The sun., 1902-03-02
Does tho Monroe Doctrine Apply co
France?

The author Of the subjoined letter
raises a question somewhat novel and
not the less interesting because 1t 10
purely academic:
TO THE EDITOR or TIE SuS-Str: The Monroe
Doctrine was clearly and unmistaksbly framed
70 prevent tho spread or encroachment Of the
monarchlcai system of government upon this
continent, but II specifically refers to European
powers and their system, for the obvious reason
that all Europe. with unmportsnt and Irrelevant
exceptions. was monarchicd at the time the Monroe
Doctrine was declared.
If republican France were 10 seek peseeably
to ACQUIRE an additional island in the West Indies
say, what would the attitude of the United States
be. supposing there were other question at issue
but the infringement or otherwise of the doctrine
by the proposed acquisitionf W. b.
NEW YORK, Feb. 10
The doctrine was formally declared
by MONROE in his message Of Dec. 2,
1923. Its development can be traced
back through the writings Of Mr.. Mon
RoE's contemporaries and predecessors
toward a much earlier origin. For
example, WASHINGTON wrote in l7ee,
in one Of the earlier drafts Of his Fare
well Address:
IF this country can remain at peace for twenty
years longer such in all probability will be Its popu-
Iatiou, riches and resources when combined with
Its peculiarly happy and remote situation from the
other quarters of the globe. as TO bid defiance In
Just cause to any earthly power Whatsoever
And in the Farewell Address as finally
issued, these phrases appear:
Europe has a set OF primary interests which 10
US have none or very remote relation
Our detached and distant situation.-
why forego the advantages OF so peculiar .
sltuatloni"
JOHN ADAMS said in his second annual
message, on Dec. s, 17es:
TO the usual subjects OF gratitude ! cannot
omit 10 add one OF the FIRST importance TO well .
being and safety-I mean that spirit which has
arisen In our country against the menaces and
aggressions OF a foreign nation. manly sense
OF national honor dignity and Independence has
appeared, which. 10 encouraged and invigoraiod
by every branch OF the Government, will enable
US TO view undismsyed the enterprises Of any
foreign power, and become the sure foundation
Of national prosperity and riory."
JEFFERSON wrote TO THOMAS PAINE,
on March IS, 1901:
we shall avoid duplicating ourselves with tn.
powers OF Europe They have 30 many
other interests different from ours tina, We must
avoid being entsnried in them
And to WILLIAM SHORT, on Oct. 8 OF
the same year:
connecting ourselves with the politics Of Europe.
-. To be entangled with them would be q
much greater evil"
The present purpose is not 70 review
the gradual capitalization OF these SEN
timents. and the American spirit they
denote, up TO the time when MoNRoE's
Secretary Of State, john QUINCY ADAMS,
four or five months before the famous
message went to Congress, informed
the Russian Minister Baron TUYL, that
we should contest the right Of Russia
TO any territorial establishment on this
continent, and that we should assume
distinctly the principle that the Ameri-
can continents are no longer subjects
for any new European colonial estab-
lshments.' The process was contin-
uous, and il is impossible to locate the
seed or establish an exact date for the
termination Of the great thought which
found it's most memorable expression
in MoSRoE's message OF 1923.
The earlier and vaguer declarations
which we have quoted above seem to US
relevant in some degree to the question
asked by our correspondent; for they
belong TO the period when France her
self was under a republican form Of
government. They were all antecedent