The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-04
.I,SAN'EMPIY
PR.E'T'.'E:,.N | / {. \ /
German Professor Thus Char
dCterIzes Monroe Doctrine.
NEITHER EN- ERGY OR WILL
There lsiNothing Back Of II, Says the
4 Doughty Doctor Asks What the
United States Has Done 10
Advance Civilization.

js6 (By& Associated press.)
BERLIN. March {. THE Monroe doc
trine Ia mn empty pretonslon, behine
which is neither energetic will nor Actua
power, Thus Professor Adolf Wagner
the celebrated political economist, Of Der.
! lin University. begins his reply to two
questions submitted by q correspondent
whether the Monroe doctrine was In q
moral sense as binding as international
law. and what action seems dictated
first In the interests OF the German peo-
| pie, and then in the interest Of the Flu
ropean nations. @ 8
''scarcoly could such h. doctrine be
| forced upon a conquered people after ex-
| traordinary Victories" continues the Pro-
fcssor. IN o people and no great ruler
ever proclaimed such a doctrine Neither
England nor Russia nor Napoleon at the
height OF his power ever made a similar
pretcnsion. But not even the United
! States redoninant interests are behind
this {unheard-o of assumption. South Amer
| lea Is neither geographically nor his
torically SO allied With North America
and the United States as to justify such
n pretension, even from North Ameri-
can standpoint. M IA
Answering the second question Pro-
lessor Wagner says:
"It Is only the divisions Of European
politics and lack OF insight into and re-
cognition Of the solidarity OF #the ntor-
ests Of Middle, Western and Il Southern
Europe, which hitherto has been and will
remain the chief seat Of human clvli-
zation, that explains why Europe, why
| Germany even takes this empty preten-
| sion into consideration, for every Euro
| pean countrys practical political course
will naturally depend solely upon its IN :
terests. and accordingly upon Rconsld IRA
lions Of streng th. Therefore, any bind
ing engagement In advance regarding
this pretenuous doctrine Of union np-
| pears to be q wrong policy. From the
standpoint, too. Of the wider Germanic
races. a simple recognition Of the Mon
roe doctrine would be a false step, even
5'H1 it were settling the world question
sA.ther the Germanic or Is Romantic :elc-
ElnGnts should dominate HE world .$S AS q
member Of the Germanic race do not
want to see the Romantic element pressed
to the wall, because 1t Is indispensable to
the worlds civilization and Is a necessary
complement to Germanlc culture. This
applies to Italy and France. and even to
Spain. What do we Germans owe to
them? What would our civilization be
without Italy and France? They are as
| Indispensable to us as the classic peoples
were. No objective member Of the Ger
| manic race can wish to see the world
exclusively Germanlc, but If We once con-
| CSQG Inc u NlLcQ EoldlGSs pa ~
South America, according to tho Monroe
pretenslons, would German interests be
promoted thereby? S.S XII,
sa"W ould not we Germans be completely
pressed to the wall by the English elc-
1nent on both sides Of the sea? We really
have no Interest IN f,rthering the pre-
ponderance Of the United States or Eng
land or both, The world civilization
would hardly be advanced thereby Aside
from some technical and business spheres.
what have the United States vet done OF
Importance for the real Civilizations OF
! tho world? What have they done that
HAS deserved to be named in the same
breath with the achievements Of Italy
and France? Middle. Western and South
ern Europeans, hold yourselves together
against the East as well as the far West.
That seems to me to be the. only@right
answer to the Monroe pretensions. The
Germanic people should not act against,
/ but should act with. the Romantic peoples.
4 That would serve the true interests Of the
4 civilization OF the world n