to“speaksoftlyandcarryabigstick。”
Aprimeneedforournation，asofcourseforeveryothernation，istomakeupitsminddefinitelywhatitwishes，andnottotrytopursuepathsofconductincompatibleonewiththeother。IfthisnationiscontenttobetheChinaoftheNewWorld，thenandthenonlycanitaffordtodoawaywiththenavyandthearmy。IfitiscontenttoabandonHawaiiandthePanamaCanal，toceasetotalkoftheMonroeDoctrine，andtoadmittherightofanyEuropeanorAsiaticpowertodictatewhatimmigrantsshallbesenttoandreceivedinAmerica，andwhetherornottheyshallbeallowedtobecomecitizensandholdland——why，ofcourse，ifAmericaiscontenttohavenothingtosayonanyofthesemattersandtokeepsilentinthepresenceofarmedoutsiders，thenitcanabandonitsnavyandagreetoarbitrateallquestionsofallkindswitheveryforeignpower。Insucheventitcanaffordtopassitssparetimeinonecontinuousroundofuniversalpeacecelebrations，andofsmugself-satisfactioninhavingearnedthederisionofallthevirilepeoplesofmankind。Thosewhoadvocatesuchapolicydonotoccupyaloftyposition。Butatleasttheirpositionisunderstandable。
Itisentirelyinexcusable，however，totrytocombinetheunreadyhandwiththeunbridledtongue。Itisfollytopermitfreedomofspeechaboutforeignersaswellasourselves——andthepeace-at-any-
pricepersonsaremuchtoofeebleafolktotrytointerferewithfreedomofspeech——andyettotrytoshirktheconsequencesoffreedomofspeech。Itisfollytotrytoabolishournavy，andatthesametimetoinsistthatwehavearighttoenforcetheMonroeDoctrine，thatwehavearighttocontrolthePanamaCanalwhichweourselvesdug，thatwehavearighttoretainHawaiiandpreventforeignnationsfromtakingCuba，andarighttodeterminewhatimmigrants，AsiaticorEuropean，shallcometoourshores，andthetermsonwhichtheyshallbenaturalizedandshallholdlandandexerciseotherprivileges。Wearearichpeople，andanunmilitarypeople。Ininternationalaffairsweareashort-sightedpeople。ButIknowmycountrymen。Downatbottomtheirtemperissuchthattheywillnotpermanentlytolerateinjusticedonetothem。InthelongruntheywillnomorepermitaffrontstotheirNationalhonorthaninjuriestotheirnationalinterest。Suchbeingthecase，theywilldowelltorememberthatthesurestofallwaystoinvitedisasteristobeopulent，aggressiveandunarmed。
ThroughoutthesevenandahalfyearsthatIwasPresident，Ipursuedwithoutfalteringoneconsistentforeignpolicy，apolicyofgenuineinternationalgoodwillandofconsiderationfortherightsofothers，andatthesametimeofsteadypreparedness。Theweakestnationsknewthatthey，nolessthanthestrongest，weresafefrominsultandinjuryatourhands；andthestrongandtheweakalikealsoknewthatwepossessedboththewillandtheabilitytoguardourselvesfromwrongorinsultatthehandsofanyone。