Teddy Roosevelt would presumably be pleased. President Trump spoke loudly and swung a big stick in Panama’s direction, and it produced instantaneous results on Sunday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the small Central American nation.

Regardless of how Panama, or the rest of the world feels, Trump has made his intentions for the Panama Canal known. He sees it as being of vital economic, diplomatic and military interest to the US and he wants it back. It is clear from his inaugural address that he believes he has legal cause to take such action.