Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

ChapterOne

THE AMERICAN

FOREIGN POLICY

TRADITION

L

ordBryce,a BritishstatesmanwhoservedasBritain'sambassa-
dortotheUnitedStatesfrom 1907 to1913,oncewrotethatthe
roleofforeignpolicyinAmericanlifecouldbedescribedthewaytravel-
ersdescribedsnakesinIreland:"TherearenosnakesinIreland."I
ThatattheturnofthetwentiethcenturytheUnitedStateshadno
foreignpolicyworthnotingwasa viewthat,inretrospect,manyAmeri-
canswouldcometoshare.Howsucha viewaroseissomewhatmysteri-
ous.Americansof 1900 thoughttheyhadanactive, indeeda global,
foreignpolicy.TheSpanish-AmericanWarhadonlyrecentlyended,and
Americanforceswerestillinthemidstofa bitter"waragainstguerrilla
freedomfightersinthePhilippines.Itwasa time,infact,whenmany
Americanswerestruckbya sensethattheUnitedStateswascomingof
age."Th'simplehome-lovin'maidenthatourfathersknewhasdisap-
peared,"saidMr.Dooleyin19°2,"an'inherplacewefinda Columbya,
gintlemen,withmachurercharms,a knowledgeivEuro-peencustoms
an'notaversetoa cigareet."
InI 895 oneofAmerica'smanysuccessfulbutlargelyforgottensecre-
tariesofstate,RichardOlney,hadforcedtheBritishtobackdownina
boundarydisputebetweenBritishGuiana(nowGuyana)andVenezuela.
"TodaytheUnitedStates,"statedOlney,"ispracticallysovereignonthis
continent,anditsfiatislawupon thesubjectstowhichitconfinesits