Theodore Roosevelt and His Times: A Chronicle of the Progressive MovementHowland, Harold
History
Theodore Roosevelt and His Times: A Chronicle of the Progressive Movement
Howland, Harold
Progressive Party (1912); Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
The treaty as finally ratified differed in some particulars from the
protocol. In the protocol the United States agreed "to respect the
complete territorial integrity of the Dominican Republic." This covenant
was omitted in the final document in deference to Roosevelt's opponents
who could see no difference between "respecting" the integrity of
territory and "guaranteeing" it. Another clause pledging the assistance
of the United States in the internal affairs of the Republic, whenever
the judgment of the American Government deemed it to be wise, was also
omitted. The provision of the protocol making it the duty of the United
States to deal with the various creditors of the Dominican Republic in
order to determine the amount which each was to receive in settlement
of its claims was modified so that this responsibility remained with the
Government of the Republic. In Roosevelt's opinion, these modifications
in the protocol detracted nothing from the original plan. He ascribed
the delay in the ratification of the treaty to partisanship and
bitterness against himself; and it is certainly true that most of the
treaty's opponents were his consistent critics on other grounds.
A considerable portion of Roosevelt's success as a diplomat was the
fruit of personality, as must be the case with any diplomat who makes
more than a routine achievement. He disarmed suspicion by transparent
honesty, and he impelled respect for his words by always promising or
giving warning of not a hairsbreadth more than he was perfectly willing
and thoroughly prepared to perform. He was always cheerfully ready
to let the other fellow "save his face." He set no store by public
triumphs. He was as exigent that his country should do justly as he was
insistent that it should be done justly by. Phrases had no lure for him,
appearances no glamour.
It was inevitable that so commanding a personality should have an
influence beyond the normal sphere of his official activities. Only a
man who had earned the confidence and the respect of the statesmen of
other nations could have performed such a service as he did in 1905
in bringing about peace between Russia and Japan in the conflict then
raging in the Far East. It was high time that the war should end, in
the interest of both contestants. The Russians had been consistently
defeated on land and had lost their entire fleet at the battle of
Tsushima. The Japanese were apparently on the highroad to victory. But
in reality, Japan's success had been bought at an exorbitant price.
Intelligent observers in the diplomatic world who were in a position to
realize the truth knew that neither nation could afford to go on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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