Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. IV.djvu/161

THEODORE ROOSEVELT 125 took about a year and two months. Mr. Roose velt s enemies have always been particularly shocked at anything suggested by him that was particularly useful. This cruise was of inestimable value in training for the fleet and in aiding to establish satisfactory relations with other countries. Three memorable journeys, Mr. Root s to South America, Mr. Taft s and the fleet s round the world, are to be counted as the most signally excel lent steps of his administration apart from certain measures economic and humane carried through by his direction and influence. Mention should be made of a sanitary convention with eleven South American countries signed October 14, 1905, rati fied May 29, 1906, and a more important arrange ment of similar kind, concluded at Rome, Decem ber 9, 1907, and ratified February 10, 1908, with ten European nations and Egypt for the establish ment and regulation of the international office of public health. During the disturbances in South America and elsewhere, we had others at home, to some few of which allusion should be made. From March to July, 1906, there was a strike of bituminous coal miners sufficiently serious to call for the same sort of intervention from Mr. Roosevelt as the anthra cite coal strike had occasioned during his first term. Of this earlier intervention and its unprecedented character, the heads of the coal railroad could not