The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-12-19
EUROPE CONCERT.


GUM, and the strong probability that
Holland and Denmark will soon join
Germany and England as participants
in the Venezuelan embodiment, leaves
little room to doubt, says the Baltl-
more "American,'' that the aggres
sively hostile attitude assumed toward
the South American republic is the
result of an European concert. The
whole thing is too transr aren't for any
other view to be entertained. Eng
land and Germany led off, and the
others seem to be tumbling after them
according to prearranged plan. With
this made apparent, the entire CON-
plexion of the affair changes. 1t IS
no longer a debt collecting expedition.
For such a purpose there would
would be no concert, for Europe knows
that to compound all her claims
against practically bankrupt repub-
lie. and then to demand immediate
payment of the whole sum, is to ask
the impossible. If she ever expected
payment from Venezuela she would
endeavor to secure it by course very
different from this.
What, then, is the purpose OF the
concert of the European governments!
To answer this. interrogatory we must
90 back long way. The gravamen
of the Monroe Doctrine was that, as
this nation was the strongest power on
this hemisphere, and as we abstalned
from interference with any of the aims
or purposes of non-American nations,
we would view with apprehension any
effort by such nations to secure lodge
ment here. The logic was good, and
until recently the world acknowledged
its force and was bound thereby. But
matters have undergone remarkable
change in the last few years. Our
commercial and industrial develop
ment and vigor have filled all Europe
with alarm. Add to this the fact that
we have closed that epoch in our his
tory when we we're an isolated nation.
and ample cause for European jeal-
ousy is shown. We have settled our
selves in the Far East, much to the
discontinue OF Europe, and We actu-
ally presumed SO far upon our new
dignignity as world power as to vir-
tually dictate the settlement of the
Chinese Boxer trouble of 1900.
Nav not Europe have determined
that the time has come to even things
up? The logic of the Monroe Doc
trine, according to its original concep-
ton, no longer obtains. We are al
ready meddling in what Europe has
long regarded as her own affair-the
Far Eastern question-and, as We
have stepped beyond the limits Of the
Monroe Doctrine, Europe doubtless
feels herself privileged to no longer
regard it. Hence it is that, while
ostensibly bent on collecting debts,
Europe is actually putting the Mon
roe Doctrine to a test. This is proved
by the concert, by the virtual declara-
ton of war, by the establishment OF a
wartime blockade, by every phase OF
the subject as it is presented to US.
The time has, therefore, come for US
to take our position. We cannot con-
sent for war to begin except we are
ready to consent that Europe shall
follow the invariable rule which per-
mits the victor to profit through war.
Nor can we for a moment view with
the complacency Of a neutral what is
going on down there. We must act
quickly and decisively, urging arbltra
ton to the last, and if our efforts in
that direction-well, 1t is consollng to
know that France and Russia hold
themselves aloof from this newest con-
cert.
An Investigation into the advance