important defense and foreign policy votes. Mahan needed his skill and ruthlessness if he was going to have his alliance bill passed.

Fortunately for the United States Mahan was also an internationally famous figure. He was considered the worlds foremost naval strategist and naval historian. His books were required reading in every serious navy in the world. This was important was a huge benefit for the United States if was going to join a major European alliance. Many in Europe’s halls of power did not take the United States seriously, after two failed wars in twenty years, most derided any strategic help the United States could give. A German diplomatic official compared the United States to a neighbor who “was a nice enough fellow, but could not help getting drunk three times a week.” This was primarily the attitude of those in the German and Austrian Foreign Ministries that wanted to keep the focus on Europe, not waste time on vanity naval and colonial projects. Many of these wanted to focus on a coming war with their main enemies Russia and France and hope to remain on good terms with the British.

Mahan knew that there were others in the German government that wanted Germany to play a more global role and to accomplish this it needed a strong navy. Unfortunately Britain’s naval predominance would preclude Germany from being anything more than a second rate naval power. This was the prevailing view until Alfred Tirpitz was made State Secretary of the Imperial Navy. While in office Tirpitz laid out what came to be known as the "Risk Theory." He argued that if the German Imperial Navy reached a certain level of strength relative to the British Royal Navy, the British would try to avoid confrontation with Germany. If the two navies fought, the German Navy would inflict enough damage on the British that the latter ran a risk of losing their naval dominance. Because the British relied on their navy to maintain control over the British Empire, Tirpitz felt they would maintain naval supremacy in order to safeguard their empire, and let Germany become a world power, rather than lose the empire as the cost of keeping Germany less powerful. This required a strong battle fleet stationed in Germany’s home waters, which became the reasoning behind Germany’s sudden naval build up.

This policy would inevitably make Britain drift towards hostility with Germany, as a result many in the foreign office were looking for allies if Britain was to make war on Germany. The nature of the policy also required other unfriendly Naval powers to keep pressure on Britain and make them fear for the safety of their empire. Tirpitz who was an admirer of Mahan had written to Mahan when he was only an instructor and then later when he was secretary of the Navy. He looked to the United States as a possible counter wait to Britain. With the world’s foremost Naval strategist as their President, suddenly the US Navy was something to be taken seriously.

Mahan knew that Lodge and Roosevelt had made contacts in the German government. For Lodge it was the mercurial Friedrich von Holstein. Holstein was an important diplomatic figure during Bismarck’s Chancellorship. Though not Foreign Minister, he was seen by many as the secret master of German Foreign Policy. Wanting to please the Kaiser Wilhelm II he had reached out to important US figures like Lodge for help in the acquisition of Samoa and the Chinese port city of Tsingtao. The two had developed a working relationship and maintained a correspondence through the late 1880’s and 1890’s. Lodge knew that if he was to secure German support for the US joining the Triple Alliance he would need his help.

Lodge also was responsible for the encouraging of the unlikely friendship and correspondence between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Theodore Roosevelt. This began in the wake of the Battle of Teton River, at the time Roosevelt received hundreds of letter of congratulations on his defeat of a British Army. Most were from the United States, but many were from enemies of Britain abroad. The most surprising was from the then Crowned Prince Wilhelm of Prussia. Prince Wilhelm had an avid interest in the American west and chip on his shoulder against his British relatives. He followed the Battles of the Second Mexican War with great enthusiasm and wrote to congratulate Roosevelt on his victory. Roosevelt responded to the thanks, but it was Lodge who saw the Prince was generally interested in Roosevelt’s career and encouraged him to write the Crown Prince. Over the next eighteen years the two traded correspondence and Roosevelt even visited his hunting Lodge in East Prussia on his first honeymoon. For years Roosevelt and Lodge had been writing to him on the benefits of an alliance between the two nations. Despite this high level back channel, both knew that they still had years before the nation would except an alliance European power. They both however saw the need to lay the groundwork for the alliance on both sides of the Atlantic.

Open Door Policy & British Detente
Until then Lodge’s knew he needed to focus on more prescient matters. In his first speech as Secretary of State he railed against Britain and the Confederacy. Reminding his audience at the University of Pennsylvania, which had quickly grown into a the nations premiere school of government, that nearly twenty years after the Second Mexican War the Confederate States remained a slave power. Further that the British remained as aggressive as ever, engaged in a war for military domination of Southern Africa.

Despite the rhetoric, Lodge’s first year would be devoted to the growing public outrage over the Boer War and the fears of a division of China. The Boer War had entered its third year and British tactics toward the civilian population was growing ever more crueler. Mahan had tapped Lodge because he was a well known Anglophobe, however the President clearly did not want war. Lodge was stuck with the problem of seeming to be hard on Britain while really reaching an accommodation with them. Many in Congress wanted to outright ban manufactured goods from Britain. Cooler heads knew that would lead to economic ruin. Though a proponent of free trade, Lodge tacitly supported a Bill that would increase the tariff against goods made in the British Isles alone by 5%. This immediately caused uproar from the British Ambassador Cecil Springs Rice. Lodge however knew one area where he could cooperate with Britain and please the American business community, China.

Over the last two decades the United States had greatly increased its trade in the Pacific and with China especially. However the US felt threatened by other powers' larger spheres of influence in China and worried that it might lose access to the Chinese market should the country be partitioned. This was a campaign promise of the Republican candidate John Hay, who was a one time friend of Lodge until they had a falling out. (There were rumors that Hay attempted to have an affair with Henry’s wife, Nannie Lodge). Britain was a the forefront of the free trade movement was also worried about a possible partition. Britain had been trying to organize an informal agreement on China for years, but all other powers suspected British motives. Lodge figured that if the neutral United State got on board with the policy it would sway other nations to the agreement.

Subsequent punitive raids into China by the other powers in the wake of the Boxer Rebellion made the threat of partition suddenly feel real. In September of 1901, Secretary of State Lodge sent notes to the major powers (France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Japan, and Russia), asking them to declare formally that they would uphold Chinese territorial and administrative integrity and would not interfere with the free use of the treaty ports within their spheres of influence in China. The Open Door Policy stated that all nations, including the United States, could enjoy equal access to the Chinese market. Britain quickly came on board, then through pressure from Britain China also acquiesced. With the three largest Navy’s in the Pacific, the US, Britain and Japan on board the other powers acquiesced if reluctantly.

US involvement came at a price, which included allowing US relief supplies to enter South Africa, to help the starving Boer civilian population. It also meant that Britain would not hang US nationals caught fighting along side Boers. The agreement of the British, seemed to get the United States everything it wanted and satisfied both Die hard Anglophobes and the nations big business interests.

