William Howard Taft was President of the United States.
Biography[]
Secretary of War[]
Taft was Secretary of War under President Theodore Roosevelt during the Perdicaris Affair. It was he who suggested using the USS Cleveland.[1]
President[]
Taft was Roosevelt's handpicked successor, and became President in 1908. Among other breaks with Roosevelt's policies, Taft de-emphasized the importance of building up the United States Sky Fleet. Taft was President when the Empire of Japan set out on Operation Onryō, a fact key to their strategic planning: they did not expect him to respond with force. As expected, President Taft responded to the conquest of Chile with "[a] sternly worded letter", which inspired Roosevelt to run against his once-chosen successor.[2][3]
Historical Notes[]
Taft's foreign policy, contrary to what was shown in Midnight War, was that force would be used if necessary to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. However, that was never put to the test in so grievous a matter.