The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-31

the powers and Castro's opponents at home
nave hitherto been very largely ignored IN
i inc United States as emanating directly or
inulrtctly, from Castro himself, whose
Jlngoism and inflammatory methods are
pretty we'll understood. But where so much
smoke offends the Monroeistic nostril some
little IRE is apt 10 be suspected; and the
manner in which Germany has lately been
conducting the blockade is not entirely re-
assuring.
Pending further developments and in the
absence OF authoritative proof OF an lie
eitimate intention on the part OF Germany
or or any one of the powers concerned,
ssuch grounds for suspicion as the above
have not been unduly dwelt upon in Amer
lea. But they have their weight, and so
has the evident reluctance of the powers 10
SUBMIT the dispute to arbitration. In no
other way can be explained the disposition
OF Americans. as soon as II was supposed
70 be agreed that the matter should go 10
The Hague tribunal to hail such a settle
ment as triumph for Monroeism. For,
prlma facie. that solution was victory Tor
the principle of international arbitration
and not for anything else. 1t is true that
since the stand taken by Mr.: Cleveland and
Mr.. Olney seven years ago the Monroe doc
trine has been more closely associated with
the movement for international arbitration
than 1T was before. But the very subject
matter of that former Venezuelan dispute
involved the Monroe doctrine. and our gov
eminent forced arbitration upon England
In that instance as the best method OF en-
forcing Monroeism. Whereas in the present
prevention in Venezuela has meant more
than its professed objects implied could
convert settlement by arbitration into
even a virtual enforcement of Monroeism
And if the powers preferred arbitration at
President Roosevelt's hands to that OF The
Hague court: or If, as now seems probaol
Germany would prefer settlement out OF
court upon her own terms and accompanied
by continued blockade operations to the
arbitration already almost fixed upon Amer
leans continue to ask wherefore and TO sus-
pect something more than mere anxiety 10
effectively collect certain debts.
The truth seems to be that most Ameri-
cans feel that Europe. as whole, has never
acquieSced in the Monroe doctrine without
a strong mental reservation as to the flu
ture. And whatever may be England S at
titude at the present time. there Is reason
10 believe that Germany does nourisn sucn
reservation. One of the journals re-
ferred to as criticisng American sentiment.
the Vossische Zeitung. goes so far as to
frankly declare that the Monroe doctrine
binds nobody and endows nobody with
rights" and the context of this utterance
helps to show how curiouSly, 10 the
American eve. Europe interpretS Monroe
ism. In so far as such papers reflect Euro
pean opinion it would seem that Europe in
her heart believes either that the Monroe
doctrine should be utterly abandoned or
that 1T should be construed so as to render
the United States definitely responsible 10
Europe for Latin-America' behavior. In
the absence of Monroeism and its barriers,
Europe evidently believes that every ma
has the right to take any steps. including
colonization, If necessary, TO maintain its
interests in this hemisphere. And that II
still aside from Monroeism, any one power
should possess actual and paramount in
terests in a Latin-America country, its
power over and responsibility for that
county should also be paramount to that
of any other power. But, the United States
not yet possessing an actual or commercial
interest in Latin-America that can be con-
sidered paramount and the Monroe barrier
on the other hand still existing. Europe
perhaps takes the ground that this country
is the suzerain. to all intents and pur-
poses, of our sister republics; Or, that, by a
sort of fiction, she will treat such
and thus by habit force us to construe the
Monroe doctrine according to her ideas
Hence the desire to make us definitely re-
sponsibe for Venezuela, if such a suppo-
sition be true; and hence, it may be urged
a motive not at first obvious in the present
Intervention to force this country to par
TALLY conform to European ideas by either
assuming a special protectorate over Vene
zuela or allowing the powers to do nearly
| the same thing And in that case Ameri
cans who believe in Monroeism may natural
| ly resent what they suspect to amount to
| forcible attempt to make us either per
vert its original purposes or virtually aban
don