Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-04-23
President ROOSGv9i'S Speech in Chicago



that which you did me the honor to leave
with me on Saturday and am, as ever,
faithfully yours, JOHN HAY,
"Mcmorandum-The President in bis
message of the Sd of December, 1901,
used the following language:
The Monroe doctrine is a declara-
tion that there must be no territorial az
grandizement by any non American pow
or at the expense of any American pow
or on American soil. 1t is in no wise
intended as hostile to any nation in the
old world
THE President further said:
This doctrine has nothing to do with
the commercial relations of any Amcri-
can power save that it in truth allows
each of them to form such as it desires.
We do not guarantee any State
against punishment if it misconducts it.
self, provided that punishment does not
take the form of the acquisition of ter
ritory by any non-American power
His cXcellency the German ambassa-
dor on his recent return from Berlin
conveyed personally to the President the
assurance of the German Emperor that
his majesty's government had no purpose
or intention to make even the smallest
acquisition of territory on the South
American continent or the islands ada
cent. This voluntary and friendly dec
laration was afterward repeated to the
Secretary Of State and was received by
the President and the people of the Unit
ed States in the frank and cordial spirit
in which it was offered. In the memo
randum of the 18th of December his eX-
cellency the German ambassador repeats
these assurances, as follows: we declare
especially that under no circumstances do
we consider in our proceedings the ac
QUESTION or the permanent occupation of
Venezuelan territory
I'm the said memorandum of the 18th
of December the German government
informs the United States that it has
certain just claims for money and for
damages wrongfully withheld from Ger
man subjects by the government of Ven
ezuea and that it proposes to take GER
tain coercive measures described in the
memorandum to enforce the payment of
these just claims.
THE President of the United States.
approaching the courtesy of the German
government in making him acquainted
with the state of affairs referred to and
not regarding himself as called upon to
enter into the consideration of the claims
in question, believes that no measures
will be taken in this matter by the agents
of the German government which are
not in accordance with the wel-knOwn
purpose, above set forth, of his majesty
the German Emperor
Sir Michael Herbert to the MARQUIS of
Lansaowne:
oh nsrfA
municated to Mr. Hay this morning the
substance of your lordship's telegram of
the 18th inst.
His excellency stated in reply that
the United States government although
they regretted that European powers
should use force against Central and
South American countries, could not OBJ
ject to their taking steps to obtain re
dress for injuries suffered by their sub
jects, provided that no acquisition of ter
ritory was contemplated"
Monroe Doctrine Respected.
Both powers assured us in explicit
terms that there was not the slightest
intention on their part to violate the
principles of the Monroe doctrine, ard
this assurance was kept with an honora-
bic good faith which merits full acknowl-
edgement on our part. At the same time
the existence of hostilities in a region
so near our own borders was fraught
with such possibilities of danger in the
future that it was obviously no less our
duty to ourselves than our duty to hui
mainly to endeavor to put an end to
that. Accordingly, by an offer of our
good services in spirit of frank friend
illness to all the parties concerned, II
spirit in which they quickly and cordial
ly responded, we secured a resumption of
peace-the contending parties agreeing
that the matters which they could not
settle among themselves should be re-
ferred to The Hague tribunal for settle
ment. The United States had most for
tunately already been able to set an eX-
ample to other nations by utilizing the
great possibilities for good contained in
The Hague tribunal, a question at issue
between ourselves and the republic of
Mexico being the first submitted to the
International court of arbitration.
The terms which we have secured as
those under which the isthmian canal is
to be built and the course of events in
the Venezuela matter have shown not
merely the ever growing influence of the
United States in the western hemisphere,
but also, think | may safely say, have
eXemplihed the firm purpose of the Unit
ed States that its growth and influence
and power shall rebound not to the harm,
but to the benefit of our sister republics
whose strength is less. Our growth,
therefore, is beneficial to human kind
in general. We do not intend to assume
any position which can give just offense
to our neighbors. Our adherence to the
rule of human right is not merely pro-
fession. The history of our dealings
with Cuba shows that we reduce it to
performance.
The Monroe doctrine is not information
al law, and though l think one day it
may become such, this is not necessary
as long as it remains cardinal feature
of our foreign policy and as long as we
possess both the will and the strength
to make it effective. This last point,
my fellow citizens is all important, and
is one which as a people we can never
afford to forget. believe in the Mon
roe doctrine with all my heart and soul;
| am convinced that the immense ma