Lodge believed in the value of the country’s commerce while perceiving England’s construction of locations in the West Indies as a threat to the US seaboard. In lieu of that, he called for the construction of the Nicaragua Canal. Aside from that, the author demands that the people should control their reputation in Samoa and govern the Hawaiian Islands. These measures, as he believed, would help create a strong navy to defend the country.
Besides these factors, Henry believed that small nations were no longer relevant as a phenomenon. He explained it by stating that modernity is aimed at grouping people into larger ones and big dominions. The writer believed that imperialism “is a movement which makes for civilization and the advancement of the race” (Lodge, n.d.). The viewpoint was concluded by his emphasizing the importance of the country’s honor and dignity.
In my opinion, the argument that referred to modern tendencies was the strongest. While America was and still is a young country, it aimed towards its own ideas of progress while relying on what other “great nations” interpreted as such as well. The US was in dire need of building and securing a reputation in the global community, which makes the international argument rather credible.
The weakest argument, however, was the statement that small states had no future. This statement felt rather dismissive, as Lodge, in a way, repeated the very mistake he complained about ignoring foreign interests (Lodge, n.d.). However, this could be somehow explained by the fact that he viewed the United Kingdom’s actions as a large threat due to its size and influence, while said small locations did not have the same number of resources. Although this could clarify why the author invalidated smaller countries, this did not make the argument any less ignorant or irrational.
Reference
Lodge, H. C. (n.d.). Henry Cabot Lodge [PDF document].