Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-03
Set Forth by President
Roosevelt in Defense
of Monroe Doctrine.
POLICY. is DEFINED
Venezuelan ControVer-
Sy, Panama Canal
and Other Matters.

Chicago, April 3.-At the meeting
at the Auditorium hotel last night
President Roosevelt delivered one OF
the most significant addresses OF his
tour, on "the Monroe doctrine" He
said:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and Gentle
men:
Today 1 with to speak to you. not
merely about the Monroe doctrine. but
about our entire position in the West
ern hemisphere-a position so peculiar
and predominant that out OF it has
grown the acceptance of the Monroe
doctrine as Il cardinal feature Of our
foreign policy; and in particular wish
to point out what has been done our
ing the lifetime of the last congress
to make good our position i'm accord
ance with this historic policy.
Ever since the time when we def
nitely extended our boundaries west
ward to the Pacific and south to the
gulf, our nation has insisted that be-
cause of its primacy in strength among
the nations of the Western hemisphere
tiles which Oblige it to take a leading
part thereon. We hold that our in
terests in this hemisphere are greater
than those of any European power can
be. and that our duty to our
selves and the weaker republics who
are our neighbOrs requires us to see
that none of the great military powers
from across the seas shall encroach
upon the territory of the American re-
publics or acquire control thereover.
The Great IsthmIan Canal
This policy. therefore, not only for
bids us to acquiesce in such territorial
acquisition. but also causes us to OBJ
ject to the requirements of a control
which would in effect be equal to
territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This is
why the United States has steadily be-
lieved that the construction Of tine
great iSthmian canal should be done
by no foreign nation. but by our
selves. The canal must of necessity
go through the territory of one of our
smaller sister republics. We have
been srupulously careful to abstain
from perpetrating any wrong upon any
of these republics in this matter. We
rights in the least: but. while care
fully safeguarding them. to build the
canal ourselves under provisions which
will enable us. If necessary. to police
and protect it. and to guarantee its
neutrality. we being the sole guarantor
Our intention was steadfast: we de-
sired action taken so that the canal
could always be used by us in time
of peace and war alike. and in time
of war could never be used to our
detriment by any nationwhich was ho-
tile to lis. Such action. by the circum-
stances surrounding it. was necessar-
lily for the benefit and not the detri-
ment of the adjacent American repub-
lies
After considerably more than half of
a century these objects have been ex-
nctly fulfilled by the legislation and
treaties of the last two years. Two
years ago wewere no further advanced
toward the construction of the 18th
mian canal on our terms than we had
been during the precedingeigthy years.
BY the Hay-Pauncefote treaty. ratified
in December. 1901. an old treaty with
Great Britain. which had been held 10
stand in the way. was abrogated and
it was agreed that the canal should
be constructed under the auspices Of
the government of the United States.
and that this government should have
the exclusive right to regulate and
il. becoming the sole guar
antor of its neutrality.
Right to Finish Canal.
1t was expressly stipulated. further
more. that this guaranty of neutrality
should not prevent the United States
from taking any measures which it
found necessary in order to secure by
Its own forces the defense of the
United States and the maintenance of
public order. Immediately following
this treaty congress passed a law un-
the presidentwas authorized
to endeavor to secure a treaty for
acquiring the right to finish the con-
struction OF and operate. the Panama
canal, which had already been begun
N the territory of Colombia by
French company. The rights of the
company were accordingly obtained
md a treaty negotiated with the re-
public of Colombia. This treaty has
Just been ratified by the senate 1t