The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-02-11
SPEECH OF ARTHUR JAMES BAL
FOUR,
First Lord of the Treasury, in London,
January IS, 1896
From the London Times of Jan. 1G.l


From the London Times of Jan. 1G.l
I turn from the continent of Africa
to the continent Of America, and | ask
you to urn our attention for a very
few minutes TO the emOarras Rments
and controversies which have recently
arisen Ii that continent In connection
with a boundary dispute, which has
now dragged it's slow length along.
decade after decade, between Us and
the r public Of Venezuela. Ia lteetr.
rs you we'll know, this question would
not have engaged all your attention.
and would not have seemed IN any way
g matter Of bret rate ImpoTJ&I c., ba0
IL not been tDc the views expressed and
foC the action taken by the Govern
TnenC Of the U4ited States Of America.
You Will ask, naturally enough, what
interest, what direct interest, have the
! United States Of America in the discus
sion upon this boundary question
which concern S not North America but
South America. and which IS removed
from the UnlCt d States Of America b.
hundreds OF mics Of land and water?
! The answer so that question Is thaG the
American Government and sections Of
the American people seem to entertain
the suspicion Cnat IN the action we have
taken with regard C Venezuela we
have run Ounte TO the dQctrtne IOUg
| eel, braEed in the New World as the
! Monroe doctrine.
What Is the Monroe doctrine? What
~ the doctrine expressed by Presld mt
Nohroe n0" some ~ years auo more
agu3 &c was e d0"trIne with which we
AZ 1he time, the British Government Of
the day, hesr lily cOnCurZed, end IT
was directed against NE 8CJ0n OF Ger
CAl2 european powers "blch desired; to
intervene IN h domestic affairs Of the
South American States, AUG to imCOse
upon them u form of gOvernu Il from
the outside; aud CDe Monroe doctrine.
a9 expressed by P'esiGenJ Monroe,
reaIiS GmCUnts 10 this that AmeTlca,
North and South. IL no longer to be re
GaEdad a. = iaiG tOr + IrOpG&n C3lOnIzt
CiQn. AID thae European nations aTe
TOg 90 30 recorded as having a title 10
interior ia thG Gomes@c affairs oi
~tarea situated n the New World, Gne
B7t2sh G1v8rumeD5, e5 | have told
you, Of President MGDEOa's DAYS not
! Uniy coDCurEei III that. but gave II
! their active support. ana I have yet u
learn Jha5 Upon the substance Of tins
! doctrine 1Ha British GJveramCHC have
ever altered their minds. l DO not be
lIpVA that # YOU were 10 ransaCE Eug-
! land from ED ~ end. that If yCU were
TO look InJO the most private memo
raDGa OF the Foreign Office through the
two generations when have passed
away since President MOnrCe's MESSAGE,
it YOU were to look among ministers,
among the ordinary pu0iic, among
even tie crotche1eers or the Iuuatlcs
Q.ukhve9), you would find II 81 Gle
I~nalv!dUai VINO ever desired &c see wha;
s call d the forward pOhC7" adOp5yO
Oy Great B iCb,ia either In North or II
SOIVn America. Clear, hear We
are content, and nave always been con
tent, b2th N North America and II
South America, 20 do our best by The
colonies we possess, to 90 our duty bOJt
to develop them. ard. It need BE-, tC
protect them. Clear, hear But w
have never desired, ard we do not nov
) desire, either to interfere with the do
nestle concerns 81 any South AtneTi
can State, or TO AGO lire for ourselves
any territory that belongs TO them In
deed, I believe that # n OF thOst
revolutions which are SAID to be no
unknown ! Il Venezuela Q%8ughte1) wero
to eud in q proposition from the Vene
z~uelaus themselves that we should al
Venezuaia 10 the possessions Of til,
British Grown, that we should take i
Iunder our protection aud incorporat,
i5 with our Empire, though the houo
OF such a r. quest would be highly al
preciated. l think The responsibility
would be declined by every Bethel
statesman to whom It could O 3sIbiy b
made
Wei, then. if we are absolutely a
one both with President Monroe an
with the great body Of opinion in tn
UOlted States Of America upon tn"
subject, you will aek me what is III.
EQlarr8i about, and [ do not kn0q