The Berlin Conference was called. They adopted an agreement that allowed a European nation to lay claim to an area of Africa.
This is how Britain and Germany's competing claims over East Africa were settled.
The neutrality act stated that we were neutral. It was sorta the law. Then he sent troops to China which was sort of a f the law statement. He blatantly just broke those laws.
U.S government hope this helps
Westerners wanted to spread the religion, so manufactured goods, and gain territory to compete with other countries.