Liberia*
With the ascension of Henry Adams to the Speakers chair the Anti-Imperialists had gained firm control of Congress. However the establishment overseas bases was essential to the US abilities to project power beyond the North Atlantic. The Speaker was adamant in his threats to prevent any acquisition of overseas territory. Lodge and Mahan were hard at work circumventing these restrictions. The opportunity presented itself in 1901. In fall of that year the US protectorate requested help putting down a rebellion by the countries indigenous or Americo-Liberians.*
U.S. relations with Liberia date back to 1819, when the US Congress appropriated $100,000 for the establishment of Liberia. The United States officially recognized Liberia in 1862 and the two nations shared very close diplomatic, economic, and military ties. In the wake of the War of Secession many US charitable organizations raised money to offer free transit to Liberia for the countries black population. At first few took the offer. However after the Second Mexican War and ant- black sentiment grew throughout northern cities more took up part in the colonization programs. Lodge as a freshmen congress was able to add an amendment to a spending bill which matched federal funs to private charitable contributions. Tens of thousands of black citizens took the free rise to Africa and a promise of a new life. The arrival of *tens of thousands of new colonists strained the relations between the Americo-Liberian colonists and the native tribes.*

The United States had a long history of intervening in Liberia's internal affairs, occasionally sending naval vessels to help the Americo-Liberians, who comprised the ruling minority, put down insurrections by indigenous tribes (in 1821, 1843, 1876, 1901, 1910, and 1915). The 1901 revolt provided Lodge with an opportunity. There was a clear implication that the French were aiding the rebels in an attempts to alter the borders. The Liberian government appealed to the United States for help. The Liberian army was under equipped and lacked the money for new resources. Previously the US had provided Naval support, but the Liberians required more assistance this time around. Lodge convinced the Liberians to lease a coaling station in exchange for ninety nine years in exchange for arms and a military mission to train their forces.*
Initially there was anger in Congress from the Anti-imperialist lobby. However the public concern over the Boer War made openly opposing it difficult. Mahan took it to the people arguing the United States differed from the Europeans and the Confederacy. The US sought to guarantee native independence an cooperate on a mutually beneficial security situation. The people bought it and the move became so popular even Adams refused to thwart it. On Janauary 1st, 1902 the United States took possession of its first overseas base. *

Domestic Policy
1901 was another year of economic prosperity; New York was becoming a financial capital to rival London. It was gaining a international reputation as an alternative to the London Exchange, which many states feared was being used to maintain British dominance of international trade. Many German, Russian and other corporations were listing on the exchange as were nations selling government bonds their. Trust growth had stalled following the 1893 recession, but exploded again after the economy recovered in 1898. The most controversial was the formation of US Steel in 1901 and the Remembrance Arms Manufacturing in 1898. The Remembrance Arms Manufacturing was a cannon, howitzer and munitions Trust organized by Andrew Mellon. Centered in Pittsburg, it had manufacturing plants throughout the Northeast and Midwest. It was the amalgamation of the Empire State Cannon Works, the Pittsburg Arms Work, New York Shipbuilding Corporation and Philadelphia Munitions works. This created an Arms manufacturing Corporation that second only to Krupps. Its formation immediately created concern among the growing pacifist and anti-trust movements. Fearing the lobbying power such a new powerful cooperation would have on the budget. US Steel now the biggest Trust created nearly as much concern. However the ever growing requirements for steel created by the US armament programs meant there was little opposition to its incorporation.

Even with the growing popularity there was still a number of conflicts between management and labor. People were growing increasingly concerned of the new international anarchist movement. An offshoot of Socialist movement, anarchists had been responsible for the assassination of close to ten heads of state. On March 6th an assassination attempt was made on Wilhelm II, German Emperor in Bremen. This led to the CID to investigate suspected Anarchists in the US. The CID became officially concerned when an anarchist cell was discovered in Philadelphia planning to bomb Independence Hall, which had served as the de facto capital building, since the Second Mexican War. As a result the CID began monitoring suspected anarchists in cities across the country. Many socialists wishing to distance the party from these radicals cooperated with the investigations.

Their cooperation proved essential to thwarting the first ever attempted assassination of a sitting President. (outside of a vague conspiracy by rightwing union officers against Lincoln, during the Arlington Treaty negotiations). Information provided by Socialist informants led the CID to discovering a plot to kill the President in Buffalo. Several Socialist informants warned of a disturbed individual Leon Czolgosz who at Party meetings would often rant that revolution would only come if they made the ruling class bleed. He was eventually banned from meetings for assaulting other members and trying to convince people to murder the President. The CID had plain clothes agents follow him for a week. On September 6th, he traveled to the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, where the President was to speak. When he approached the President the two CID agents arrested him and found a loaded revolver and a suicide note calling for world revolution in his pocket.
 

1902
Anthracite Coal Strike May 12th- October 23rd 1902
The nation’s economy continued to boom. The United States was becoming a center for innovation, the United States generated more electricity, produced more motion pictures, and more automobiles than any other nations. On April 3rd, Mahan becomes the first American President to ride in an automobile when he rides in a Columbia Electric Victoria through Hartford, Connecticut. Even with a booming economy the struggle between the capitalist and labor continued. Despite the growing wages for laborers, the nation continued to be rocked by labor strikes. In 1900 these included the St. Louis Streetcar Strike, Anthracite Coal Strike, Machinists' Strike, the U.S. Steel Recognition Strike of 1901 and the Machinists' Strike of 1901.

These strikes were of mixed success in 1901 Steel workers in US Steel won recognition. However a strike in Nanticoke Pennsylvania, for union recognition was brutally suppressed. On May 12, 1902, 150,000 members of the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania went on strike. The miners were asking for higher wages, shorter workdays and the recognition of their union. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to all major cities. Homes and apartments were heated with anthracite or "hard" coal because it had higher heat value and less smoke than "soft" or bituminous coal. At first the strike received little attention, rationing laws helped control coal prices. However when the strike continued months after months and gave no sign of ending the press demanded something to be done.

Throughout his first administration Mahan, had remained aloof from Domestic Politics. This had been apart of a policy of not involving himself in domestic squabbles that would conflict with defense and diplomatic reforms. However for the first time a domestic strife threatened to effect the nations coal supply, which in theory could leave millions without heat and grind munitions production to a halt. Mahan called a Cabinet meeting to discuss how he and executive branch departments could help bring an end to the strike. The Cabinet was quickly divided, Roosevelt, Knox and Cortelyou supported government intervention in helping to end the strike. The more conservative members of the Cabinet including Root, Shaw and Morton were against it. The conservative members of the Cabinet wanted the President to remain out of it leaving it to industry leaders and Senator Mark Hanna, a mine owner who had been successful in negotiating a solution to these problems in the past.

Roosevelt, Knox and Cortelyou wanted to do what ever they could to compel both the miners and strikers to reach an agreement. Lodge however was on the fence, he busy handling the nations foreign policy. In their youth Lodge and Roosevelt wrote to each other, imagining leading a squadron of cavalry against strikers in the Haymarket Square riots. Despite these youthful fantasies, middle aged had tempered both men. Campaigning for both Reed and Mahan, had showed both men the deplorable working conditions of United States mine workers. Roosevelt convinced Lodge to side with the reform faction. Lodge came out in support of intervention. Mahan heavily relied on Lodge at Cabinet meetings affectionately called him “Prime Minister,” which quickly caught on in Philadelphia. However his ruthless dealing with several Conservative Democrats and Congressman, this evolved into a new moniker the “Chancellor.”

Mahan decided to take both factions advice. He reached out to Hanna and J.P. Morgan to convince the mine owners to come to an accommodation. At the same time he asked his new Secretary of Labor and Commerce Cortleyou to reach across the aisle to a Socialist Congressmen Eugene V. Debs to convince the mine workers to seek Federal Arbitration. Mahan wanted the miners and the strikers to meet for arbitration. The mine workers were ecstatic, they believed that any bargaining with the union would be tantamount to recognition. The owners welcomed the strike, but they adamantly refused to recognize the union, because they feared the union would control the coal industry by manipulating strikes.

