Mostly true. But first, let's consider the reality of the time. Pres. Theodore Roosevelt was eager to see the Canal built, because it would be good for U.S. businesses (it would make shipping goods much quicker). Similarly, pro-business newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, who was very influential in those days, also was eager to see it built. As for the public, in that era before radio or TV, when people relied on what they read in the newspapers and magazines, many Americans were unfamiliar with the project (they knew very little about the region); others were skeptical-- they thought the money it would cost to built the canal could be better spent elsewhere.But Pres. Roosevelt believed it would be a good idea to do it, so in 1902, the U.S. government acquired the rights to build the canal, while the US negotiated a treaty with Columbia (which owned the isthmus of Panama at that time). The project, when approved, was supposed to cost about $40 million, and as I said, many Americans couldn't see the benefit to spending that much money. Newspaper owner Mr. Hearst advocated for the project, as did some other business leaders. But it also took some Behind the Scenes efforts that Americans undoubtedly were never told at that time, because the treaty between Colombia and the U.S. had become stalled.Pres. Roosevelt (along with various business interests) soon grew impatient; they wanted the canal project to get moving. In the end, Mr. Roosevelt agreed to collaborate with some Panamanian businessmen to create a revolution against Columbia and win the rights to Panama. The revolution was fast and effective, and the U.S. forces triumphed. By early November 1903, the new nation of Panama was born, but while it seemed to be independent, it was really controlled by the U.S. and business interests friendly to the American government. (In fact, the U.S. even wrote the Panamanian constitution.) The canal eventually did get built, and although none of it was done honestly, it got done. So, yes, it is true that Mr. Roosevelt never overtly took up arms or fired any shots. But there is evidence that he encouraged and promoted the actions that led to the plot and the ultimate takeover of Panama. Whether the public at that time thought he was unethical is a good question: chances are, most Americans had no idea how the canal finally got built.