"'Certain Powers,' my foot," said the President. "Why don't we ever come out and just say it?"
"Policy," the Secretary said. "We've always walked softly in our Foreign Policy; especially softly in cases where we didn't have the 'big stick' to carry."
"Well," grumbled the President, "we've got the big stick now. What do we do with it?"
"We just want to shake it a bit," said the Secretary. "No contusions intended, of course. We just have to let them know we have it, but are too kind-hearted to use it. Unless provoked, naturally."
"I can see," said the President, "that this new plane is burning a hole in your pocket. Suppose we do send it flying over Rus—"
"Mister President!" said the Secretary of Defense.
The President sighed. "All right, all right. Flying over 'Certain Areas,' then. Let's say we get it there. Fine. What do we do with it? Drop leaflets?"
"No. That comes under the proselytizing clause in the Geneva Conference of '59."
"I don't suppose a small—well, you know."
"Aggression," said the Secretary. "We'd lose face in the Middle East."