Mahan worked with Morgan to convince the owners to sit for arbitration. At the same time threatening to use the ration laws to prosecute mine owners for interfering with a strategically vital resource. Then use the Regular Army to operate the mines. The mine owners were stunned and eventually agreed, if they were allowed to treat the workers as individuals and not admit they were communicating with the Union. If the workers agreed to go back to work the Mahan promised to appoint a commission to look into the mine workers issues. The commission would be made up of a five members be a military engineer, a mining engineer, a judge, an expert in the coal business, and an "eminent sociologist". The eminent sociologist would be the mine worker union president John Mitchell.

The anthracite strike ended, after 163 days, on October 23, 1902. It was a divisive result, causing an immediate split in the Democratic Party. The reform members of the party supported the move. Many feared the power of the Trust’s and their ability to manipulate the economy. Others more conservative Democrats like Nelson Aldrich, Mark Hanna and Elihu Root saw this as the fulfillment of all of there fears over police power clause of the Sixteenth Amendment. There were those that thought it was dangerous reaching out to the Socialist Party, unnecessarily helping to legitimize the Party. To the Socialist Party this was a major win. It helped as many Democrats feared to legitimize the peaceful reform action. It helped convince many middle class reformers that the Socialist Party were no longer dangerous Radicals but could contribute to the labor debate. Over the next several months the commission met and agreed to give the miners nearly all their demands. It also proved the model in the future federal arbitrations.

Foreign Policy
The Treaty of Vereeniging ends the Second Boer War, May 31st.
While the Cabinet was a busy preventing a potential national coal shortage, Mahan and Lodge were busy navigating the dangerous wider international situation. By 1902 the Second Boer was winding down, the British had finally managed to conquer much of the Boer Republic territory. However thanks to American and German Arms, they still had not managed to completely subdue the Boer insurgency. The war was growing more and more self destructive to both the Boer people and Britain’s reputation. Mahan and Lodge both wanted to resolve the war. They relied on their Ambassador on the spot Aldebert Hay to help work a deal between the Boers and the British. The younger Hay had won a reputation for fair dealing with both the Boers and British soldiers. The British had been more successful in the last year, but some Boer commanders like General Botha refused to come to terms. Hay was instrumental in convincing the Boers come to terms with the British. The terms were generous, there would be a general amnesty, the Boers could keep local autonomy, their language their property rights in exchange for pledging allegiance to the crowns and joining the empire. The United States agreed to keep observers to ensure the Boers would keep its autonomy.


The German Venezuela Crises and the Anglo- Japanese Naval Treaty
In January of 1902, Japan and Great Britain signed a formal treaty of alliance. The alliance was defensive in nature and called for each nation to come to the others aide if more than one power declared war on it. This changed the balance of power in the Pacific, decidedly in favor of Britain. Mahan renewed his drive to modernize the Pacific Fleet. However it had implications for the wider balance of naval power. Effecting the German’s strategic thinking in regards to the risk theory.

Many in Germany were pointing out that Tirpitz's Risk Theory ensured its own failure. The necessity to concentrate the fleet against the German threat involved Britain making arrangements with other powers that enabled her to return the bulk of her naval forces to Home Waters. The signing of the Anglo-Japanese treaty of 1902 was first evidence of that. It enabled the battleships of the China squadron to be re-allocated back to Europe.

The necessity to reduce the Mediterranean Fleet in order to reinforce the navy in home waters was also a powerful influence in the détente and entente with the French. By forcing the British to come to terms with its most traditional opponent, opponents of the Naval program argued that Tirpitz had scuttled his own policy. Britain was no longer at 'risk' from France or Japan. This also provided a further impetus to seek an accommodation with Russia, which would not only remove her as a naval enemy, but reduce pressure on British India.

In the space of a few years, Germany was faced with virtually the whole strength of the Royal Navy deployed against its own fleet, and Britain irrevocably committed to the list of her enemies. The Tirpitz 'risk theory' ensured that, in any future conflict between the European powers, Britain would be on the side of Germany's foes, and that the full force of the most powerful navy in the world would be concentrated against her fleet. When this became crystallized in the spring of 1902 with the signing of the Anglo- Japanese Naval Treaty, German Navalists new they needed an alliance with the United States or give up plans of being more than a European power. Only by combining the their strength with the US Navy could the risk doctrine still work.

The Kaiser and Tirpitz became a determined to create an Alliance with the United States, if only to provide a continued justification for the German Navy. The two made this be known to President Mahan and the cabinet. Mahan and Lodge were over joyed, but knew they needed a stronger reason to get the Senate to enter an alliance with a European Power. Then the German almost ruined it by threatening to invade Venezuela. German investment in Venezuela was the largest European investment in outside of Europe, besides the Capetown-Cairo Railroad. By 1900 Germany had purchased 90% of Venezuelan railways and most of their cash crops. In 1902 Venezuela defaulted in its loans.

Kaiser Wilhelm II attempted to organize a blockade. At first Britain and Italy joined the planned blockade, however when it became apparent the Germans intended to land marines and seize territory as compensation the other nations withdrew their warships.

When Kaiser Wilhelm the II sought support from his American friends. However he was warned by the Mahan administration that the United States could not support his plan to make Venezuela a de facto German colony. The US warned that the C.S. would likely send a fleet to defend Venezuela, which could draw all of North America and Europe into a war. The German Kaiser even penned a secret letter to his friend Secretary of War Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt informed the Kaiser of the near sacredness of the Monroe Doctrine after the Second Mexican War. He further warned that it would kill any hopes of an alliance between the two powers in the near future.

The Kaiser backed down and asked the United States through the offices of Secretary of State Mahan to work out a new loan repayment system. In a letter to the American people published in countless news papers across the country. The Kaiser apologized for the any appearance of impropriety and reminded the American people of his warm affection for the nation. He further went on to describe Germany and the United States as nations similarly encircled by hostile powers and hope that one day in the near future the two could become allies. The US public who already had a high opinion of the Kaiser, grew even fonder. Germany was the first nation in more than fifty years to observe the Monroe doctrine and treat the United States as a Great Power.


Passing of a Giant
On December 7th Thomas Brackett Reed died. In early December, 1902, Thomas Reed was in Philadelphia on legal business for his firm with the United States Supreme Court. On December 2, Reed visited the Powell House and met with President Mahan and Secretary Lodge. Lodge had been keeping Reed abreast with his plans to bring the United States into an alliance with Germany. Reed agreed saying how he thought the time was right and wishing he had been able to do so during his administration. Reed agreed to give speeches on its behalf of the alliance, when Mahan needed him to. He had written an letter to the editor calling for the formal alliance between the US and Germany to the Philadelphia Tribune and New York Times several weeks ago but had not yet sent it. Later on the 2nd, he became ill while in a room of the United States Capitol and was rushed to the nearby Penn Hotel. In the Penn, Reed was diagnosed with Bright's disease complicated by appendicitis; he died five days later at 12:10am on December 7 with his wife and daughter at his bedside.

A funeral was held in the Capitol building of the United States. Henry Cabot Lodge eulogized him as "a good hater, who detested shams, humbugs and pretense above all else." Later that week his daughter sent her fathers articles to the Times and the Tribune, this was seen as the Presidents dying wish and was very influential with the public.
 
