Quotes about Diplomacy

Why should [Uncle Sam] send 20 billion dollars down there [South America], which is going to go down the drain every time you have a racial in - incident in this country?

Peace by persuasion has a pleasant sound, but I think we should not be able to work it. We should have to tame the human race first, and history seems to show that that cannot be done.

And always we had wars, and more wars, and still other wars--all over Europe, all over the world. Sometimes in the private interest of royal families, Satan said, sometimes to crush a weak nation; but never a war started by the aggressor for any clean purpose--there is no such war in the history of the race.

Third, we must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy but to win his friendship and understanding. At times we are able to humiliate our worst enemy. Inevitably, his weak moments come and we are able to thrust in his side the spear of defeat. But this we must not do. Every wood and deed must contribute to an understanding with the enemy and release those vast reservoirs of goodwill that have been blocked by impenetrable walls of hate.

You have all the cleverness which makes a successful man. Have you the tact?

The Lord deals with the nations as the nations deal with the Jews.

We Americans have no commission from God to police the world.

One cannot reject an entire nation because of the politics of its leader.

I remember the last three days that I was president, I never went to bed at all. I never went to bed until we had negotiated the final release of the hostages.

We'll hold out our hand; they have to unclench their fist.

Tact is a faculty for meandering around to a given point instead of making a bee-line.

Never argue. In society nothing must be; give only results. If any person differs from you, bow, and turn the conversation.