in 1887-1907 morgan played a leading role on the powerful foreign relations committee. he called for a canal linking the atlantic and pacific oceans through nicaragua, enlarging the merchant marine and the navy, and acquiring hawaii, puerto rico, the philippines, and cuba. he expected latin american and asian markets would become a new export market for alabama's cotton, coal, iron, and timber. the canal would make trade with the pacific much more feasible, and an enlarged military would protect that new trade. by 1905, most of his dreams had become reality, with of course the canal going through panama instead of nicaragua.