Speak softly and carry a big stick was a West African proverb Roosevelt had tried out once, as Vice President, and memorized as a personal mantra. Perhaps the current situation would enable him to test its effectiveness, starting with the soft speech. "If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble; but neither will speaking softly avail, if back of the softness there does not lie strength, powers."
Theodore Rex
by Edmund Morris
(The following situation being referenced is when Britain and Germany formed a blockade around Venezula for not paying it's debt to them.)
A good example is when Germany and Britain put a blockade around Venezula. Remember, at the time Britain had the greatest navy force of anyone. Roosevelt made it clear that he would maintain the Monroe doctrine and not allow a foreign power to make a land grab in the Americas. Also, Roosevelt had lived for a while in Germany and traveled Europe on many occassions. He had contacts in both countries and understand that in particular the Kaiser had ambitions towards the Americas. The stated reason Germany and Britain put the blockade up was because Venezula owed them large amounts of money and had not been paying. Roosevelt understood all this and ordered Dewey to move most of our fleet south toward Venezula. At the same time, he negotiated behind the scenes with the Kaiser. I don't remember the details of the deal, but I do remember the emphasis on discretion and being smart enough not to slap the Kaiser in the face publicly. All was settled without a shot fired.
This is from my memory (from reading the biography by Edmund Morris) and may not be entirely accurrate about the details, but the point is clear. He stood ground against world powers that were both friend and foe and used diplomacy as well as military strength intelligently and to his advantage.
Sara 
"I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell." - Harry Truman
