The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-29
The Venezuelan Incident.

Apparently the violent phase Of the
Venezuelan incident has become a thing
Of the past. Arrangements are. making
ton Of last week to refer the question of
Fenezuela's defaulted obligations to Eu-
ropean citizens, and the amount of dam
ages sustained by foreign citizens in that
country to The hague tribunal Of inter
national arbitration. Castro, 1t is true,
is a. slippery fellow from way back, but
he is IN very tight place and will prob
ably adhere to his promise to submit Ven
ezuela's case to the scrutiny Of the august
court presided over by President Asser.
He is embarrassed by the fact that, al
though he did his best to consolidate Ven
ezuelan patriotism in himself as head Of
Venezuelan interests the >revolutionists
who have been shaking the foundations OF
his dictatorship are Still at work prodding
him in the rear. On the whole, the ref,
erence to the international court is all
economical process for the European aTlies
and Castro. is.s:>. : :e,S,s@ :
The collection Of debts BY brute force is
asson'ewhat costly operation, as it is de-
:5tructive Of available assets, as in the
case of the destruction Of ve;.ezuela's.
little navy. The British tor office is.
bitterly assailed by the liberia. party for
goinl, into partnership with Germany, for
whom the English people have little love-
to bulldoze Venezuela and involve England
in possible complications and the risk Of a
quarrel with the United States, which
Englishmen seem to fear greatly. So far
as this country is concerned, there has not
been step taken by the, allies without the
permission Of the administration at<Wash-
ington. If Germany despises the Monroe
doctrine, she has not dared to ride rough
shod over it. Our government, has only
recently defined that doctrine again and
asserted its viriity; and denied that it
had only3the narrow. application embodied
In a conclusive defiance of the old Holy
Alliance Of Russia. Austria, Spain, Prus-
STA and France, aimed at the repression
Of free institutions. as asserted BY some
wiseacres, who fai! to read its wider APP
plication as against the attempts, through
all time, to convert Spanish America Unto
a European monarchical preserve. There
is ne political stock buncombe about this
matter The. Monroe doctrine, conceived
and promulgated in the interests Of free
dom, is still promulgated with that intent.
The Louisville Courier-Journal recently
advocated the abandonment Of the Monroe
doctrine by the United States on the
ground that our government has g. deal Of
trouble protecting Central and South
American states" This Is hardly lid
We have had more trouble protecting our
selves from their jealousy and treachery,
while protecting their territory from occu-
patton by the European powers. They
are, in fact, a thankless lot During the
war with Spain for the emancipation of
Cuba, there was not one Of these states
friendly to us. Their sympatl1es were all
with their former tyrannical ruler, Spain
The Monroe doctrine, however, will nei-
Their be readjusted nor abandoned. as
Colonel Watterson desires. We require it
for our own protection from European ra-
pacity, which would be vigorously exploit
ed if Spanish America were turned over to
European occupation, as Africa has been.
In self defense we would have to capture
Canada whether Great Britain liked it or
not, even if she was, in a certain sense, a
promoter OF the doctrine in 1922 %.
What should be done, however. is the
abandonment by Europe Of the policy Of
attempting to collect by force the millions
invested rashly and for the sake of high
rates Of interest by European citizens in
South and Central America. The Hague
tribunal is the place of adjudication for
such matters
4 Although there is about as much use for
the Marshall land Office as wagon has for
a fifth wheel, Congressman Mcc,leary pro-
| tests against its abandonment. The con-