New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-30
VAGUE SPANISH BOUNDARIES
rx MINISTER REID DISCUSSES THE VEN,
EZUELAN QUESTION.

ELOrslAtN WSHoe'DN'
GOOD AMERICAN DOCTRINE. BUT NOT INTERIM
rIoNA,. I.Aw-EURUPEAN CRAZE FOR
LANps-A BIT or DIPLOMATIC HIS
TORY AS 70 THE LOUISIANA
PURCHASE REcALLED-FAcTs.
NOT ARGUMENT. NEEDED
San Francisco, Dec pa "Calr dispatch from
Phoenix. Ariz.. dated yesterday. rays
whiteIaw Reid, ex-Minlster to France, refused
10 talk about the Venezuelan controversy when
the teleRraphic abstracts OF the correspondence
were first received. He said he was unwilling to
form an opinion even much less express IT, until
he had an opportunity to rec the full text OK the
correspondence. To-day the ex-M!nister was
more willing to be communicative. lie was asked
by The CaIr' correspondent whether there was
any possibility that the United states could
make an alliance with France and Russia against
England as suggested in Eastern papers.
"At present." he replied, mot the slightest
They are both against us-not that they love
England, but that they desDise the Monroe Doc
trine. II we should get into a war with England,
and a general European war over Turkey or
Egypt or China should break out about the same
time then France and Russia would be with US.
But even then they would not be in favor OF the
any club Is good enough to hit your enemy
with" -
You do not believe, like some OF our papers.
that the Monroe Doctrine is good, binding inter-
national law"
What rubbish all this talk is about the Monroe
Doctrine being international law. Who ever
thought 1t was? 1t Is tremendously good Amer
lean doctrine, which we have backed up with
tolerably fair success for three-quarters OK q
century-almost as good an American doctrine
as the republican form Of government-and 1t u
about as repugnant to every European govern
ment. There has not been moment since 1t was
first advanced when the nations OF Continental
Europe without exception. have not been solidly
opposed to It, Why should not they? The two
American continents constitute an extraordiDa-
rily attractive pasture. The Monroe Doctrine y
simply a notice to ell monarchies 10 keep off the
grass. and the United States Is the big police
man with a club standing by to enforce the
notice. European nations up to this time have
obeyed IL pretty well, but what nonsense TO sup
pose that they Ike II and would accept II as any
way authoritative. unless compelled 10. They
are all land hungry-all crazy to be dividing up
weak countries like Turkey and China, or to oe
colonizing barbarous ones like Africa over the
whole stretch of the two American continents the
Monroe Doctrine stands as a notice not to tres
pass There isn't nation In Europe that does
not recent being told to keep out: but there is
not one either that will fight us in order to get H.
They have too many chances just now TO fight
nearer home. and are too much afraid they may
have to embrace some of them.
NO DANGER OF WAR
mo we are not going 10 have any war. II
things are we'll managed a little different turn
to the message would have maintained our at
titude Just as we'll created less alarm and given
england better chance to get out The mes
age Is splendidly American but Mr. Cievs.
land is not strong in diplomacy, and diplomatic
situations which compel either the humiliation
Of our adversary war with him are always
to be avoided, if possible. Nevertheless. with
time and little common sense on both sides
we shall get out without ightng. The whole
affair, though deplorable in some of its present
aspects, will turn out TO be good thing Euro
pean nations will realize at last that the Mon
roe Doctrine is more than phrase and VIII AL
learn as Louis Napoleon did in 1855, that the
United States cannot be trifed with about
American interests.
There ought to be another eXcellently good
thing resulting from it. This ought to give the
crown to Mr.. Blaine's splendid work in the
Pan-American Congress. the reciprocity treat
les and his other efforts not merely to
strengthen the military ties between US ana
the other American republics, but to knit US
far more closely with them in intimate ana
constant commercial intercourse. Senator Al
len. Of Nebraska has already offered q wise
resolution TO that end. This is the golden OPP
portunity for our merchants to extend our
trade to every quarter Of Central ana South
America. and never before could they have
had AZ
only our diplomacy and our commercial enter
prise can work together to seize II.
MANY THINGS HAVE HAPPENED.
Don't mistake me. however about the IN
ternational obligations of the Monroe Doc
trne. Europe, to be sure. has never acknowl'
edged it. But England ought to recognize and
obey It, She inspired 1t originally, rejoiced over
it's declaration. and made haste then to accept it.
Lord Salisbury admits much even now, but
only maintains that since then the times have
changed. or as Dsraeli once said more cynically.
when likewise convicted OF an inconsistency:
A good many things have happened since then
They are right; good many things have hap
pened. One OF them is that the United States
has fought great civil war in the face OF the
scarcely disguised hostility of both the British
and French empires, and has nobly reunited the
warning sections. Another is that the loose
jointed feeble infant among nations which this
country in Monroes time, has now double
Great Brtain's population. No doubt our
coasts are defenceless. but so Is Canada. Our
cities could be bombarded but could Eng
lands commerce be driven from the ocean by
American privateers. If there were a war we
should be sure to have more than one Bun
Run at the outset, but our people did not stop
lighting at Bull Run. In the long run. 1t 10
not to Englands interest to attack US, and she
will not do 1t unless by awkward diplomacy
We leave her honorable way to avoid it,
A QUESTION OF FACTS.