Judge — May 11, 1907 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This 1907 Judge cartoon satirizes President Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy approach. The caricatured figure—identifiable by the cowboy hat and distinctive mustache—represents Roosevelt wielding his famous "big stick" diplomacy (his policy of speaking softly while carrying a big stick). The cartoon depicts him holding a peace dove while simultaneously brandishing a large club, suggesting hypocrisy: Roosevelt promoted international peace negotiations while using aggressive domestic tactics. The naval vessels visible in the background reference American naval power projection abroad. The satire critiques the contradiction between Roosevelt's peaceful rhetoric on the world stage and his more forceful, interventionist approach to American matters at home—a commentary on the tension between his stated moderate goals and his actual methods.