The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-16
The rlonroe Doctrine: WHAT Is II?

o.
diplomatic service contributes 10 the
Washington Star an interesting piece
of news or fiction, one does not know
which. He says he has high German
authority fer the assertion that the
cause for Germany's manifest and en-
phatc dissatisfaction with the Monroe
doctrine as recently propounded is to be
found in the fact that the German gov
urnmenr has for several years been
laying plans for the capture of Argen-
tina, by hook or crook, with the pur-
pose of converting it into a large Ger
man colony welded politically to the
fathcrland. The unnamed German Of
fetal who is reported to have disclosed
this novel plan of empire extension is
quoted specifically as follows:
I'VE must have more territory and
we are not going to the trouble to get
any more which is uninhahitable. This
time we will know what we are about.
We have been making our plans care
fully for years and do you suppose
we are going to have them all over
thrown by you merely because you
are q, few thousand miles nearer than
we" Next thing we of the old coun-
| try know you will be claiming a right
! to interfere between England and a
POSSIBLY rCbellious Australia merely be-
| cause you are nearer to the island
| than the English. We will not make
| cur play until we have made every
pref aration thoroughly and you may he
| sure we will be prepared to meet your
ridiculous Monroe doctrine and any
strength il may bring forth. We have
| measured your possible strength we'll.
| We have no Canada to be fearfu! of.
| We have nothing you can attack near
at home. There with your wonderful
resources we admit that YOU are al
mcst invulnerable. But if we should
| With or without the consent of its peo-
rle conclude to seize the Argentine Re.
public what would you do about it?
You would either have to fight us there
or at home We certainly would not
come to you to settle Il quarrel with
which you, we contend have nothing
at all to do. Are you or will you ever
be prepared to earn" war into a far
a,vaV enemy's country"
! This may al be q mere fantasy o!
the Imagination, but in any event il
affords an opportunity for renewed
contemplation Of the Monroe doctrine
As defined by President Cleveland that
doctrine would certainly commit us &c
forCible resistance Of Germany in case
that nation should undertake to sei2t
possession of a South American rerub,
lie. In other words, the hazard of 6
frGhtful war must bt incurred by oul
government if at any point on tht
Western hemisphere European sOver,
eiEnty shall hereafter seek to encroacf
10y force. Under the Cleveland doctrin,
il European encrOachment should i,
by peaceful processes of trade, pur
chase or cesSio", we would have II,
warrant to Interfere, despite the fac
that foreign encrOaChment is foreign
encroachment, whatever the means en-
ployed.
1t is probable that this definition q
the Monroe doctrine will not stand tn
test of time. II is illogical and incon
sistent But what form of interpreta
tion will endure? Where are we t.
draw the line upon foreign occupation
of American territory? The answer L
this question would involve a gift D
prophecy to whic we lay no claim
but generally speaking we incline t
the opinion that after the United State
of America has managed to tolerat
) two years of Weylerlsm i'm Cuba it wi
not he in good position 70 object seri
r ously TO peaceful German colonization
should such he attempted on the Sout
American mainland.