The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-24
Circulation Statement.
The Penalties of world Power.


ing territory, tie Old World was com
paratively Indifferent to this nation and
its doings. 1t is true that the pro
mitigation Of the Monroe Doctrine Of
Tended the Continental Powers. ant
that they never have been reconciled
To it. But the doctrine was backed al
the time of it's formulation by Great
Britain. and that fact disposed of oper
resistance.
In truth, the Monroe Doctrine did
not interfere particularly with any Eu-
ropean nation. Spain excepted. If en-
forced it would prevent that State from
regalning control of any of her colonies
in the Western Hemisphere which had
revolted and secured their indepen-
dence: but il was as evident in 1923 as
it is now that Spain was utterly with
out hope of retaking them, even if free
from opposition from without Other
wise the doctrine presented merely a
menace of trouble in the remote fu-
ture should any Old World Power at
tempt to plant colonies and acquire
sovereignty in Central or South Amer
lea.
trine America was not the dreaded
commercial rival of other nations that
she is today Then it was England's
advancing and expanding trade that
held the attention and excited the
alarm Of Europe. But since the era to
which we are referring. and which in
a general sense came to an end when
both the United States and Germany
grew to be aggressive competing manu-
featuring countries. conditions have
radically changed. Germany gradually,
and the United States suddenly, began
TO challenge British commercial SUI
premacy; and then the final economic
change at the end of the nineteenth
century occurred. in the upgrowth of
the great American trusts and monop-
olies and their progressively success
full attempts TO capture the worlds
markets from both Germany and Great
Britain, and also, to considerable ex-
tent. from other industrial nations like
France, Belgium. and Austria.
In the course of this startling Amer
lean evolution it has not been Euro
pean manufacturing interests which
alone have suffered. The agricultural
and pastoral interests of France, Ger
many, Austria, Hungary. and other
areas have been seriously affected by
the invasion of our cereals and meat
products. In fact, we have expanded
our export trade in every direction at
the direct cost of identical interests in
the lands where we have recently
planted our commercial flag II is.
then. no longer the civilized world OPP
posed TO Great Britain, and complacent
toward the young Republic of the
Vest, because of its tendency to check
the domination of the mother country:
but the whole world against the United
states, and determined If possible to
prevent it from becoming the chief sup
Ply source and the banker and creditor
Of all Europe.
When we became a world Power, we
did not acquire the right to Asiatic
possessions. and TO be classed as a
great Asiatic as well as an American
Empire, without also assuming the re-
sponsibilities and risks of such posi-
ton. We may say with justice that
the fortune of war compelled us to
take over the Philippines. and that a
due regard for the promotion Of ciyili- |
cation and the good of humanity force !
US to keep, rule, and develop the ISL !
ands now that we have them But, on |
the other hand, it might be objected |
that We could have abstained from oc- |
cupation Of the archipelago, and prob |
ably would have done so If the neces- !
sity Of finding new markets for our |
eyer-increasing surplusage of produc- |
tion, and of discovering new fields for |
the investment Of American wealth had |
not imposed the policy of expansion |
imperatively upon our Government and |
people.
Having adopted this policy, and with
out any concealment concerning our
reasons for doing so. it would be lIog-
ical for US in principle 10 deny the right
of seer States TO pursue a similar
course. But, from the European point
Of view, We are inconsistent, and we
are pilloried by the Continental press
as dog in the manger. German. Aus
TRAN, and French newspapers complain
that. while we are SNUG in our salts
faction over capturing the Philippines.
Powers To effect like acquisition of
territory on the Aslatic mainland in
China. They say that We are yirtuous
as to the partition OF the Celestial King
dom only because real estate within |
Ats boundaries for our purposes would
be an unnecessary and annoying bur
den. Perhaps this criticism need not
concern us particularly, since the Rus
So American cut and scuttle from
Pelcin deprived this country of its pres
tige among the Concert Powers, and /
nullihed whatever influence we might ]
have had previously in connection with
the Chinese question. q
1t is much more important to note ,
the rapidly growing sentiment Of, hos T
Unity toward the United States. due to I
our Monroe Doctrine position in respect {
of Central and South America. Again. q
it is charged in the foreign press that, t
assuming ard demanding recognition :
of absolute American overlordship of a
the Western Hemisphere, we are not S
content TO stay on our own side Of the {
world. but must invade the natural I
openings for the enterprise Of Others in c
the Far East. Yet. as cur German CON q
temporaries hold, il Is hard 10 see why ' O