Norwich bulletin., 1920-06-11
Five Minutes a Day
With Our Presidents
Copyright 1s2o-By James Morgan

LxxVn-THE BIG STICK
1sOS-Feb. s, Roosevelt induced
Great Britain and Germany to
afbitrate with Venzuela.
November The Panama Rey6-
luton.
l9O5-May IL, Brought Russia and
Japan to agree to discuss
peace.
Aug. 80, The Peace of Ports
mouth.
iS0e-R5osevelt awarded the Nobel
Peace prize.
At the outset of the Roosevelt's adj
ministration a fearful citizen begged the
Rough Rider not to permit his fighting
spirit to plunge the country into an in
ternationai war What the presidents
exclaimed "A war, and l cooped up
here in the White House? Never"
Many forgot the first half of the old
motto that Roosevelt made his own.
Speak softly and carry a big stick No
man ever had simpler faith in the eff,
ficacy of first talking it over man
fashion, with an adversary, whether a
senator or an ambassador.
The meddlesome German kaiser was
the earliest to feel the big stick to sac
if it was ony stuffed with straw. Ger
many and Tory government Of England
were on the point of Selling territory as
/ a security for some claims against Ven
ezuelan citizens, when Roosevelt sue
ceeded in dissuading England from such
a 50 but he failed to induce Germany
to al =. 4trate the matter Thereupon he
tod the German ambassador that unless
the Berlin government consented to ar
bitratioh in 10 days, he would send Ad-
| niiral Dewey to stop the Germans from
landing in Venezuela. The ambassador
protesting that the kaiser could not back
down now, Roosevelt replied that he was
not arguing with him, but was simply
telling him what would happen.
| After waiting week without an an
swer from Berlin, he told the ambassador
| that he was going to cut the limit to
| nine days and that unless Germany
| agreed in 4S hours to arbitrate, Dewey
| would sail In So hours the ambassador
| came back with a message announcing
4 that Germany consented, and the pres
| iient ehuekling behind a straight face,
| publicly praised the kaiser to the skies
as a devoted friend of the great princi-
pie of arbitration.
| Europe was as quick as America to
| see that. there was strong man in the
| White Rouse. Although as intensely
| American as any president. Roosevelt was
| also a man of the great world, who in
terested foreigners hardly less than he
| interested his own people. the kaiser alone
| rivaling him in international celebrity
4 Il saw two tremendous forces of nature
while I was gone John Morley said or
his return to England from America
| zone was Niagara Falls and the other The
! President of the United States, and
am not sure which is The more wonder
\ full
I Germany replaced her ambassador al
1 Washington with an cid personal FRIEND
of the president, and the kaiser sent hi
brother, Prince Henry, to this country OF
an errand Of propa ga nda. Not to be out
done, France dispatched a distinguished
embassy and also chose for Ambassador
NJ. Jusserahd. who could not only tail
books with Roosevelt bit who could al
SO quality for thu .'1'e.5nis Cabinet
which took the place in this athletic 81
ministration- of the Kitchen Cabinet
England cast aside her trained diplomat
to send to Washington James Bryce tn
/ best liked Engiishfnan in America. Mean
while enperors and kings entered int
personal correspondence with the repub
lfcan magistrate as if he were an init
mate Of the royal circle.
In good time, Roosevelt employed tn
3 influence Of his unique position before tn
s world to bring to an end the Eiisso-Jap
G anese war. Shfewdly choosing the rich
r moment to step in, he appealed to til
two belligereTts with a common sers
and a simple directhess that a frien
: would use in bringing together Two quar-
, relsorne nsighbors. AfterWare lie steer
, ed the Peace Conferences at Portsfnout
4 against its Wfll steadily toward a peac
! of reconciliation, an Impatient Russia
declaring that his steel wrist hammer