If in the next year or two the figures of immigration prove that the
arrangement which has worked so successfully during the last six months
is no longer working successfully, then there would be ground for
grievance and for the reversal by the National Government of its present
policy. But at present the policy is working well, and until it works
badly it would be a grave misfortune to change it, and when changed it
can only be changed effectively by the National Government.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
In foreign and domestic affairs alike the policy pursued during my
Administration was simple. In foreign affairs the principle from which
we never deviated was to have the Nation behave toward other nations
precisely as a strong, honorable, and upright man behaves in dealing
with his fellow-men. There is no such thing as international law in the
sense that there is municipal law or law within a nation. Within the
nation there is always a judge, and a policeman who stands back of the
judge. The whole system of law depends first upon the fact that there is
a judge competent to pass judgment, and second upon the fact that there
is some competent officer whose duty it is to carry out this judgment,
by force if necessary.
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