The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-17

| shall not Interfere. But with the gov
ernments who have declared their indie
pendence and maintained it. and whose
| independence we have on great consid-
Grafton and on Just principles acknowl-
edged. we could not view any interpo-
sition for the purpose of depressing
them or controlling in any other manner
their destiny by any European power in
any other light than as the manifesto
ton Of an unfriendly disposition toward
the United States
In the preservation of this doctrine. in
view Of the acute situation in Venezuela,
We may be confronted with the most
difficult and delicate duty in the history
1 Of the Republic. This country, of course,
cannot take part in the contention about
debts between England and Germany on
| the one hand and Venezuela on the
other. II the two great powers have no
Interior purpose, desiring only to collect
what they believe is due them, this coun
! try has no right or inclination to interfere.
The Monroe doctrine is neither a collect
ing agency nor an agency to absolve South
| American countries from paying their
honest debts. There are some attendant
circumstances which seem to bear out the
contention of President Castro that 1.-The
hasty and violent action taken without
awaiting reply or vouchsafing time for
the framing of a resolution shows that
the collection of the debt alone does not
warrant the summary action taken"
If there is room for suspicion that the
claims afford a desired excuse to seize
the customs houses and gain a foothold
in Venezula, the occasion may arise
| when this country must take steps to en-
| force the Monroe doctrine. The profess
! sions of England and Germany will need
to be taken with many grains of allow
ance. Neither country has ever admitted
! the right of America to enforce the Mon
roe doctrine. Both would like colonies
in South America, both would like to see
the Monroe doctrine abrogated, and it
may be that in the present instance they
| desire to see how far this country will
go to enforce the doctrine. If they can
seize the customs houses in Venezuela
! to enforce an unascertained claim, and
this country acquiesces, may they not
hold the purse strings of that country for
years? If for years, when shall the time
he hot
we may demand their retirement? 1t
should be remembered that Great Britain
entered Egypt to collect debt. It de-
clared its purpose to be to enforce its
claims. Afterwards it remained to pre-
serve order. 1t has never retired. 1t
will never retire. Egypt is in nearly
every respect a crown colony by pre-
scription. If that happened in South
Africa, almost in sight of France, Spain,
Italy, Austria, Portugal Turkey and
Russia--if England could grab Egypt by
the indirect debt collecting process, why
may not Germany and England do the
same thing in Venezuela? This pre-
cedent in Egypt ought to cause this
government to see to it that the Monroe
doctrine is not set at naught by the in
direct method of ebt-collecting.
1t will be remembered that once before
in recent years Great Britain had trouble
then that a design was entertained of
making it a colony if it did not involve
war with the United States. The able
letter of Richard Olney, bristling at
every point with vigorous Americanism,
showed England that the last man and
the last dollar of the United States are
behind the Monroe doctrine. 1t will not
rush to the defense of Venezula in any
difference arising out of contracts with
other nations, but if they use a debt as
the pretext for continued occupation,
then this government would regard that
as an unfriendly act.
There is not room to doubt that Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Secretary Hay will
act with dicretion and vigor if necessary
to preserve the Monroe doctrine. 1t is
generally believed that there has been
an understanding between representa-
tives of the United States with Great
Britain and Germany that they will do
nothing to impair the Monroe doctrine.
If there is such an understanding, it
should be remembered that even the best
of countries go further than they expect
| if the results of war promise to give them
immunity in so doing. This country de-
clared that it did not go to war to grab
territory, and yet it did like other ma