Friendly Relations Quotes
Like many of Jefferson’s ideas, this one had great merit but could not be enforced. The idea was to establish “trading houses” amongst the Indians which would operate on a NON PROFIT basis. However, fraud and corruption on the part of the managers of these trading houses in most cases left the Indians with far less than the fair market value of their goods and the “white” commodities were sold at inflated prices. Jefferson also believed in minimal government so he never set up any kind of audit mechanism or supervisory system of the “trading houses” and instead of helping the Indians often cheated them even more than private traders would.
Actually drafted by Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles
This was issued in response to Germany issuing a warning that neutral ships might be in danger in their sea war with England -- {583920}. And it was just such an attack on an American Ship that brought America into the First World War.