The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-06-05

har tho following feiolnaef 10 an ARTICLE
n these columns. which W. are flad 10
print na slde-lR upon subict
Nhith may nd ans time assume grave
national Importance;
in au deliberately written aud apparent
d. we'll considered editorial IN the Advuf.
tisrr ~ Monday last. the matter Of the
Monroe doctrine Is discussed. and itH
abandonment advocated. n the Advcrti-
scr speaks as mouthpiece Of the Re.
publican party. Il ~ simply trying bllndy
tD OPEN q Joint in the armor OF that par.
IS through which the lance Of us oppo-
uautg will pierce its yitals with deadly
effect
To take the view that the Monroe doe
trlne should he abandoned simply be-
cause u Is not a producer of loaves and
fishes for the United States. shows that
the writer has not looked beyond the
length OF his nose into the true raison
d'etre of the existence and pcrpetuation
OF the doctrine. Suppose for one moment
that the Monroe doctrine were abandon
ed, how long would it be before England
France and Germany would pick quar-
A'lH WIN hN' wan l'lihhli'n opuAll VI hHt
ana coolly proceed to dominate them and
reduce them to provinces. The lust Of
expansion is strong and not growing
weaker, and the result would be in the
end that the Continental trjes-and
the United States, too. for that matter
would soon be snarling at each other like
hyenas, while they gnaw the bones of the
dcfunct South American republics Re
member Macmillan.
The points we made were that the
United States cannot defend South Am
erica against the encroachments of a
first-class European power without
maintaining a larger army and navy
than the people are wiling to pay for. A
navy for such a purpose would have
to be big enough to cover our own i'm
mense coasts and to also prevent the
landing of foreign army on Latin Am
have to be large enough to spare two
or three corps for service in the coun-
tries lying south of the United States.
1t is conceivable that, for such pur-
pose, this nation would be forced to ac-
cept marine budget as large as that
of Great Britain, and adopt "A scale of
of Germany.
But one thing could possibly excuse
the outlay, namely, the monopoly of
South American trade. The United
States at the present time is very
small exporter to the countries south of
the lSthmus. as compared with three
or four powers against whom, political
ly speaking. we assert the Monroe doc
trine. For its work n "A continental
policeman this country gets no graft
tude and few favors. Under such cir
cumstances is it not an absurd senti-
mentalism to assume the enormous
risks of protectorate, which includes
the peril OF a billion dollar war?
The time is near at hand when Eu-
rope will knock imperatively at the
South American door. Germans are
oyeuunning Southern Brazil and set
ting up their institutions there; twoI
millions of Italians are in Argentina;
Great Britain covets portions of Ven
ezuela; France wants districts in
Northern Brazil. One of these daysl
Germany may form dual alliance or
a Drelbund to demand concessions In
South America. or some European
power may wage war upon one of the
Southern republics" defeat it and take |
a land indemnity. Should the United |
Stat fight over that? Heaven forbid |
Our political interests are not great |
enough south of Panama-they are all |
north of ito be worth the |
loss of a single brave sailors life; and |
our commercial Interests there are not |
Of enough account to compensate us for
three months of war.
True, the abandonment of the Mon
roe doctrine would bring about the par
tition of South America; but what of
1t? Probably we should get our share
Of the spoils or, at least, be granted
free hand north of the Isthmus of
Panama. To the practical mind, par
'ition Is what South America deserves
and needs more than any other one
hing. The land Is lying fallow now,
is resources neglected, the early am
)itions of its people lost in sloth and
Indifference. The character of Spain
leadens its life Vitalzed by strong
oreign blood, the blood of conquering
aces. it would blossom, in due time,
With the fruits of thrift and industry.
Then the United States would be likely
o gain a rich trade, our commercial
reaties with Europe probably applying
o European dependencies, save with
hose of England, and we should be
rec from political incubus. What is
here in the fetch of the Monroe doc
rine which ought to prevent?
-$-
The plague has been in San Fran