第82章

to“speaksoftlyandcarryabigstick。”

Aprimeneedforournation，asofcourseforeveryothernation，istomakeupitsminddefinitelywhatitwishes，andnottotrytopursuepathsofconductincompatibleonewiththeother。IfthisnationiscontenttobetheChinaoftheNewWorld，thenandthenonlycanitaffordtodoawaywiththenavyandthearmy。IfitiscontenttoabandonHawaiiandthePanamaCanal，toceasetotalkoftheMonroeDoctrine，andtoadmittherightofanyEuropeanorAsiaticpowertodictatewhatimmigrantsshallbesenttoandreceivedinAmerica，andwhetherornottheyshallbeallowedtobecomecitizensandholdland——why，ofcourse，ifAmericaiscontenttohavenothingtosayonanyofthesemattersandtokeepsilentinthepresenceofarmedoutsiders，thenitcanabandonitsnavyandagreetoarbitrateallquestionsofallkindswitheveryforeignpower。Insucheventitcanaffordtopassitssparetimeinonecontinuousroundofuniversalpeacecelebrations，andofsmugself-satisfactioninhavingearnedthederisionofallthevirilepeoplesofmankind。Thosewhoadvocatesuchapolicydonotoccupyaloftyposition。Butatleasttheirpositionisunderstandable。

Itisentirelyinexcusable，however，totrytocombinetheunreadyhandwiththeunbridledtongue。Itisfollytopermitfreedomofspeechaboutforeignersaswellasourselves——andthepeace-at-any-

pricepersonsaremuchtoofeebleafolktotrytointerferewithfreedomofspeech——andyettotrytoshirktheconsequencesoffreedomofspeech。Itisfollytotrytoabolishournavy，andatthesametimetoinsistthatwehavearighttoenforcetheMonroeDoctrine，thatwehavearighttocontrolthePanamaCanalwhichweourselvesdug，thatwehavearighttoretainHawaiiandpreventforeignnationsfromtakingCuba，andarighttodeterminewhatimmigrants，AsiaticorEuropean，shallcometoourshores，andthetermsonwhichtheyshallbenaturalizedandshallholdlandandexerciseotherprivileges。Wearearichpeople，andanunmilitarypeople。Ininternationalaffairsweareashort-sightedpeople。ButIknowmycountrymen。Downatbottomtheirtemperissuchthattheywillnotpermanentlytolerateinjusticedonetothem。InthelongruntheywillnomorepermitaffrontstotheirNationalhonorthaninjuriestotheirnationalinterest。Suchbeingthecase，theywilldowelltorememberthatthesurestofallwaystoinvitedisasteristobeopulent，aggressiveandunarmed。

ThroughoutthesevenandahalfyearsthatIwasPresident，Ipursuedwithoutfalteringoneconsistentforeignpolicy，apolicyofgenuineinternationalgoodwillandofconsiderationfortherightsofothers，andatthesametimeofsteadypreparedness。Theweakestnationsknewthatthey，nolessthanthestrongest，weresafefrominsultandinjuryatourhands；andthestrongandtheweakalikealsoknewthatwepossessedboththewillandtheabilitytoguardourselvesfromwrongorinsultatthehandsofanyone。

ItwasundermyadministrationthattheHagueCourtwassavedfrombecominganemptyfarce。Ithadbeenestablishedbyjointinternationalagreement，butnoPowerhadbeenwillingtoresorttoit。Thoseestablishingithadgrowntorealizethatitwasindangerofbecomingamerepapercourt，sothatitwouldneverreallycomeintobeingatall。M。d’EstournellesdeConstanthadbeenespeciallyalivetothisdanger。Bycorrespondenceandinpersonalinterviewsheimpresseduponmetheneednotonlyofmakingadvancesbyactuallyapplyingarbitration——notmerelypromisingbytreatytoapplyit——toquestionsthatwereupforsettlement，butofusingtheHaguetribunalforthispurpose。Icordiallysympathizedwiththeseviews。OntherecommendationofJohnHay，IsucceededingettinganagreementwithMexicotolayamatterindisputebetweenthetworepublicsbeforetheHagueCourt。ThiswasthefirstcaseeverbroughtbeforetheHagueCourt。Itwasfollowedbynumerousothers；anditdefinitelyestablishedthatcourtasthegreatinternationalpeacetribunal。BymutualagreementwithGreatBritain，throughthedecisionofajointcommission，ofwhichtheAmericanmemberswereSenatorsLodgeandTurner，andSecretaryRoot，wewereablepeacefullytosettletheAlaskaBoundaryquestion，theonlyquestionremainingbetweenourselvesandtheBritishEmpirewhichitwasnotpossibletosettlebyfriendlyarbitration；thisthereforerepresentedtheremovalofthelastobstacletoabsoluteagreementbetweenthetwopeoples。WewereofsubstantialserviceinbringingtoasatisfactoryconclusionthenegotiationsatAlgecirasconcerningMorocco。WeconcludedwithGreatBritain，andwithmostoftheothergr