On the whole, as has already been noted, the history of American diplomacy from 1877 to 1897 is scarcely more than an account of a series of unrelated incidents. Not only did the foreign policy of Blaine differ sharply from that of Cleveland, but there was no great question upon which public interest came to a focus, except temporarily over the Venezuelan matter, and no lesser problems that continued long enough to challenge attention to the fact that they remained unsolved. There were visible, nevertheless, several important tendencies. Our attitude toward Samoa and Hawaii indicated that the instinctive desire to annex territory had not disappeared with the rounding out of the continental possessions of the United States; American interest in arbitration as a method of settling disputes was expressed again and again; the place of the Monroe doctrine in American international policy was clearly shown; and the determination of the United States to be heard in all affairs that touched her interests was demonstrated without any possibility of doubt. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE The most complete and reliable authority is J.B. Moore, _A Digest of International Law_ (8 vols. 1906), by one who was intimately connected with many of the incidents of which he wrote; the text of the treaties is in W.M. Malloy, _Treaties, Conventions, International Acts, etc., between the United States of America and other Powers_ (2 vols., 1910). Valuable single volumes are: J.B. Moore, _American Diplomacy_ (1905); and C.B. Fish, _American Diplomacy_ (1915). W.F. Johnson, _America's Foreign Relations_ (2 vols., 1916), is interesting but somewhat marred by the author's tendency to take sides on controversial points; see also J.B. Henderson, _American Diplomatic Questions_ (1901). J.S. Bassett, _Short History of the United States_ (1913), contains a brief and compact chapter. Essential material on particular incidents is found in the following. On Japan, "Our War with One Gun" in _New England Magazine_, XXVIII, 662; J.M. Callahan, _American Relations in the Pacific and the Far East_ (1901); W.E. Griffis, _Townsend Harris_ (1896). On Samoa, J.W. Foster, _American Diplomacy in the Orient_ (1903); R.L. Stevenson, _Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa_ (1892). On the seal fisheries, J.W. Foster, _Diplomatic Memoirs_ (2 vols., 1909). On Hawaii, Cleveland's message in J.D. Richardson, _Messages and Papers of the Presidents_, IX, 460. On Venezuela, Grover Cleveland, _Presidential Problems_, Chap. IV. * * * * * [1] The development of the United States as a commercial power was seen in the increased use of consuls as agents for procuring and publishing industrial and commercial information. [2] Cf. Fish, _American Diplomacy_, 398. [3] For later aspects of the controversy, see below, pp. 532-533. [4] Cf. map p. 10.