1903
Mahan began the year off with controversy. In his State of the Union address sent to Congress Mahan informed the body of decision to begin talks with Germany about a defensive alliance between the two powers. In it he discussed the failure of détente with Britain and the growing aggressiveness of the British Empire. He pointed to their annexation of the Boer Republics and the formation of the Anglo-Japanese alliance. This he believed was an alliance designed directly against the United States the only other significant Naval Power in the Pacific. He also pointed to the work of Minister Joseph Chamberlain to create a new Imperial System, which would shut out manufactured goods from the United States in most of Britain’s colonies. Mahan argued that with the re-concentration of the Royal Navy in the North Atlantic US cities were again in danger. The growing power of the Army meant that the United States need not fear another invasion from the Confederate States. Instead the real problem was war with the entire British Empire, who could cut off US trade and threaten the US from Canada, Bermuda and the Sandwich Islands.

This request was controversial on both sides of the Atlantic, in British Parliament it was looked on as a threat to Canada. The response was the stationing of two Regular British Army Divisions in Canada. This played right into Mahan’s plans causing a flood of angry editorials by US publisher William Randolph Hearst. It also caused consternation in Germany. Many in Germany’s government feared further antagonizing Britain. Germany was already surrounded by enemies on its Eastern and Western Border. No one wanted a new enemy to its north. Many older conservatives did not see what benefits an alliance with US would bring. The US had not yet proved it could defeat the Confederacy, let alone be a decisive factor in a European war.

The Kaiser, Tirpitz and the Chancellor pointed to the US reforms showing how the US army had re-organized along Prussian lines and how both General Moltke and Schlieffen successful reform. Plus they pointed to how the United States had in the span of a little more than a decade went from the worlds eighth largest navy to its third. Finally and most importantly was the growing size of the US economy. America was already the worlds largest single economy, smaller only than British Empire as a whole. The US economy was still growing by double digits. Chancellor Von Bulow created the greatest case for an alliance to the United States as an answer to the problem Germany would face in a protracted war. Germany’s greatest fear was fighting a two front war against both Russia and France. Bulow argued that Britain had already joined Germany’s enemies. Now real threat was that Russia, France and Britain would be able to mobilize all the resources of their colonial empires to slowly grind down Germany. However the United States with its seemingly endless resources could tie both Britain and France down and never allow them to bring all their resources to bare against Germany. Chancellor von Bulow already pointed to agreements between France and Britain to decrease the size of its Mediterranean Fleet as evidence of a secret alliance between Britain and France.

To overcome any difficulties with Germans or their Austrian allies Mahan asked Lodge to travel to Berlin and conduct the negotiations in person. The President invited a delegation from the Senate including Republican Senators Knut Nelson of Minnesota and John C. Spooner of Wisconsin, both anti-isolationists. He also took Democratic Senators Francis E. Warren of Wyoming, William P. Frye of Massachusetts and Boies Penrose of Pennsylvania. Lodge also brought along a small staff of Army and Naval officers, and asked the now retired Lieutenant General Emory Upton who had made an excellent imopression on German officers in the 1880’s to come as well. The group set sail from New York on March 15th. They arrived in late march and spent more than a month negotiating with German- Austrian and Italian ambassadors. Having won over the Kaiser and Chancellor, the group was there to win over the German Reichstag and the Army.

The Austrian Army high commands took some convincing, However Upton’s fluency in German and technical, tactical and strategic expertise impressed the reticent Austrians. The American delegation wowed Berlin society. The nations devotion to freedom of speech impressed many of the liberal German members of the Reichstag who hoped association with a liberal power like the United States would benefit the German people. Holstein was exceptionally useful giving Lodge and his team incite into the unseen lever of power in Berlin.

The Kaiser who spoke English fluently enjoyed Lodges and the other members company. He especially enjoyed stories of life in the American West told to him by the Republican delegates and Senator Warren. The Reichstag guided by Chancellor Von Bulow and the unseen hand of Holstein won the approval of the alliance between the US in Germany in early May. The delegation set sail in May and arrived in New York on May 20th. On arrival Senator Frye immediately put forward a motion in the Senate Committee on Foreign relation to join the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria Hungary and Italy.

To support the vote Roosevelt, Mahan and Lodge went on a speaking tour of the country. The tour started off with Mahan speaking at all the east coast cities bombarded by the Royal Navy. Mahan visited the largest meetings. Roosevelt was tasked with traveling to the western states that tended to be advocates of isolationism. The tour met with immediate controversy, Socialist Anti- Militarists staged massed protests. A growing faction of Midwestern Republicans had become increasingly isolationist, playing anti-war sentiments of recent European immigrants.

On the other Democrat side the alliance had much support with recent immigrants from journey and anti- British Irish Catholics. The Mahan-Lodge-Roosevelt speaking tour was successful in its message of portraying it as a defensive alliance only. Under the terms of alliance the US would only be invoked if any member of the alliance was attacked. If any power started an aggressive war the others would not be bound. He pointed to the position Germany was in, like the United States they were surrounded by hostile nations. Like the United States, Germany’s primary enemies were it Britain and France who were organizing other powers to encircle them. They pointed to Germany’s support after the war and the gift of the Statue of Remembrance. The Cabinet also organized the Soldiers Circle and the German-American League.The final vote took place in July, the Treaty passed by three votes. The US Senate approved the Treaty with Italy, Austria-Hungary and Germany, formally transforming the Triple Alliance into the Quadruple Alliance.

The new alliance was immediately tested when the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire nearly went to war over fishing rights and territorial claims on the island of Sakhalin. The Kaiser with his obsession with the growing "yellow peril" wanted to back his cousin the Czar and break the Franco-Russian Alliance. Theodore Roosevelt wanted to side with the Japanese and liberate Alaska from the Russia. Lodge and Mahan chose the sensible course and remained neutral instead, offering to mediate the crises. This offer of course went unanswered. The climax of the crises occurred when two Battleships, one Russian and one Japanese began firing on one one another in the straight between Sakhalin and Hokkaido. This Battle between the Japanese Mikasa a modern warship built in Britain and the Russian built Tsesarevich would have a profound affect of Naval and World history. Though neither ship was sunk and both ships abandoned the battle, the Mikasa's larger and more powerful guns meant the Russian warship received significantly more damage. The Battle demonstrated that at the range modern Battleships would engage each other, only the largest calibers of 12 inches or more were effective. The events of the battle became the impetus for First Sea Lord to begin construction of the HMS Dreadnaught in 1905. After the battle the Russians and Japanese agreed to Peace talks.

The other major foreign policy event of the year was the official end of slavery. The few hundred remaining slaves in the Confederate States were freed in a special ceremony in September 1903, following their purchase by Congress. President Longstreet was the guest of honor at this event, attended by President Hogg, the Supreme court, most of Congress, and the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Lodge as Secretary of State was invited. As one of the few remaining civil rights advocates in the Democratic Party and habitual critic of the CSA for still maintaining slavery refused to come.

In December of 1903 a little known event occurred that would have a profound impact on human history. On December 17th man achieved its first powered incident flight, in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. They did not disclose the facts until four years later, which led to confusion over whether Frenchman Santos-Dumont or Orville Wright was the first person to achieve powered flight. Lodge and Roosevelt pushing for military funding of power flight in that year was the major evidence historians relied on to prove the Wrights achieved flight first.  


