Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-15
The Monroe Doctrine and Germany.

| tnlS country anu III w.
nificance is not to be misunderstood.
| They show that while the eye OF tie
| ordinary observer sees only the piue
skies Of peace over our country, those
statesmen who follow closely every
,ova in the game of nations, see the
/ little clouds on the distant horizon
.b;cb NAV grow until the tempests
fury breaks about us.
Senator Lodges theme was the
burrying to completion of the warships
NOW in process of construction, and in
If was a broad hint to Germany that
her attempts to acquire the Danish
West Indies are known, and will not
no allowed to succeed. Secretary
Root, too, clearly had Germany in
mind when he declared that the time
| is close at hand when the United
States must either abandon or fight for
| the Monroe doctrine. 1t was not the
| Danish West Indies, however, but
| Germany's attempt to found a young
the declaration of our secretary of
war. 1t is no secret that Germany has
been making extensive attempts at
colonization in South America. and
there is little doubt that the end
sought is more than commercial one.
1t is probable that a little later on the
e.
the German empire will play a holder
game and either seize bodily a large
slice of territory, or make its own
terms of peace at the serious expense
of the South American republics.
Then it will be this governments
duty to decide whether it will abandon
the Monroe doctrine or force Germany
to recognize it, as it has forced Eng
land, Austria. France and other Eu-
ropean countries to do in years past.
There is no question as to what course
this country will follow if the crisis
again arises. whether it be with Ger
many in the West Indies or in South
America. or with some other European
power striving to gain a foothold else
where in this hemisphere. Whether or
not it means war to sustain it. the
Monroe doctrine will not be abandoned.
1t is, to be sure, no part of inter-
national law. 1t is merely position
| that this country took early in the
century, and whoever violates it per-
forms an unfriendly act toward the
| United States and must suffer the con-
| sequences More than once, in the
past. we have compelled European
| governments to recognize this doc
trine. and never yet has it made war
necessary. though the ability to en-
| force it depends entirely upon the
| show Of force. At the recent peace
conference at the Hague. the powers
of Europe formally recognized the
Justice of Americas position in the
matter. but it very uncertain what in
| huence, if any. this will have upon the
conduct of Europe in the future.
But Europe cannot afford to make
the mistake of regarding this doctrine
as a joke. The doctrine is half n GEN.
fury older than the German empire,
which seems the most likely nation to
1 make infractions upon it. The recent
| speeches. with the wide journalistic
| comments made, show Germany that
she is carefully watched If she is in
| crcasing her navy, 50 are we increas-
ing ours Perhaps that English adj
miral was prophet who said, recent
ly, the next great naval battle will be
fought in South American waters"
As to the attempt of Germany to
gain a foothold in South America
| there is this much certain, that Ger
man trade with that continent has had
marked increase while our has not
| And our failure there is because the
policy of James G.. Blaine has been
forgotten. Mr.. Blaine saw the fact
that great possibilities for the extern
sion of the foreign trade of the United
States lay in the South American
hemisphere. These countries lie prac-
tically adjacent to the United States,
they are capable of immense growth
and their interests do not collide with
ours. Their products are such as can
well be exchanged for ours-if we will
take the trouble to learn their wants
and pursue the methods calculated to
gain their trade. Yet the fact is that
while it is but 10 years since Mr..
Blaine with his utmost yigor impressed
this opportunity for commercial eX-
pansion on the United States. it has
been almost wholly ignored. 1t is i'm
possible to foretell what the German
colonies in South America viii amount
to in the way of testing the Monroe
doctrine. But what is beyond dispute
is that in the neglect Of South Ameri-
can possibilities the nation has ignored
the wise and indisputable policy out
lined by Mr.. Blaine.
Lord Roberts has way of making