The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-31
to July, 1907. amounted to about 700, 900.
and il Is continuing in large volume.
The Doctrine Stands on lts Own
Bottom.

Inc DOctT1ne STANDS on Its Vwn
Bottom.
Two intelligent correspondents dis
cuss this morning the relation OF the Mon
roe Doctrine to the vague something
commonly described as International
law"
One of our esteemed friends writing
on the subject expresses the hope that
more precise definition Of the Monroe
Doctrine will now be undertaken by the
Department Of State. and that, thus
newly and exactly formulated. II will be
recognized and formally accepted by the
great Powers as part of the code Of in
ternational law. He suggests that one
step in this direction was accomplished
when President CLEVELAND induced
Great Britain to arbitrate the Venezuelan
boundary question of seven years ago;
and another when, to use his words. the
treaty establishing The Hague tribunal
recognized the Doctrine "a not to be
assailed by that court
This is not quite an accurate state
ment Of what occurred in regard to the
Monroe Doctrine at the Peace Conference
in 1899, or If what was actually en-
bodied there in treaty form. The Mon
roe Doctrine was not made part of the
Arbitration Treaty of The Hague. nor
did any one Of the contracting European
Powers agree that the court should be
bound by it,
The party which made a stipulation
concerning the Monroe Doctrine was the
United States The representatives OF
this Government had the foresight and
wit to set opposite to their signatures
the following declaration, which had
previously been read to the Conference
and by unanimous consent been spread
upon the minutes:
Nothing contained In this convention shall
be so construed as TO require the United States OF
America TO depart from Its traditional policy OF
not entering upon, interfering with or entangling
Itself In the political questions or internal admin.
Is,ration OF any foreign State. nor shall any thing
contained In the said convention be 50 construed as
to require the relinqushment by the United States
OF America OF Its traditional attitude toward purely
Amen an questions"
As there is some confusion concerning
the real significance of this provision. it
will be well to keep in mind the fact that
it is in no sense part Of the treaty. or
an engagement on the part Of any of the
European Powers signing the treaty, or
anything more than a qualification or
modification of our own acceptance Of
our continued adherence to the tradi-
tional policy OF the United States, but
does not register the adherence of the
European Powers to the same. II was
declarat ion Of our intentions, and when
the other parties acquiesced unani-
mously in the entry of the note upon the
minutes and upon the parchment OPP
posite the names Of the American pleni-
potentiaries, it was the declaration Of
intentions that was formally recorded,
not the acceptance of the Doctrine.
The Monroe Doctrine Il national
policy which does not need to be formally
underwritten by any foreign Power.
1t is not properly the subject of inter-
national contracts. We can scarcely
expect it to be written in 40 many words
into what is sometimes called interna-
tional law" Its strength consists, pri-
marily. in the fixed purpose Of this coun-
try TO maintain it, and, secondarily, in
the growing perception by friendly Gov
ernments Of its intrinsic reasonableness,
from our point Of view, and, furthermore,
of its practical usefulness to the peace
Of the world.
The progressive recognition OF the
Monroe Doctrine by other nations is
denoted and is likely to continue to be
denoted by deeds and events rather
than by pieces Of phraseology formally
incorporated into a nebulous code"
The recent progress of the Doctrine
toward general recognition in the prac-
teal sense is most gratifying.