The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-20
CAsTRO's PLEA

President Castro, Of the disorderly re-
public OF Venezuela, in his memorandum
to the German minister at Caracas, has
attempted to screen himself Dehlnd
the Monroe doctrine to avoid or stave off
the collection by Germany of certain
claims OF German citizens. which that
government has threatened. with the full
knowledge OF our government, TO
COLLECT by temporarily occupying
Venezuelan port and recouping through
retention Of the customs. 4
Castro contends that the German atti-
tude is an attack on the INTEGRITY Of the
rights of the American hemisphere, an
integrity which all American republics
must uphold" Castro, if he really wants
to know what the Monroe doctrine means,
should recall the proceedings in 1895,
when the Venezuelan boundary contention
was leading topic, and our government
entered an objection to the British gov
ernment against its occupation of
Venezuelan territory west, of the So
called schomburgk lime, which had been
drawn by a British agent in 1910 without
the knowledge Of the Venezuelan gov
ernment, and changing the previously
recognized territorial lines. The British
government intimated that it would refer
the question to arbitration but the bump
tious colonial secretary, Joseph Chamber
lain, sent orders to the government Of the
British colony In Guiana to buy Maxim
guns and hold the territory in dispute
by force. Our government then laid down
the Monroe doctrine in plain terms to
England, and, after much protesting and
fuming, the British government consented
to submit the matter to arbitration.
This, in accordance with the terms Of
the Monroe doctrine, which, announced
by President Monroe in his message Of
Dec 2, 1928, and the result of conference
and agreement with Madison, Jefferson
and Adams, declared that the American
continents were thereafter not to be con-
sidered as subjects of colonization by any
: European powers, the immediate refer
ence being to the Pacific coast which Rus
sia and England then had their eyes
uIon. Further it was declared that. as
to the now American republics who
had thrown off the yoke Of Spain and
whose independence had been by our
government acknowledged, any inter-
position by any European power for the
purpose of depressing them. or control
ling in any other manner their destiny,
Z would not be viewed in any other light
than as manifestation Of au unfriendly
disposition toward the United States.
This note of warning made Russia conf1ne
and Europe kept her hands off and Spain
lost her colonies
To-day there is as much vitality in the
Monroe doctrine as In 1922 If Germany
works to develop her many people, now
settled in Brazil. into a German colony
subject to the imperiun, she will be
warned in way she cannot mistake to
desst. The doctrine was never fornu
lated with a view to shield Spanish
American republics from paying their Just
obligations presented for settlement by
European governments. The principles
of the Monroe doctrine were limited to
denying to any Europeap power any right
to establish colonies within any territory
on this hemisphere not at that time held
as colonial possessions, and to prohibit
European power from introducing by
. force monarchical institutions into
American republics, or expressing them and
controlling their independent develop
ment. Our government drew the doctrine
on France when she, tried to set up in
Mexico an Austrian grand duke as en-
peror,. and France withdrew. If Ger
many. to-day, were to attempt to seize
Venezuelan territory for permanent oc
! scupatioD, she would hear frpm our gov
nernment directly. But we, have not
{. heretofore (and there are several cases
for precedents) denied the right OF a
. foreign power to collect g. Just debt from a
Spanish-American republic by levying on
customs when payment is refused. The
United States stands guard to prevent any
step looking to colonization and control
Mag the destines Of these republics.
There is not the slightest possibility that
the Integrity Of the rights of the Ameri-
can hemisphere: will be assailed by the
collection of debt incurred by venezu-
elan citizens to Germany or to German
citizens. The proceedings in the
Venezuelan boundary case by our gov
ernment ought to convince Castro or any
Intelligent Venezuelan that, when there
Is any real reason for drawing the Mon
roe doctrine on any European power there
Is no hesitation in drawing it.