New-York tribune., 1895-12-31
THE MONROE DOCTRINE.
srNaToR LODGE SAYS 1T rs NOT QUES-
TION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
BUT OF FACT.

pENpENcE AND SAYS 1T MUST DE CPiii'i'D-
NATTER OF PRINCIPLE WHICH THIS
COUNTRY CANNOT coNDEscEND TO
ARGUE ABOUT. BUT MUST ENFORCE.
Washington. Dec CA historical review OF inc
Venezuelan boundary question was dehVereu III ,ne
senate to-day by Mr.. Lodge CRepr Mass, VINO III.
sisted on the importance and necessity 10 'Ie '''
States of the maintenance of the Monroe Do.',' wv.
In summing up his speech Mr.. Lodge sad no did ITO.
believe that the people of England pad 'hc V'''
desire TO engage in hostilities with the Oh'.eu '1
any more than the United States desired hos'ni.e'
vi,h England Nor did he believe that the fhsiis"
neone took any very serious interest in the as
puted territory The people of the 'nted S'a''a' Nv
asserted had no desire to interfere with any 'k"V
ful possession Of Great Britain In South A'ne''"
but they could not allow Great Britain 10 set "i
claims TO American territory and then se'~c anu
hold that territory by force If Great britain eo"'
do that successfully in Venezuela she couid 40 1t !"
Mexico and Cuba, and II she coud 90 o'"e' ''
tions could do the same.
Mr. Lodge said he had not intendeu ~ Spe'" '
the Monroe Doctrine until the JOINT resou"ob u.
troduced by him, giving TO the declarauo" ' @
bv Mr. Monroe in his message Of Decemper' ie-''
the formal sanction Of Congress, had receiver .'e
consideration Of the Committee on Foreign i'e'a
,ons But since then the President had sent III HIS
message on the Venezuelan d.ipculty, anu Co"
gress without dissenting voice. had a"'hoiiAea
the Commission which the iresiueht i0pue'
This action had led to much wild talk. ana cries
more vocal than numerous from those WHO oelIeVe
we should never do anything to clash win Eng
| lands interests This outcry. coupled win Lon
dons attempt to frIghten Congress by producing 4
stock panic, had tended to confuse the ISSUE ne
therefore thought a little cool explanation wouid
not he out OF place
Two cardinal principles, he said, had ai"ay'
governed the United States in their relations with
foreign natons-the first was Washngtons neu'rai-
y doctrine, laid down in the Farewell Address.
| The second the Monroe Doctrine the history OF
which he traced in detail. The only attempt here
| tofore made by outside Powers to break through
that doctrine was the joint intervention of Eng
| land France and Spain In Mexico in 1861. second
| has arisen. and the maintenance OF 'he
| Monroe Doctrine is again threatened. TINS secohi
attack comes from Great Britain. and Is made undeT
| cover Of a boundary dispute with Nenezuela In
order to show the Importance OF the controversy
| which has now reached crisis affecting most
gravev the honor the interests. the rights and the
well-setod policy of the United States he sketched
| briefly" he said but with elaborate details
the history Of the dispute between Great Britain
| and Venezuela and of the negotiations between the
two countries lie then continues:
| But it is not my purpose 10 pass upon the merits
of either the British or the Venezuelan claim. All
- ,hc ownarebio Of the territory wing west OF the
EsseqiIibo ana that neither England nor Venezuela
docs Mold an uncontcsed title TO any portion of it.
'rhat disputed territory either belonged TO Holland
or it did not If it did, England ought to have i.
the part of the United States TO Interfere wan her
possession of 1t. If it did not II belongs to Nenezuea
and Vcnezuela ought to have IT, The question Is one
for the arbitration OF impartial tribunal and by
! the decision of such tribunal the United states
But II England. with authority but a disputed
claim sel:es territory and declines ar traton upon
it, her action does not differ from seIzing ana hoid
ing territory in the Americas by the rlgnt OF
conquest The boundary dispute does not aouGn me NE
essence of the question, which is the acqulsilon oi
| new territory in this hemisphere by European
Power Such preexts can always be found: III Eng h
| land can territory under claim which mas
| grown larger with each succeeding year there IS
| South America If England can 40 II anu ana Is az, al
| lowed to DO II by the United States. every other
| European Power do the same and they VIII
not be slow to follow England's example We have
seen them parce! out Africa, and II we 90 not not m
south America win be the same. We shall have
formidable rivals all about We shall be In constan,
If @lih steat s!si Hf NJ
seizure of this South AmercaF terrTry TERI TGyros 1g
Doctrine. have heard it said that no one knows
as simple in principle as the Declaration of lnde-
| pendence. to which Jefferson compared it, II Is
not doctrine of international law and the attempt
of words Like the Independence OF TINS couhti! II
question OF and not of law; The independence
| cIared it, we compelled the world to recognize It,
e tnq sa of MY N.Y. Menroc as the guiding principle
Of our foreign pocy We Sna n0T 0 mgP
sentng the people of the United States 1t Is idle
national law, for 1t requires no such support ,,
| we declare the Monroe Doctrine as principle
which we.believe essential to the honor tho safety
the interests of the United States We declare it as
statement of fact, and we must have IT recognized
recognized by all the world. 1t must be recognized
because we sustain and support It ana we can no no
| other nations than afford to discuss with
them our National welfare or our form or govern, t
balance Of power so jeaousiy mantaihen oy me ne
igt "a ID
TIE Monroe Doctrine interferes in wise with
| the rights which the principles OF nternat.ona.
law give to all nations. 1t does not touch the
the subjects Of any European Power BY, any Of the
| Central or south American states. we G GGnsr-sn
to others II the subject OF any European power
suffers % %2as o 1 oh Re nT q aey oi he that
is emitted to demand he fullest satsfaco9 a ana
aration must not be mixed UP with the acquisition
| OF territory. Lord salisbury. with the ingenuity
| for reparaton upon Venezuela account OF the
arrest by the Venezuelan authorities of certain
Tonree ne ocirne M is % to interfere with the rsh Of
| every Power 10 protect It's citizens In South
such question there be bat one ans%fr
sympathy of all nations on that pont But the
Those British subjects we're arrested on the dis
puted territory. on the land which the British Coy
pledged itself not TO- occupy until the question OF
| ownership was finally settled II that territory
belongs TO England, those men were wvIronsiuly
! rlghtful.y arrested. II Venezuela pays now the
| indemnify fixed and demanded by England. she
| acknowledges in so doing that that territory is
! British territory and she gives her whole case
[ away The Monroe Doctrine does not Interfere
| with any nation seeking reparation for injur os
| to it's subjects. but 1t does interfere when de-
| mand for repara ton is be made the preteXt for
| the seizure Of territory by a European Power on
| American continent.
At the last session of Congess called the atten-
| ton OF the Senate and OF the country TO the man
| ner in which England had absorbed the islands OF
| the Pacific and the necessity of controlling
| the Hawaiian Islands. n necessity which becomes
| more pressing with each succeeding day. ask you