d be a major financial burden. Imperialists thought that in order to be a true world power, America needed colonies and naval bases. In response, anti imperialists thought that the U.S. should be concentrated on domestic issues. Imperialists brought up the missionary cause, saying it was America’s duty to take care of the weak and poor of underdeveloped nations. However anti imperialists stated that non-whites could never be assimilated into American society. U.S. expansionists felt the U.S. would appear cowardly if it simply gave up territories, while those opposed to expansion said the U.S. would be involved in more wars. Finally to the imperialist it was only honorable to keep lands in which American blood was shed to obtain. To this the anti imperialists argued that it was a direct violation of a democracy to annex land and not offer the same rights as citizenship. While critics of imperialism envisioned a slow transformation into a militant hegemony requiring a large standing army, supporters generally ignored the arguments of its opponents.1889 marks the first U.S. effort to assume leadership of the Western Hemisphere. Secretary of State Thomas F. Bayard in 1888 invited Latin American nations to an inter - American conference, scheduled in Washington D.C. in 1889. Later, Secretary of State James G. Blaine established an international bureau designed to promote commercial and cultural exchanges between the U.S. and Latin America. These efforts of leadership were viewed with serious suspicion by Latin American countries. The U.S. then expressed increased aggressiveness when a boundary dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela flared up over gold deposits in an ambiguously claimed area. The U.S. citing the Monroe Doctrine stated that it would arbitrate the affair. A U.S. commission awarded the majority of the disputed land to Great Britain. This increased good feeling in Anglo - American relations, while dampen...
