ter my brother's death
by the two most prominent exponents of preparedness.

Theodore Roosevelt said:

"He was as good an American as ever lived, and his heart flamed against
cruelty and injustice. His writings form a text-book of Americanism
which all our people would do well to read at the present time."

Major-General Leonard Wood said:

"The death of Richard Harding Davis was a real loss to the movement for
preparedness. Mr. Davis had an extensive experience as a military
observer, and thoroughly appreciated the need of a general training
system like that of Australia or Switzerland and of thorough
organization of our industrial resources in, order to establish a
condition of reasonable preparedness in this country. A few days
before his death he came to Governors Island for the purpose of
ascertaining in what line of work he could be most useful in building
up sound public opinion in favor of such preparedness as would give us
a real peace insurance. His mind was bent on devoting his energies and
abilities to the work of public education on this vitally important
subject, and few men were better qualified to do so, for he had served
as a military observer in many campaigns.

"Throughout the Cuban campaign he was attached to the headquarters of
my regiment in Cuba as a military observer. He was with the advanced
party at the opening of the fight at Las Guasiinas, and was
distinguished throughout the fight by coolness and good conduct. He
also participated in the battle of San Juan and the siege of Santiago,
and as an observer was always where duty called him. He was a
delightful companion, cheerful, resourceful, and thoughtful of the
interests and wishes of others. His reports of the game were valuable
and among the best and most accurate.

"The Plattsburg movement took a very strong hold of him. He saw in
this a great instrument for building up a sound knowledge concerning
our military history and policy, also a very practical way of training
men for the duties of junior officers. He realized fully that we
should need in case of war tens of thousands of officers with our newly
raised troops, and that it would be utterly impossible to prepare them
in the hurry and confusion of the onrush of modern war. His heart was
filled with a desire to serve his country to the best of his ability.
His recent experience in Europe pointed out to him the absolute madness
of longer disregarding the need of doing th