The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-17
FEAR MONROE DOCTRINE
MAY BE INVOLVED

0OonClnued from First Page-)
events not contained in the public
prints.
Senators Bacon. Hoar Lodge and
stewart all made remarks. In none
OF the addresses was anything harsh
or critical said. The tone of all the
speeches., whether by Republicans or
Democrats. was that our position as a
nation should be one of watchfu1ness.
mere was general agreement that
Wnlle the means adopted by Great
britain and Germany for the coliec-
ton of their debts had been quite siren
uous, they thus far had committed no
infringement of the Monroe doctrine,
ana therefore had done nothing to
which the United States could take ex-
ception
This was the position of Senator cui-
iom. as 1t was of other senators who
spoke. Mr.. Cullom said that much
ilgnt as to the attitude of the admin
istration could be obtained by consult
ing the correspondence conducted be-
tween the State Department and the
German ambassador year ago
he then called attention to the fact
tnat on Dec. 10, 1901, the representative
OF Emperor William had brought the
matter of Venezuela's debts and her
apparent indifference to them to the
attention of the Secretary of State. The
herman ambassador said that for sew
en- years Venezuela had failed to paw
interest on a debt to German citizens
OF about $5.00Q.00O contracted in the
construction of a railroad, and that in
auoltlon' there were other debts
amounting to about $1,70O, 900, due Ger
man citizens from Venezuela. which it
na9 proved impossible to, collect. He
aooed that every known peaceable
means had been tried to secure the
money, and that his government, feet
ing that patience had ceased to be a
virtue, had decided to use coercixe
means 1t was desired, however. he
SAID. that 1t should be explicitly un-
derstood that in whatever steps might
De taken by his country. there would
~. oe no uesire TO encroach on or to in
'eTIere with the Monroe doctrine.
secretary Hay replied Dec. Is, 1901.
saying in effect that the Monroe doc
trine was not intended to shield anv
american nation from the payment of
its honest debts and that its purpose
was to prevent the acquisition of ter
rltory by Old Word nations.
senator Bacon of Georgia, a leading
minority member of the Committee on
Foreign Relations, said that on a oues
tlon OF this kind there was no party
division, that everybody would stand
was best for the general good. There
was no desire on the part of any one
to embarrass those who were in control
OF affairs, and upon whom deyolyed
the duty of protecting American inter
ests The maintenance Of the Monroe
doctrine, he added, has devolved on
the whole people.
Senator Stewart dwelt somewhat on
the commandment of the Venezuelan
fort and said that incident should be
( accepted by our government as
warning of what this country might
expect whenever excuse might offer
He gave as his reason for his adrnoni-
ton the fact that our recent acouf-
sition of territory had aroused the
Jealousy of all the European Powers.
and that they might attack us at any
time lisa .is.f . 70 -
mot in two generations" he said.
could we build up a navy equal to
that of Great Britain. but we can
strengthen our coast Notifications, and
in view of Venezuela's experience, it
behooves us to do" +..f
, As there was no formal question be-
fore the Senate the matter was Drop
ped.