1904
Foreign Policy
The year 1904 started off with the death of one of the United States most implacable foes. On January 2nd James Longstreet President of the Confederate States died. Despite his refusal to attend the last CSA manumission ceremony, Secretary of State Lodge traveled to Richmond for Longstreet’s state funeral. This was a chance to meet Champ Clark the peace minded president of the CSA. It was during this meeting the President Clark approached the subject of establishing a treaty to end the support of Indian raids in the western territory. Over the next three months the military establishments agreed to end the border raids.

The most significant foreign policy event that year was the formation of the Entente Cordial. Britain and France had been growing closer over the last five years. King Edward VII had long been a Francophile and the Naval ministry had been pushing Germany and the United States as its primary enemy. Many in the foreign office and parliament feared the US joining of the Quadruple Alliance was a prelude to a simultaneous surprise attack by the Germans and the United States. Over the last several years a new genre of invasion stories became increasingly popular. Many depicted a quiet stealthy invasion by Germany, while the United States picked off the colonies. Despite the recent victory in the Boer War the British people and members of government were becoming increasingly alarmed. Prime Minister Balfour, who had always been vehamitely “anti- yankee” decided the best way to compensate would be by opening discussions with Britain. These led to the formation of the Entente Cordial. This was not a formal alliance but a renewal of France and Britain’s pledge to maintain Confederate independence. It also enshrined an agreement to cooperate in matters of mutual defense. For the time being the French Russian alliance would not be incorporated, into the agreement. However Britain did offer a new treaty of friendship with Russia. When the Confederate Ambassador to Britain was present at the signing, it was the popular opinion in the US that that the alliance with Germany was the correct decision.

Domestic Policy
On the home front 1904 was a year of tension. After more than eight years of sustained economic growth the economy was showing signs of trouble. A stock manipulation scheme aimed at seizing control of the Pittsburg Aluminum Company, ended up causing the biggest financial crisis since the Panic of 1893. Fortunately for the country and presidential nominee hopeful Nelson Aldrich, the FRA responded quickly to shore up faltering banks. The FRA’s decisive action in infusing a large volume of cash back into the banking system proved effective in preventing a systemic crash. However the economy still took a sharp dip that year, leading to a renewal of large scale labor unrest.

One glimmer of hope was the growing normalcy in the state of Utah, since joining the Union the state had behaved normally approving a polygamy free constitution and forming a National Guard Division. Still resentment at religious restriction causes a quiet resentment. In an attempt to get the federal government to lift what restrictions were left on Mormon worship President Joseph F. Smith The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the states religious leader, issued a Second Manifesto against polygamy. Many including Lodge and Roosevelt pushed for and to restrictions on Mormon worship, but these were blocked by nervous Republican Congressmen in the western states.

With his Presidency winding down Mahan wanted to give the American people a reminder of what he accomplished and at the same time demonstrate the United States growing Naval prowess. As Commander and Chief Mahan ordered the Atlantic Squadron, the US’s most modern vessels to circumnavigate the globe. The Fleet left New York on March 11th and set out for Brazil a then neutral South American power. From there Fleet sailed to Chile a growing US ally. Over the next 6 months the fleet circumnavigated the globe on a good will tour.

The Election
Meanwhile all Democrats were looking to the coming national convention in Chicago. Lodge and Roosevelt had been quietly building up presidential campaign organizations. Lodge especially hoped to use his record as Secretary of State to spring him to the fore of the other competitors. However early in both their campaigns, Lodge and Roosevelt realized they had become the face of the US- German alliance, which remained highly controversial. Roosevelt realized this faster than Lodge and dropped out to campaign for the governor of New York nomination. Lodge however soldiered on. Unfortunately he found every campaign stop turn into a debate over the alliance, with Republican and Socialist agitators adding to the fire. When the press got wind of this, it alarmed party bosses. Most eastern bosses switched their allegiance to the more reliable Aldrich. Lodge hoped that the Remembrance machinery could still swing the convention in his favor.

Lodge however had not realized how much the Democratic Party had changed. The other leading candidates Aldrich, Beveridge and Stevensons were all running on a Remembrance platform. By 1904 the old Bourbon faction was dead, no one was seriously talking about undoing the Reed and Mahan reforms. Lodge was by far the senior militarist and the candidate most solidly linked to the Reed and Mahan administrations. However his link to the Quadruple Alliance treaty, made him a controversial figure with the public. The party bosses wanted to avoid turning the election into a referendum on the new treaty. The machinery pro-militarist reformers was in disarray and the party had largely cleaved along the Procivil service and economic reform wing and the conservative business oriented wing. Unfortunately for Lodge he did not have many allies in either camp, being seen as a bit of a fence sitter on economic issues. At the first ballot Lodge received few votes and swung his votes to Albert Beveridge a long time supporter of his Large policy. Beveridge would be defeated at the convention by Aldrich, accepting the inevitable Lodge campaign for Aldrich but half-heartedly.


Meanwhile the success of the Anthracite Coal Strike had emboldened the labor movement. The Socialist Party had successfully forced several other strikes into arbitration. As a result many radical members finally coming around to organizing legitimate unions. This resulted in the organization of the Industrial Workers Congress. This inter-occupational union was an important step in the Socialist Party to providing an alternative to revolution and violence. When the Socialist met for their convention they hoped to capitalize on their growing middle class appeal by nominating a popular Wisconsin Governor and farmers advocate Robert M. La Follette, Sr. The Party hoped this would appeal to Midwestern farmers and steal away Republican voters.

The Republicans re-nominated Bryan hoping to capitalize on a slump in farm prices. Bryan also appealed to many disaffected isolationists who feared an alliance with Germany and moribund Austro-Hungarian Empire would lead to a senseless war. Both hammered Aldrich and the Democrats on economic issues through out the fall campaign.

Then a diplomatic crises changed everything. This threatened to unravel the new Entente Cordial and possibly the Quadruple Alliance. Japan troops along the Korean Border with Russian Siberia, attacked a Russian Border check point and resulted in more than 60 dead on each side. This led to retaliatory raids over the summer by each party, sometimes as large as a regiment on each side. Lodge returned from campaigning to manage the situation in Philadelphia. The candidates each weighed in on the issue. The Socialist pointed the instability of the European Alliance system and called for the United States to withdraw from the alliance and unilaterally disarm. Bryan also called for an end to the Alliance and focus on the Confederate States whose vast corporate farms and Plantations was the true enemy of the independent American farmer. Aldrich side stepped the issue not commenting on the alliance but instead believed this could to demonstrate the United States unique role as dominant neutral power in the Pacific.

With Nelson's assured victory Lodge immeditaley submitted his name for a candidacy as Massachussets Senator for 1904. Lodge's stand in while he was Secretary of State was Boston's Roman Catholic party boss John F. Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was more interested in being Boston's mayor with the longterm goal of Being Boston's governor. He easily stepped down to make way for Lodge's return to the Senate. This was the begininnging of a political alliance that would come to dominate Massachusetts politics for the next 70 years. Lodge was re-elected as Senator and Fitzgerald was elected as Boston's mayor.

