A stronger navy made the doctrine credible

Roosevelt called the United States Navy the government's strong arm in international affairs and urged that shipbuilding continue without pause. The isthmian canal, trade with Asia, protection of citizens abroad, and enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine all created commitments that could not rest on declarations alone. Roosevelt warned that abandoning the naval program would turn American policy into a boastful sham. By this period, treaties submitted to the Senate gave parts of Roosevelt's program more legal standing than Monroe's uncodified speech, even as Americans treated the original doctrine as an article of faith. Fleet investment and legal authority had both become part of foreign-policy credibility.