coast is just exactly as indefensible as if they should now
claim the island of Nantucket." He was willing, however, to refer the
question unconfused by other issues to a second Joint Commission of six.
The commission was duly constituted. There was no odd neutral member of
this body, as in an arbitration, but merely three representatives from
each side. Of the British representatives two were Canadians and the
third was the Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Alverstone.

But before the Commission met, the President took pains to have conveyed
to the British Cabinet, in an informal but diplomatically correct way,
his views and his intentions in the event of a disagreement. "I wish to
make one last effort," he said, "to bring about an agreement through the
Commission which will enable the people of both countries to say
that the result represents the feeling of the representatives of
both countries. But if there is a disagreement, I wish it distinctly
understood, not only that there will be no arbitration of the matter,
but that in my message to Congress I shall take a position which will
prevent any possibility of arbitration hereafter." If this should seem
to any one too vigorous flourishing of the "big stick," let him remember
that it was all done through confidential diplomatic channels, and
that the judgment of the Lord Chief Justice of England, when the final
decision was made, fully upheld Roosevelt's position.

The decision of the Commission was, with slight immaterial
modifications, in favor of the United States. Lord Alverstone voted
against his Canadian than colleagues. It was a just decision, as most
well-informed Canadians knew at the time. The troublesome question was
settled; the time-honored friendship of two great peoples had suffered
no interruption; and Roosevelt had secured for his country its just
due, without public parade or bluster, by merely being wise--and
inflexible--in time.

During the same early period of his Presidency, Roosevelt found himself
confronted with a situation in South America, which threatened a serious
violation of the Monroe Doctrine. Venezuela was repudiating certain
debts which the Venezuelan Government had guaranteed to European
capitalists. German capital was chiefly involved, and Germany proposed
to collect the debts by force. Great Britain and Italy were also
concerned in the matter, but Germany was the ringleader and the active
partner in the undertaking. Throughout