The English and Italians agreed, before long, to
arbitrate their difficulty with Venezuela, and moreover they had
no intention of seizing land. The German plan was quite different.
They threatened to bombard Venezuelan towns, and we know enough
now of their methods to say that they were hoping for something
which might serve as an excuse for landing troops and taking
possession of towns and territory. This was in defiance of our
Monroe Doctrine; it aimed at setting up an Emperor's colonies in
South America, and putting the peace of both South and North
America into danger. Mr. Roosevelt did not mean to allow it. But
consider the situation. Germany was the foremost military power of
the world. Her army was almost the greatest; probably the best
trained and equipped. Ours was one of the smallest. Germany was
not engaged in difficulties elsewhere. She faced us across no
barriers but the sea. No great French and British armies held the
lines against her, as they did in later years when once more she
threatened America. No mighty British fleet held the seas and kept
the German Navy cooped up where it could do no harm,--except to
such merchant ships, passenger steamers and hospital boats as it
could strike from under the water. We faced Germany alone. But we
had two means of defense. One of them was Admiral Dewey and his
ships. The first of them, however, and the only one needed, was
the cool-headed and brave-hearted man in the White House.
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