Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-27
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
WHAT BEN BUTLER SAYS ABOUT IT.
How He Would Haze Played II Fine On
the Other Fsbw-The Admin
istratiop Hss Made A Ness
OF h.
Ran Ruilsr on plundsr.

WASHINGTON, Aarch 26.-"Whai do
you think OF the Administrations posi-
ton in regard v the Monroe Doctrine2'
queried you correspondent to-day OF
Gen. Butler, who Q just back from Mass
achusetts, and was rs full of busincs. as
ever at his law ofIiee on Capitol iiill.
81 think the Administration has made
mess OF it," he replied, ut has sue
ceeded in making ~ tho laughing stock
oi tho civilized world Why, just seq
what position wo are in. We
have navy which Is not able to cope
with the navies Of eithcrSpain, Italy,
France, Germany or Eugland-at least
with all n them combined and yet we
have sereed notice upon them all that
We intend tO ma,u,xn absolute control
on this continent, and are ready Ia go to
war about II. although the whole civil
ICED world knows that We are not. We
have pretty good navy for the defense
ui our harhors and coasts, hut We are
IN no condition whatever to engage IN a
general naval conflict, either at the
Isthmus Of Panama or elsewhere
Correspondent YOU think II was
possible to ayuid getting into such n
position?
General Butler Why, easily enough.
We are not yet ready, as a nation, Ia
build u canal across the lsthmus, aud
We do not want any body else 10 build
IT, That is all there is ia the situation,
and all We want t1 do is to prevent any
body from building ituntil We get ready
to. Now, suppose the President had
scut 10 Congress II message, carefully
wurdcd, VI course. something
after this fashion IL Il we'll
established policy OF this govern.
mcnt that no foreign nation can
hr allowed to Interfere IN the affairs ol
this coutiucut tn our dctrlmcnt The
building ni ship canal across the 18TH
mus ui Panama would he equivalent to
placing ships aud guns oil the harbor ri
san Francisco, and therefore could not
hc permitted lay this government, and !
therefore deem II advisable that Con
grvsS should juIu with the President IN
notifying all foreign powers this is
the position ui this government
upon .hs question, and that an at
tempt ON the part oi any power 10
build such canal would bc regarded by
this Government ~ an Unlricndly act,
aud further. that II, ia spite OF this no
tlCc, any foreign power should build
this canal across the lslhmuS, thus ,ruv.
crnmcnt would claim the right at ANY
limo when IN It's judgment 1t sccmcd
necessary tp take possession Ot such
canal, without regard to any property
rights that might he invested init. Such
a course, said the General, with
one oi his queer little
Smiles, would, in my judgement,
pretty rilrctually prevent the building OF
a canal across the lsthmus until We gut
ready t. build It, iur do not think that
any very great amount OF capital would
be invested in such an enterprise, IN the
lace Of such notice, aud W. should bc
IN the position not ol having asserted
that W. are ready to - TO war with all
the great Powers combined, and that II,
at any time, all or any Of them under
took Ia do this thing, which We do not
want them To do, We should begin to get
ready.