h was not then
appreciated, to suggest to his mind the forecast that before the close
of his term questions of foreign policy would absorb the attention of
the American people and tax to the limit his own powers of mind and
body. It seems now a strange fact that neither in his writings nor in
his public addresses had President Wilson ever shown any marked
interest in questions of international law and diplomacy. He had, on
the contrary, made a life-long study of political organization and
legislative procedure. Those who knew him had always thought that he
was by nature fitted to be a great parliamentary leader and it soon
appeared that he had a very definite legislative program which he
intended to put through Congress. The foreign problems that confronted
him so suddenly and unexpectedly were doubtless felt to be annoying
distractions from the work which he had mapped out for himself and
which was far more congenial to his tastes. As time went by, however,
he was forced to give more and more thought to our relations with Latin
America on the one hand and to the European war on the other. His
ideas on international problems at first cautiously set forth, soon
caught step with the rapid march of events and guided the thought of
the world.

The Mexican situation, which reached a crisis a few days before Mr.
Wilson came into office, at once demanded his attention and led to the
enunciation of a general Latin-American policy. He had scarcely been
in office a week when he issued a statement which was forwarded by the
secretary of state to all American diplomatic officers in Latin
America. In it he said:

"One of the chief objects of my administration will be to cultivate the
friendship and deserve the confidence of our sister republics of
Central and South America, and to promote in every proper and honorable
way the interests which are common to the peoples of the two
continents. . . .

"The United States has nothing to seek in Central and South America
except the lasting interests of the peoples of the two continents, the
security of governments intended for the people and for no special
group or interest, and the development of personal and trade
relationships between the two continents which shall redound to the
profit and advantage of both, and interfere with the rights and
liberties of neither.

"From these principles may be read so much of the future policy of this
government as it is necessary now to f