New-York tribune., 1900-05-09
NONROEDOCTRLNE AFFECTED
INTERVENTION IN SOUTH AFRICA WOULD
HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES
Captain A. T. Mahan in The Independent

HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.
Captain A. T Mahan. in The Independent.
The issuance Of the nlanifesto-the "aPpeal".7of
States whch & II antStPaon @ Of their S
questions of enlightened patriotism for the consd-
this Incumbent upon those among US VINO are
antecedenty inclined 10 sympathize with the cause
through kinship with them by blood derivation or
oPheT Pary TSe's to 6e current " All Of
bound first to regard not our own feelings but our
duty 70 the welfare or our country. 10 tIlls we are
o6geG e1tne9 by qT of oth % Or oy H
bV nrtra ce6cern T for the interests of the state
The avowed purpose Of this delegation from a
foreign community is to move our people ani
ment 10 depart from a line of action-that of non
Interference in questions cf European poicy-waich
writer is no advocate of dogged persistence in a
dent Were he so he could have been the
nest advocate of oversee expansion which he may.
TO be. Nevertheless a great change in National
is grave step take. II seems therefore op-
perfume now 70 consider the change proposed 70
that of The Hague Conference to the articles of
ing cause for departing from our former course in
the direction Of active and originave interPos ton
, terances by meetings OF sympat hizers with the
rested abon The tRTd article in the rst conyen-
tion Of the conference-tne CONVECTION for ne Pa
cihc Regulation Of International Conflicts That
article ems the carefully guarded a4@ Pe most +6 con
II EsefI,T fBat one or several Powers not parti-
pants in existing conflict should Of their own
good Offices Of mediation TO the States in con-
But The Hague Conference went further. and in
Article 2 OF the same conYenlon Incorporated
the traditional policy Of the United states nothing
less than ominous, not to say revolutionary That
The signatory Powers consider It duty. in case
~ hes4 w 81 -o. bleI o1 o,t-+ oe5 ~ re tber7
In pOr7sp
mindng he parties TO the conflict Of the disposi-
given in the superior interest Of peace TO address
themselves 10 the perma9ent p court can be consid-
The bearing Of this article upon the present con-
reference the tinted States has always been
ieaousy sensitive Interference Of Europe with
States in matters of purely European concern The
essence of the Monroe Doctrine Article p. un-
qualified would make it obligatory upon US TO al
which would open the way combined pressure
as that Of our intervention in Cuba two years ago.
m 8e door vide open for advice So worded as to m
little short OF offence or even OF YelIed menace:
to 5 t5 is5ge T' nmediafey Before US the aT5cie as
It stands would entail on me Lnted states the
from which We have here tofcre cautiously re-
,Eis ~ M r1a+tr W. tbtnes are cltariv
evident. First. Africa in its entirety is purely
European question, the national authority Of Euro
eh6d oee o poe
over nearly the whole coqtnent-the exceptions OF
sideraton; and, second; the war between Great
pean afrair1bccaIse AfrCanbut it is Var which
from the relation of Great Britain 70 the Trans
vaal is politically internal TO the British Empire
which itself. from the character Of the paramount
Fom such Us RHf narogs l m from 2i Arfcs 2
the United States is saved by the declaration made
by It's delegation in fgll conference on July 25 the
express reservation OF which appears attached 10
their signatures given to the first convention This
Nothing contained IN this convention shall Ne so
~NrG Fr ned IN 4
lea TO depart from its traditional policy OF not in
! in the political questions policy internal ad
ministration Of any foreign State; nor shall any
thing contained in the said convention be con-
strued to imply a reiinquish7nent by the United
purely American questions.
II is difficult exaggerate the actual Importance
10 this country of the qualifying declaration thus
insured and acquiesced by the other Powers with
fun understanding Of its purport II not. in
+ implication 70 acceptance of The Monroe Doctrine
understood by or place il upon the basis Of
recognized tenet of interna tional law. But it
strength by the renewed explicit steady
adherence 10 a traditional National policy; an as
mportance when it was the desire Of ali concerned
to coneede everything. save essential principle.
the of mutual kindly understanding and
The question now before Us through the mani
festo of the Boer delegation and the avowed pur
we going to recede from the advantage obtained
from the increased mora! status acquired for the
the Government of the United States into interpo-
tinted States insist that the Government SHAH
take certain that course some government
sooner latter will unquestOna bly, take. We. the
people. decide: it is Of the essence of insttu-
tiOns that it is. and shall be. Therefore it is
idle talk in which we indulge when get to-
gether and lash another into fury of sentt-
How many have looked IN disrnay at the
after results Of such bursts of emOton-the head
ache after the carOuse. We il is who are reSpOn-
sible. Are We. then. upon grounds of sentiment,
willing preCipitatc a course which will weaken
the moral f0rce-to say the least-of the Monroe
Doctrine? For sentiment alone 1t is; upon the
question cool right and wrong there is TO
said against the Beers plea
! What does patriotism demand hands ,
That and not the very doubtful claims OF the Boer
republics, is the question for the people