The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-05
THE MONROE DOCTRINE AND
ENGLAND'S PACIFIC TEMPER.
BY w. Q. MORROW.

Those gentle Americans who are tear
fully pleading for peace bring wide and
illuminating smile to the grim face of the
British lion. Ii any question of interna-
tional policy between that country and
the United States could precipitate war
it would be because England has taken
leave OF the ancient sanity that has en-
abled it to plant its flag on the four cor
ners of the earth.
professors" and students of that in
definite thing called international law"
have been Fostering the public ear with
raucous declarations that the Monroe doc
trine is not an element of international
law, but purely an American policy, and
some of US, accepting that silly dictum, are
affirming that We can make it interna-
tional law at the point of the bayonet.
The essence of the. Monroe doctrine is as
old as the division of mankind into sep
arate tribes. 1t is merely clouded at pres
ent under the shadow of a local name.
Let US give an illustration OF its necessity
and universally. Suppose that an English
colony should establish itself in Switzer-
land. In time differences between the
colonsts and the Swiss might develop and
England might send an army into the
country to protect the rights" of its citi-
zens. What would Europe do? The ma
lions would at once realize the fact that
Switzerland would be conquered because
it was weak and that England could de-
mand a considera bic part of the territory
rs indemnity OF war. Would the nations
OF Europe submit? That is the Monroe
doctrine. They would object because such
an act would set a powerful foreigner at
their gates-a foreigner whose sole aim
and abiding necessity are conquest and
extension OF territory. 1t Is the spirit OF
the Monroe doctrine that makes 1t pos
slble for weak nations TO exist.
At the time when President Monroe pro-
mulgated his so-called doctrine there was
less reason for il than now. 1t seems to
have been based on the presumption that
tie region south OF the Isthmus OF Pan
ANA was part OF the country which we in
habit, and on the fear that European &C.
cupation of that territory might prove a
menace to the safety OF our Government
hat IL might render easy an armed lnva-
sion OF our country. Since that time there
has come about a strengthening OF the
principle that it is the duty of the great
republic of the Western Hemisphere to
protect repubhcanlsm on the continent.
With the exception of a control of trans
isthmian trans portatIOn that IS the only
reason to-day Tor our lnsIstence upon the
Monroe doctrine; and 1t was after Presi-
mltted French ca pltal to secure control OF
a transisthmlan railroad and attempt the
construction OF the Panama canal. Those
were far more urgent occasions for insist
ing upon the enforcement of the doctrine
than that which IS presented IN the Ven
ez1elan boundary dispute. Our National
Congress Is even now heSltatlng to foster
the Nicaragua canal. knowing that this
would be the grOSsesU neglect OF the Mon
roe doctrine, and would turn over 10 Eng
land the last hope OF our control over 18th
milan transportation. The Venezuelan
matter sinks into insignifcance when COM
pared with the Nicaragua canal.
In q geographical sense, the countries OF
Central and South America are no more
our sisters" than are the countries OF
Europe. The only thing that makes them
our sisters is the fact that they are repub-
lies. In that sense they are no more ouI
sisters than France and Switzerland. Il
the form of government maintained by
those two countries should be threatened
by other powers, IL would be Just as much
our duty TO go TO their support as to that
OF any Central or South American republic
Viewed in that light, the Monroe doctrine
takes on the aspect of wisdom and the
spirit of a noble cause.
If commercial reasons be considered as
elements OF the doctrine, we have already
stuluhed 1t by permitting England practi-
caliV to monOpOliZe the commerce of the
those countries would be no menace to us
at all Her battle-ships in the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans might be q serious
menace. But her merchant ships which
take the commerce of the southern coun.
tries, are the greatest menace of all, and
yet they give us no concern whatever. In
view OF oar neglect of this aspect of tbs
case we have less reason than any nation
of Europe for insisting on the Monroe
doctrine.
This does not mean to say that we have
not the right to insist upon it, but merely
TO contend that in such insistence we must
be ridiculous If we are not consistent ano
thorough.
The reason for England's aggressiveness
in extending her empire is the necessity OF
securing control or possession of produc
ing countries. This is explained on the
ground that the soil of England cannot
support its population. That country is
constantly reaching out for material which
its people may manufacture and sell to the
world The reason why our country has
no such policy OF aggression and acquisi-
ton is that it is rich in native resources
capable OF supporting population vastly
greater than that which it has. We oblig
ingly forward England's purpose by sup
plying 1t with articles of our production
and then buying them back from England
IN manufactured form, thus supplying
lat to England s ribs and ammunition to its
growing apricots and sending them to
Crosse d Blackwell, paying transportation
charges over l., 900 miles and a profit tc
the manufacturers, as we use Crosse &
Blackwell's California apricot marmalade
on our tables. BY making American prod
ucts necessary to English prosperity we
are manufacturing reasons why England
would ike very much to regain possession
of our own territory. A war with that
country would cure us of this magnificent
folly.
Not being essentially manufacturing
country, as England is, we are not SO
vitality concerned as is England over the
control OF Central and South American
commerce. Nevertheless we do mandfac-
ture for foreign markets. In certain man
ufactured products, including the very i'm.
portant one OF agricultural implements
we far surpass England in excellence; and
as the agricultural countries of the world
are rapidly advancing in the art OF soil
cultivation the demand for our agricul-
turaI implements is heavy and increasing.
That is to say, that while the products OF
the southern countries are not so vital to
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