Election Day would see Nelson Aldrich elected the 27th President of the United States. Aldrich only carried 44% of the popular vote (the worst showing by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1880), to La Follette’s 36% and Bryan’s 18% but swept both coasts and, again benefitting from a divided opposition, managed to win Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan with bare pluralities, giving him the presidency. For the first time in sixteen years Lodge found himself without direct access to the President.

 

[bguy]

Good update. I particularly liked seeing the Kaiser actually succeed at an act of public diplomacy, who knew he had it in him. Just two minor points where this entry seems to conflict with prior entries:

1) My Aldrich bio had the Reclamation Act being passed in 1910 rather than in 1902 as you have it happening here. My thinking for having it occur later than in OTL was that with the hyper-militarization of the US in TL-191 it didn't have the resources to fund such a project until after President Aldrich had pushed through some meaningful defense cuts.

2) You refer to a Department of Commerce and Labor here. However, Craigo's entry on the Sinclair Administration Cabinet referenced a Secretary of Industry (and after 1925 a Secretary of Labor.) That suggests the Cabinet department responsible for the economy was simply known as the Department of Industry. I suppose the department could have changed its name, but going from being called the Department of Commerce and Labor to just being called the Department of Industry seems rather odd. (It would certainly be very provocative to labor unions to cut their name out of the department, without simultaneously making Labor its own cabinet level department.)

Also, while we're on the subject of Cabinet departments is there any thought on when the Department of Agriculture would have been raised to a Cabinet level position?

 

[President Mahan]

Good update. I particularly liked seeing the Kaiser actually succeed at an act of public diplomacy, who knew he had it in him. Just two minor points where this entry seems to conflict with prior entries:

1) My Aldrich bio had the Reclamation Act being passed in 1910 rather than in 1902 as you have it happening here. My thinking for having it occur later than in OTL was that with the hyper-militarization of the US in TL-191 it didn't have the resources to fund such a project until after President Aldrich had pushed through some meaningful defense cuts.

2) You refer to a Department of Commerce and Labor here. However, Craigo's entry on the Sinclair Administration Cabinet referenced a Secretary of Industry (and after 1925 a Secretary of Labor.) That suggests the Cabinet department responsible for the economy was simply known as the Department of Industry. I suppose the department could have changed its name, but going from being called the Department of Commerce and Labor to just being called the Department of Industry seems rather odd. (It would certainly be very provocative to labor unions to cut their name out of the department, without simultaneously making Labor its own cabinet level department.)

Also, while we're on the subject of Cabinet departments is there any thought on when the Department of Agriculture would have been raised to a Cabinet level position?

Damn, I should have reread your part four of the Aldrich Bio. I took out the land reclamation act and changed the cabinet post to secretary of industry.

I assume a department of agriculture would have happened in the 1860's in the Lincoln cabinet. If not then possibly in the 1890s. Especially if republicans are trying to rebuild their base out of the farm vote, the Dems may try to create the position to undercut the Republicans.

As for the Kaiser, while I was writing I could not help but think how different his reputation must have been in this timeline. My undergrad final history thesis was on the 1902 Venezuela crises. i had a chance to read all of Roosevelts and the Kaisers correspondence in the national archives.the kaiser started writing to roosevelt before he was president. he was always trying to flatter roosevelt and to give his perspective on what the british were doing to him. In OTL it obviously got no where but in TL 191 Roosevelt is more receptive to it. I am seriously thinking about a Wilhem II bio.

I am going to take some time off on Lodge until March. Maybe a quick one if anything pops in my head, but the Lodge posts take too long write.

 

[Zoidberg12]

Great work on the new Lodge update! I enjoyed it all very much, especially the stuff about America's foreign policy during those years. I also found it interesting how the Dogger Bank Incident played a part in the 1904 election.

You have a possible Socialist candidates as being Senator Charles H. Matchett of New York and Senator James H. Kyle of Dakota. The only problem is that Debs is the first socialist senator, the Great War books say so. Craigo had him get elected in 1904, and bguy moved it to 1906 in his aldrich posts. These guys could be Progressive republicans, but they couldn't be socialist senators yet.

Whoops! Thanks for mentioning this. I just fixed the post so that they are just politicians, not senators.

 

[Zoidberg12]

Map for my next update on the 1900 election. Map base courtesy of Turquoise Blue. All I changed was having Coxey as Socialist candidate and Utah as a state, which according to President Mahan's Lodge article, was readmitted in December of 1896.

 

[Zoidberg12]

Once again, much of this comes from President Mahan and the part of his article on Henry Cabot Lodge that deals with the year 1900. Much of what he wrote I reworded and the rest was new material written by me.

United States presidential election, 1900

As the year 1900 began most of the American people's attention, once again, was focused on the upcoming presidential election. Alfred Thayer Mahan was by-far the most popular President in living memory, even out-surpassing his predecessor Thomas Brackett Reed. It was under Mahan that the policies of militarization and armed forces reform continued, and that a new policy of large-scale naval reform began. Mahan's first term had also seen a number of triumphs for the United States abroad, such as during the Nicaragua Crisis of 1897, a situation that never would have gone in the USA's favor had it not been for the overall militarization policies of both President Reed and President Mahan. However, despite Mahan's popularity, Mahan and his advisers were all too aware of his lack of support among the Bourbon wing of the Democratic Party. To rule out any kind of revolt during the Democratic National Convention come summer, Mahan supported Senator Nelson Aldrich's Federal Reserve legislation. Mahan was also feeling pressure from those Remembrance Democrats who that was felt he was neglecting the Army. Secretary of War Russel A. Alger was proving to be incapable of controlling Chief of Staff Emory Upton, who constantly criticized President Mahan for his perceived neglect of the Army. As a result, Mahan decided he needed a stronger Secretary of War and brought on Theodore Roosevelt, the darling of the militarists of the Democratic Party.

The Democratic National Convention was held from July 4th-July 6th in Wichita, Kansas, in a symbolic show of solidarity in regards to the recent Indian Raids coming out of the Confederate Indian Territory. Mahan's aforementioned strategy worked and he won a first ballot victory as a direct result. His incumbent Vice President Robert E. Pattison was once again chosen to be his running-mate.

The Republican National Convention was held from June 19th-June 21st in Indianapolis, Indiana. By this point, the Republican Party was still picking up the pieces from their miserable performance in the 1896 election. As a result of their performance in the 1896 election, the Republican Party was still seen by most voters and observers alike as a regional Midwestern party, more centered around the needs of Midwesterners and Midwestern farmers and detached from the overall needs of eastern voters. At the 1900 Republican National Convention, the Republican Party delegates hoped to reverse their fortunes from the last election and end their reputation as a Midwestern party once and for all. In terms of the party's Presidential hopefuls, there were only a handful at the 1900 convention; Senator John Coit Spooner of Wisconsin, newspaper publisher and Ambassador to France John Hay of Indiana, (both who appealed to easterners due to their anti-isolationism), Governor William Paine Lord of Oregon and Senator William Jennings Bryan of Michigan. William Jennings Bryan was the first candidate dropped off the ballet, as the party establishment was still frustrated at him for his botching up of the 1896 election. Senator Spooner was popular enough, but lacked support from a good number of party delegates. Governor Lord was seen as too Midwestern by most of the party delegates, so he was soon dropped off the ballet as well. This left newspaper publisher John Hay, the former private secrecy to Abraham Lincoln and currently the American ambassador to France, as the only presidential hopeful left. As a result, Hay was elected to be the Republican Party's candidate for the presidency. The main reason Hay was kept on the ballot for so long and eventually chosen was because of his appeal to eastern voters through his anti-isolationism and lack of focus on solely Midwestern concerns. Governor William Paine Lord was chosen to be his running mate to balance the ticket and appeal to both eastern and midwestern/western voters alike. On June 22nd, 1900, a day after the convention ended, Hay received a telegram at the American embassy in Paris informing him that the Republican party had put him forward for President. Interestingly, he had not sought the nomination himself, but dutifully resigned from his post as Ambassador to France and returned to the USA in early July to begin campaigning.

