Emma-Li Kissinger

Ms. Martin
Honors English 10
23 January 2014
3-3 Process Paper: In the Garden of Beasts

After much rejection from his first choices, President Roosevelt finally found a willing
candidate, William E. Dodd, for the position of American Ambassador to Germany. Dodd, the
chairman of the history department at the University of Chicago, proved to be anything but the
typical choice for the position compared to his fellow colleagues and past ambassadors. Because
of his different priorities and mind sets than those that the job entitles, lack of political
experience, and opposition to many of Roosevelts goals, Dodd unknowingly confirms that he
was not the best choice and does not have the right credentials for an American Ambassador.
Even since the beginning, Dodd has stated that his Old South was his number one priority
on multiple occasions. Becoming an American Ambassador to Germany would not give him the
time he wants to concentrate on finishing his four-volume series. Hes even contemplated the
fact that he wants, a sinecure, a job that was not too demanding yet that would provide stature
and a living wage and, most important, leave him plenty of time to write this despite his
recognition that serving as a diplomat was not something to which his character was well suited,
(14). An American Ambassador does not fit this description. Dodd will not have the easy job he
wants, and he might not be able to complete the assignments to the satisfaction of Roosevelt
because of this unrealistic mindset. He lacks the drive to complete the tasks that are vital to the
United States as an American Ambassador, instead choosing himself as his ultimate priority.
Besides the fact that he doesnt have the same priorities, Dodd also only has a
background in history. His knowledge of politics and diplomacy lacks in such a way that it
would be difficult for him to understand many situations an American Ambassador might go
through daily pertaining to foreign affairs. The closest hes come to having any political
experience was his visit to Woodrow Wilson. Furthermore, politicians need to be assertive when
dealing with the affairs of other countries, especially Nazi Germany. They cant be fragile as
Messersmith described Dodd (45). Dodd did not have the experiences to gain the knowledge and
confidence that many of the Germans he will be dealing with will possess. As a result, he will
not have the necessary skill sets to become a successful politician and ambassador
In addition to his absence of political knowledge, Dodd also had other ideas in mind
rather than what President Roosevelt wanted to achieve. To Roosevelt, the most pressing
problem with Germany was their refusal to pay the $1.2 billion dollars that they owed to
American creditors (19). When meeting with a number of bank executives to discuss the issue of
Germanys debt, Dodd displayed very little interest on the problems at hand. Instead, he decided
that there were most likely more pressing issues than preventing the politically erratic country
from defaulting. If Dodd is not on board with the Presidents ideas, he cannot fulfill the countries
needs, further adding to his inapt abilities to satisfy the demands of his diplomatic position.
Repeatedly, Dodd has proved that he is not the right candidate for this type of position in
Germany. There he will have to negotiate with Germanys leaders who will have far more
advantages than he does. With a combination of different priorities and mindsets, a lack of
political experience and knowledge, and oppositions to Roosevelts goals, Dodd shows he is not
right for the job.