Foreign Policy and Affairs

Theodore Roosevelt thought that being ready for war would keep opponents away. He thought that the threat of war, not so much war itself, was what made other nations hesitant to attack. He used an old African proverb to get across his point:"Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far." This is what caused his foreign policy to be called a Big Stick policy.








Although Roosevelt threatened for war and grew the armed forces, he really didn't want any war. He negotiated peace between Russia and Japan. Roosevelt favored the Japanese but feared that American commercial interests in China would be jeopardized no matter which country won the war. Japanese and Russian delegates met with the president on board an U.S. Naval ship in Oyster Bay and later in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Negotiations lasted three weeks. For his mediation efforts, President Roosevelt became the first American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.





Within days of resolving the Russian-Japanese dispute, Roosevelt also mediated a conflict over the North African country of Morocco. In 1904 France and Great Britain signed a public treaty that granted France sole commercial rights in Morocco and Britain sole rights in Egypt. The German leader, Kaiser Wilhelm II, took this to be a threat to thwart German interests in Africa. Having heard of Roosevelt's hand in designing the Open Door Policy in China, the Kaiser asked Roosevelt to mediate the dispute in Morocco, hoping the President would side with Germany. Fearing a war between the European powers and the disruption it would cause to American trade, Roosevelt agreed to mediate at the Algeciras Conference, but not in person. He sent a delegate, Henry White, to preside for him. Contrary to the Kaiser's hopes, Roosevelt upheld the treaty between England and France, leaving Germany with nothing. Years later, several historians interpreted Roosevelt's decision as the first step in aligning the United States with England and France against Germany in World War I.



Though Roosevelt was great at comprimising in Europe he had trouble with England in the U.S. The claims on Alaska's boundary line between Alaska and the British-owned Canadian province of British Columbia were being challenged. This challenge outraged Roosevelt, who initially refused to negotiate the boundary line. He did eventually consent to arbitration by six impartial judges, three from the United States and three from Canada and Great Britain. Instead, however, Roosevelt sent three judges who were very partial to his interests: his Secretary of War Elihu Root,a former supportive Senator named George Turner, and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge who was arguably Roosevelt's closest and most trusted friend. These three convinced a judge from England to side with their pro-American viewpoint, and the United States won the dispute.




One place Roosevelts big stick was swung was in Latin America. After several revolutions Castro came to power in Venezuela, he wasn't doing to well in the econmic area of the government. Venezuela couldn't pay there debts but Germany was demanding payment. Germany blockaded five ports on the coast of Venezuela and bombarded one of its coastal bases. Roosevelt was appalled, he threatened war. With Roosevelt's intervention Germany and Venezuela continued peacefully.
Theodore Roosevelt, who believed in the sea power, also began the panama canal. (Britian in the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty in 1901 had given full rights to build a canal in South America to United States.) This made the U.S. able to get navy ships from one side of the United states to the other without sailing around South America. This he thought would make the United states more of a threat in war. The United States helped Panama by gaining independence in return to "rent" the land to build the canal.
"The canal," Roosevelt said, "was by far the most important action I took in foreign affairs during the time I was President. When nobody could or would exercise efficient authority, I exercised it."

Roosevelt signed the Gentlemen's Agreement which kept Chinese immigrants from coming into the United States. In return Theodore made San Francisco take away the Segregation of Japanese School children. This created a peace between Japanese and Western Americans.

Roosevelt added to the Monroe doctorine, the Roosevelt Corollary. This stated that the the United States would now use force to protect its economic interests in Latin America. He warned that disorder in Latin America might "force the United States......To the exercise of an international police power."