The Socialist National Convention was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from June 29th-July 2nd. A number of candidates put their hat in the ring, such as politician Charles H. Matchett of New York, politician James H. Kyle of Dakota, politician Robert M. La Follette, Sr. of Wisconsin, Knights of Labor leader Terrence V. Powderly of Pennsylvania and politician and activist Jacob S. Coxey, Sr. of Ohio. Kyle and La Follette, both seen as too beholden to the Midwest by most of the party delegates, were both dropped off the ballot on the first day of the convention. Both Powderly and Matchett were popular with the party delegates, especially the former for his experience in labor disputes, but none were as popular as Jacob S. Coxey, Sr., a Socialist politician, activist and the leader of Coxey's Army, a protest march made by unemployed workers in Philadelphia back in 1894. Since his now famous march on Philadelphia, Coxey had spent the last six years raising money for charities and working on behalf of the "common laborer." His fame had only grown after the release of L. Frank Baum's The Queen of Ix, a novel loosely based on the Coxey's Army episode and the Reed Administration. The party delegates had hoped that Coxey would appeal to middle class progressives and christian socialists. The previous year of 1899 had seen a wave of new strikes including the Buffalo New York Grain Shovellers' Strike, the Cleveland Ohio Street Railway Workers' Strike, the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Labor Confrontation and the New York Newsboys Strike. The continuing violence in labor relations hurt the parties chance of respectability and party leadership was consistently trying to change the it's image among the middle-class and Christian voters. As a result, the party leadership and delegates wanted a fresh face to lead the party to victory come November. Therefore, Powderly, despite being a moderate, was voted off the ballot. With that, Jacob S. Coxey, Sr. was elected to be the Socialist Party's candidate for the Presidency. Charles H. Matchett was chosen to be his running-mate to balance the ticket between a candidate with both Midwestern and eastern appeal (Coxey) and a candidate with mostly eastern appeal (Matchett). As it would turn out during campaign season, Coxey was, besides former President Abraham Lincoln, by far the most popular and well-known Socialist candidate to date.

When election day finally came on November 6th, 1900, the ballots were all counted up. The Democratic Party under President Mahan and Vice President Pattison won the election in a landslide, and as result also won one more term in the White House/Powell House. Coxey, despite proving himself to be a charismatic and popular candidate, did not manage to improve the upon the Socialist's performance in 1896, with the party only winning 43 EV as compared to 57 EV in 1896. Nevertheless, the 1900 election became significant for the fact that is was the first election in which the Republican Party won no states and no electoral votes. Nevertheless, the Republican candidate John Hay was not blamed personally or otherwise for the for the party's disastrous performance in the 1900 election. Most knew that the Republican Party's disastrous performance was a result of many past events, such as President Blaine's losing of the Second Mexican War, the defections of many Republicans to the Socialists and Democrats, the re-orientation of the party towards Midwestern concerns and Bryan's attempted reinventing of the party during the 1896 election.

Alfred Thayer Mahan (D-NY)/Robert E. Pattison (D-PA): 280 EV
Jacob S. Coxey, Sr. (S-OH)/Charles H. Matchett (S-NY): 43 EV
John Hay (R-IN)/William Paine Lord (R-OR): 0 EV

 

[Zoidberg12]

Heres a map for the 1904 election. This map is the same as the one Turquoise Blue made on page 55, expect for Utah, which I added, as according to President Mahan, the state was readmitted in 1896, Montana going Democratic and Idaho going Socialist.

 

[Zoidberg12]

Much of this comes from President Mahan's article on Henry Cabot Lodge and bguy's article on Nelson Aldrich. I essentially merged the two articles and added a bunch of new material myself.

United States presidential election, 1904

When 1904 came, the Democrats, Socialists and Republicans were all looking forward to the upcoming presidential election. In terms of the Democrats, they themselves were looking forward towards their upcoming national convention in Chicago. Throughout the early months of 1904, Secretary of State Henry Cabot Lodge and Secretary of War Theodore Roosevelt had been quietly building up presidential campaign organizations. Lodge especially hoped to use his record as Secretary of State to spring him to the fore of the other competitors. However early in both their campaigns, Lodge and Roosevelt realized they had become the face of the US-German alliance, which was finalized relatively recently, back in July of 1903, and remained highly controversial. Roosevelt realized this faster than Lodge did and dropped out of the Presidential campaign in April to instead campaign for nomination as the Governor of New York. Lodge however soldiered on. Unfortunately he found every campaign stop turn into a debate over the US-German/Quadruple Alliance, with Republican and Socialist agitators adding to the fire. When the press got wind of this, it alarmed party bosses. Most eastern Democratic bosses switched their allegiance to the more reliable Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island. Nevertheless, despite these setbacks, Lodge hoped that the Remembrance machinery could still swing the Democratic National Convention in his favor.

Lodge however had not realized how much the Democratic Party had changed over the years. The other leading candidates Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island, Senator Albert J. Beveridge of Indiana and Governor and former Vice President Adlai Stevenson I of Illinois were all running on a Remembrance platform. By 1904 the old Bourbon faction was dead, and no one was seriously talking about undoing the Reed and Mahan reforms. Lodge was by far the most senior militarist and the candidate most solidly linked to the Reed and Mahan administrations. However, his link to the Quadruple Alliance treaty made him a controversial figure with the public. The party bosses wanted to avoid turning the election into a referendum on the new treaty. The pro-militarist reformers of the Democratic machinery were in disarray and the party had largely cleaved along the pro-civil service and economic reform wing and the conservative business oriented wing. Unfortunately for Lodge he did not have many allies in either camp, being seen as a bit of a fence sitter on economic issues.

