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CHAPTER XV

Asserting the Monroe Doctrine
THE   VENEZUELA   AFFAIR
the  powers   (to   President   Roosevelt) :   " Would  you mind caging yonder bird  for  me?"
From the Pioneer Press   (St.  Paul)

-3=*-'
TO ROOSEVELT From Tagarela  (Rio Janeiro)
THE    INTERNATIONAL    ALPHONSE    AND    GASTON
alphonse   roosevelt :   " You   arbitrate   it,   my   dear Gaston."
From  the Journal   (Minneapolis)
(The above cartoon is from a weekly journal of politics and affairs published at Rio de Janeiro,—of course, in the Portuguese language,—called Tagarela. It Is accompanied by a poem in four stanzas, which accuses the United States, under the tutelage of Roosevelt, of wishing to carry on further annexation. But this policy, it declares, has its dangers and anxieties ; and while the " Monroe crowd" may push their policy by force in other directions, Brazil won't stand it,—" no, sir " (nao senhor) ! " Why," says this Portuguese rhymster, " do you send your iron tub, which you call by the Indian name lowat If you propose to put your claws on Acre, you had better leave; " with more to the same effect.)

84

A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

 

THE MONROE DOCTRINE
(A resounding word in the President's mouth.) From Nebelspalter (Zurich)
E
ARLY in 1903 several situations gave opportunity for the fresh declaration by Mr. Roosevelt of our interest in the affairs of the Latin-American republics, in accordance with the spirit of the Monroe Doctrine. The subjects of several European powers were in despair of being able to obtain compensation for claims due them froni the government of Venezuela. A number of American citizens were in the same plight. A joint naval expedition was undertaken by Germany, France, and Holland to blockade Venezuelan coasts, seize ports and custom houses, and collect by force the sums considered by them to be due to their subjects.
Our government did not wish to see even a temporary occupation of South American soil by European governments on the pretext of collecting private debts. We. were able to persuade President Castro on the one hand and the European powers on the other, to send representatives to Washington in order to ascertain what sums were fairly due under the claims. We then undertook to see that such claims as were allowed should in due time be paid. The position of our government made some sensation in Europe and a profound impression in South America.

OUR TURBULENT NEIGHBORS   TO  THE   SOUTH
(Teddy no sooner turns his back than the children begin to make trouble.)
From  Pasguino   (Turin)

THE ADOPTED CHILD
me. roosevelt : " It'll be some time before he's fully developed, but I expect he'll be big enough to help me in 1904 in the Presidential fight."
From the Moon  (Toronto)

Asserting the Monroe Doctrine

85

k±^=_

THE   TEACHER   AND   THE   PUPILS
roosevelt to the senate :  " Boys,  this hurts me more than it does you."
(President   Roosevelt,   having  made   plans   for  a   Western   vacation  tour,  is  anxiously  awaiting  the  close of the Congressional session.)—From the Inquirer   (Philadelphia)
Our general attitude toward Latin America was the more sharply observed, because at that time we were in the thick of negotiations preliminary to constructing the Trans-Isthmian Canal. The war with Spain had brought that long-dreamed-of project into the domain of actual possibilities. We had sent the battleship Oregon on a memorable voyage from the Pacific Coast around the continent of South America, to join our fleet in Cuban waters and strengthen it for the attack upon the Spanish squadron. We had realized the need of a canal for the sake of better protection of both coasts.
Furthermore, our new insular possessions in both oceans called for the Panama Canal as a logical sequel. A French company had obtained from the Republic of Colombia the necessary concession to dig a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. Many millions had been unwisely spent, great corruption and scandal had attended the history of the company in France, the enterprise had failed, and private capital was not available to resume it. Our American engineers for many years had preferred the Nicaragua route, and a private company had been formed which had made some beginnings. But the inevitable conclusion had been reached that no canal in the near future could be constructed, by

86

A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

THE   MASTER   OF   THE   WORLD
pope  roosevelt :  " All  that lies  to  the left  of
this mark comes under the American political sphere
—and all on the right belongs to American trade."
From Liistlge Blatter

NO DISARMAMENT (The  "Big Stick"  is needed  for evils at  home  as
well  as for possible  use  abroad.) From the Gazette-Times  (Pittsburg)
columbia : " Pianissimo, Teddy !: From the Sun   (Baltimore)

PRESIDENT  ROOSEVELT  AND  OLD  EUROPE From Le Hire (Paris)

Asserting the Monroe Doctrine

87

TOS EOTS Of TC00SS
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either route, unless the United States Government should make a public enterprise of it and provide the necessary millions.
The country was almost unanimously prepared to proceed with the Nicaragua work when, by the efforts of the friends of the Panama scheme, a board of engineers was authorized to report upon the engineering and financial feasibility of both routes. It had been decided finally that Panama should be preferred if the assets of the French company could be bought for not more than $40,000,000. The next step was the drafting of a treaty with Colombia through Minister Herran and President Maroquin. Congress was called in special session to ratify this treaty, and also to pass upon the new constitution for the Republic of Cuba.
This constitution, with the significant part of which Secretary

A PRACTICAL FORESTER A subject that had attention all through Mr.
Roosevelt's Presidency.) From the Pioneer Press (St. Paul)

A GRIZZLY  PATH:   PRESIDENT  ROOSEVELT   AND   THE   TRUSTS
president roosevelt: "Is it safe to shoot?" the beak: "Does he mean business?"
From the  Westminster Budget   (London)

A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career

THEODORE   ROOSEVELT,   PRESIDENT   OF   THE  UNITED   STATES From Kladdcradatsch (Berlin)

Asserting the Monroe Doctrine

89

Root was identified, was one of the most important acts of statesmanship of all our recent history. It brought Cuba perpetually under our guaranty of internal order and financial responsibility.
The special session ended, Mr. Roosevelt was off for a Western trip, where in the Rocky Mountains he hunted the grizzly bear. He returned to a summer at Oyster Bay, where many questions of interest came before him, one of them being the endeavor to present to the Russian government the American view of the treatment of Jews in the Czar's dominions.
Another question of exceptional interest, relating also to our position on the North American continent, was the dispute with Canada regarding the Alaska boundary. This was settje_d by a tribunal, of an arbitral nature, composed of Americans on one side and Canadians and Englishmen on the other. It was a great triumph to have settled the Alaska boundary by amicable methods, and to have retained our unbroken coast-line as we had bought it from Russia.

ROOSEVELT   AND   THE    CZAR,—A   FRIENDLY
,	EXCHANGE
" You cut up your Jews,  I'll burn my negroes ; " or,  " Little presents  preserve friendships."
From Kladdcradatsch (Berlin)

ONE LITTLE MATCH MIGHT HAVE FIEED OFF THE   WHOLE  BUNCH
From the Tribune (Minneapolis)

VACATION  DAYS AT  OYSTER BAY From the Tribune  (Minneapolis)

Copyright, 1903, by Collier's Weekly.
SARGENT'S PORTRAIT OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
(John  S.  Sargent,  the   eminent   portrait painter,  painted   a  picture of President Roosevelt  in  1903,  which met   with   favor   at   the   White House   and  lias   remained  there as the official portrait.)