The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-18
DOGMAS AND DOCTRINE,
Canning, Not Monroe, Declared
to Be the Author of the
Policy.
HAVE NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE.
English Newspapers Say the United i:
States Should Not Enter the :.
Controversy. j.

LONDON. Enc, Dec. 1.-THE Daily :.
News, commenting on President Cleve-
lands message to Congress on the Ven-.
ezuelan question, will to- morrow say: =
"The Presidents communication is a re- :.
markable document, though its conse- {.
quences are not likely to be serious. i.
Neither Mr.. Olney nor the President seems
to realize that the Monroe doctrine cannot :
be quoted as authoritative in negotiations
with foreign power.
"Both of them are certainly as far as pos
sible from suspecting that the real author
of the doctrine was Canning, not Monroe.
Great Britain in 1923 was jealous of the
Spanish encroachments in South America
and induced Monroe to protest against
European aggression on American soil. :.
The seventy-two years that have since.
elapsed have entirely changed the situa- :
ton. The Monroe doctrine is now purely ..
of historical interest.
"There can be no doubt that the theory
enunciated in 1923 dealt with the acquisi-
ton of fresh territory and had nothing to
do with disputes regarding the boundaries
of territories already appropriated. The
definition of the doctrine, however, is !.
binds nobody else.
1.-The Venezuelan difficulty must be con-
sidered on it's own merits. This is what
Lord Salisbury has said in q mastery dis
patch. AS he has refused general, unre-
stricted arbitration, upon which, by the
way, the Monroe doctrine is silent, it must j.
be assumed that he would not assent to
the mode of ascertaining the rights of the
r&;o
President. in his account OF the doctrine, :
surrenders the whole case. What Monroe
meant was that the United States would
resent any Europe an attempt to establish ),
any monarchical systems on the American;
continent.
"That was a serious consideration in
1923; it is altogether obsolete now. But :.
what has all this to do with the boundaries.
of Venezuela? The President proves too
much. 1t follows from the message that :.
Guiana, and indeed Canada, have no.
right of independent existence on Ameri-
can soil. =
"Mr. Cleveland begs the whole question
and misrepresents it besides, when he SAYS
that this country is seeking to extend the
limits of British Guiana. This country is
doing nothing of the kind. Venezuela: :
British. If to resist this claim be breach
of the Monroe doctrine, that doctrine is an
intolerable pretense.
"The concluding portions of Mr.. Cleve-.
lands message are not expressed in the
language usually employed by one friendly
power to another. They are aggressive
even menacing. England is threatened
with war unless she permits Mr.. Cleveland
to arbitrate the boundaries OF Venezuela.
Happily there is some sense of humor in
the American people. The message puts
the Republicans in a hole. If they agree
to the appointment of a commission they
will give Mr.. Cleveland such credit as be-
longs to it, and will enable him or the
Democratic candidate to pose as an accom-
plished twister of the lions tail. If, on
the other hand, they refuse to agree to the
commission they will give the Democrats
a chance of accusing them of being serviIe
friends the British, but the great body
of the rican public will not be led by
any such motive or considerations. -
"The ordinary American citizen cares
nothing for Venezuela, and has no feeling
against this country. He might be very
jealous for the Monroe doctrine when it :.
really defends American interests, but the
idea of making himself responsible for the
concerns Of every South American repub-
lie is too absurd for him to regard it se-
riously.
at is not correct to say that Lord Sails
bury has altogether rejected the idea OF ar
bitration. On the contrary, he has
partially accepted it,
The paper quotes from Lord Salisbury's
dispatch to support this contention, and,
proceeding, says:
"We believe that Lord Salisburys firm
and moderate statement of the case will
appeal to the justice and common-sense of
the American people. The principle Of
international arbitration has always been
warmly supparted IN these columns. but if
it is invoked for frivolous, fantastic de-
mands it will lose its authority and be.
come a by-word instead of an IDEAL"
The Chronicle will say:
"The message will be read in this country
with blank astonishment. The American
| commission to determine what territory a
British colony can call its own, and, fall
ing our compliance with its finding, war
by land and sea with Great Britain. Can
these be serious words addressed to us by
the descendants of the little shipload Of
English folk who sailed in the Mayfower2
We will not take things too seriously. We
| will suppose that the President is engaged
in the familiar work of twisting the lions
tail.
| "There is one answer to President Cleve-
land and America. II an enlarged appli-
cation of a neglected doctrine is to be en- .
| forced with all the might of the United
TIL boro,c 90 ,,oI,oh had man.