The Democratic National Convention finally meet in Chicago from June 30th-July 5th, 1904. Aldrich, Breveridge, Stevenson and Lodge were the party's main contenders for presidential candidate. Aldrich appeared to be in for a bruising battle for the nomination. His leading opponent Albert Beveridge, a powerful orator who had electrified the nation with his "The American Century" speech at the 1900 Democratic Convention. Beveridge’s support for progressive reforms made him popular amongst the critical Midwestern delegates, and his strong advocacy for American expansionism had won him the tacit backing of incumbent President Mahan. Nevertheless, Aldrich had his own strengths. The big city political machines were all solidly for him, due in part to the controversy over the US-German alliance and as a result the machines' distaste for Sectary of State Lodge. Nelson's close relationship with the trusts also gave him a huge war chest to win over wavering delegates. Lastly, Aldrich benefited from a divided opposition as Illinois Governor and former Vice-President Adlai Stevenson I, a political moderate who was both anti-trust and anti-imperialist, was also running. Stevenson, who controlled his own state’s delegation and a large block of delegates from the western states, was hoping for a deadlocked convention that would turn to him as a compromise candidate. His presence proved a boon to the Aldrich campaign though as it denied most of the western delegates (who would have never supported Aldrich) to the Beveridge campaign. Meanwhile, at the first ballot, Secretary of State Lodge received few votes and swung his votes to Albert Beveridge a long time supporter of his so-called Large policy. Nevertheless, through lavish promises of campaign funding and federal patronage, Nelson Aldrich steadily eroded Beveridge's strength in the Midwest. Aldrich obtained a majority of delegates on the eighth ballot, and soon after that, Aldrich secured the support of Secretary of State Lodge by agreeing that if elected he would not withdraw the United States from the Quadruple Alliance or try to repeal the Reed and Mahan preparedness measures. Accepting the inevitable, Lodge agreed to support and campaign for Aldrich, but only did so halfheartedly. On the next ballot, Aldrich achieved the 2/3 majority necessary to win the Democratic nomination. Aldrich then secured the nomination of his close political ally Indiana Senator Charles Fairbanks for the Vice Presidency.

Meanwhile, the success of the Anthracite Coal Strike of 1902 had emboldened the labor movement and the Socialist Party had successfully forced several other strikes into arbitration over the past two years. As a result many radical members finally came around to organizing legitimate unions. This resulted in the organization of the Industrial Workers Congress. This inter-occupational union was an important step in the Socialist Party to providing an alternative to revolution and violence. When the Socialist National Convention was held in Des Moines, Iowa from July 1st-July 3rd, 1904, the party delegates hoped to capitalize on their growing middle class appeal by nominating a seemingly strong candidate in popular Wisconsin Governor and farmers advocate Robert M. La Follette, Sr. The party delegates hoped the nomination of La Follette to the presidency would appeal to Midwestern farmers and voters in general and steal away Republican voters. Congressman Myron Zuckerman of New York was chosen as La Follette's running mate to balance the ticket between a Midwestern and Eastern candidate and too appeal to eastern voters as well.

The Republican National Convention was held in St. Louis, Missouri from June 23rd-June 26th, 1904. At said convention, the Republican delegates decided to try again with, now Senator, William Jennings Bryan of Michigan, hoping to capitalize on a slump in farm prices and seemingly over Bryan's perceived botching of the 1896 election. Senator Bryan also appealed to many disaffected isolationists who feared an alliance with the German Empire, the moribund Austro-Hungarian Empire and the upstart Kingdom of Italy would lead to a senseless world-wide war. Senator Gilbert Hitchcock of Nebraska was chosen to be Bryan's running mate, the two appealing to the mid-western farmer vote many Republican delegates feared might be taken from their party by the Socialists if they elected a Midwestern candidate (which they did).

The campaign season lasted from June to November of 1904. The campaign season was dominated by economic issues and, during the last weeks of campaign season, the controversy over the United States joining the Quadruple Alliance as well, with both the Socialist La Follette and Republican Bryan blaming Wall Street for the economic downturn and blasting the Democratic Aldrich as a puppet of the trusts. Aldrich meanwhile insisted that higher tariffs and a crackdown on union radicals were all that was needed to restore prosperity and condemned both La Follette and Bryan as extremists who would ruin the economy if elected. Aldrich also attacked both of his opponents as being weak on national security since both the Socialist and Republican platforms called for ending conscription and rationing. Meanwhile, La Follette himself tried to run as a moderate, campaigning on a promise of greater regulation of business rather than outright government ownership. His campaign was damaged though by intemperate statements from IWC leader Bill Haywood that hinted that if the Socialists lost the election then there might just be a revolution in the country, and by an unguarded comment by his running mate, Myron Zuckerman, who stated that if the economy did not improve then it would be necessary to nationalize the banks. Bryan meanwhile alienated German-American voters, a vital constituency in the battleground Midwestern states, with his promise to withdraw the US from the Quadruple Alliance. Despite this, it is important to note that the issue of US joining the Quadruple was a minor issue for most of the campaign. Aldrich, in his promise to Lodge, upheld America's foreign commitments, including the Quadruple Alliance, though rarely mentioned the alliance itself during his campaign speeches. La Follette never mentioned the alliance, instead focuses on domestic issues. Byran mentioned the issue, alienating German-Americans as mentioned above, though still focused mainly on economic issues. However, just a little more than a fortnight before election day, a seemingly distant diplomatic crisis changed everything.

Earlier in the year, in February, the Russo-Japanese War broke out over the rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over Manchuria and Korea. During the war, after the Siege of Port Arthur began and the decimation of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Russia responded by sending their Baltic Fleet to reinforce their Pacific fleet on October 15th, 1904. On the night of October 21st/October 22nd, the Russian squadron fired on British fishing trawlers it mistook for Japanese torpedo boats in the Dogger Bank area of the North Sea. Three British fisherman died and a number of others were wounded as a result. This incident became known as the Dogger Bank Incident, and many in the British public called for and wanted war with the Russian Empire. This threatened to unravel the new Anglo-French Entente Cordial and possibly the Quadruple Alliance. With the Dogger Bank Incident threatening the unravel the Quadruple Alliance and America role in said alliance, the candidates each weighed in on the issue. The Socialist La Follette pointed to the instability of the European Alliance system and called for the United States to withdraw from the alliance and unilaterally disarm. The Republican Bryan also called for an end to the Alliance and for the country to focus on the Confederate States, whose vast corporate farms and plantations Bryan argued were the true enemy of the independent American farmer. The Democratic Aldrich side stepped the issue not commenting on the alliance but instead believed this could be used to create a better relationship for Britain. Luckily for Britain and the world cooler heads prevailed and Russia offered to pay an indemnity for the destroyed property and lost lives.

Election Day, November 8th, 1904, would see the Democratic Nelson Aldrich elected the 27th President of the United States. Aldrich only carried 44% of the popular vote, the worst showing by a Democratic presidential candidate since the 1880 election, to La Follette's 36% and Bryan's 18% but swept both coasts and, again benefiting from a divided opposition, managed to win Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan with bare pluralities, giving him the presidency. The Socialists under Robert M. La Follette, Sr. performed well, though due to a number of aforementioned incidents, not nearly as well as during the 1900 election, winning on 51 electoral votes as opposed to 119 in the 1900 election, and winning only six states. The Republicans under Bryan managed to improve from 1900, though not by much, winning only one state, Missouri, and only 18 electoral votes, thus once again unable to surpass the Socialists. With the Republican's fate having been sealed for a number of years previously, Bryan himself wasn't blamed for the Republican's less than wonderful performance. This would be the last election in which the Republicans won any state or electoral votes until the presidential election of 1920, which took place a good sixteen years later.

Nelson Aldrich (D-RI)/Charles W. Fairbanks (D-IN): 274 EV
Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (S-WI)/Myron Zuckerman (S-NY): 51 EV
William Jennings Bryan (R-MI)/Gilbert Hitchcock (R-NE): 18 EV

 

[Turquoise Blue]

Wasn't Montana a safe Democratic state because of Canada and TR's exploits there?

 

[Zoidberg12]

Wasn't Montana a safe Democratic state because of Canada and TR's exploits there?

Good point. Should the Socialists win Idaho instead?