The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-03
Plainly Presented.

speech Of the president upon the Monroe
doctrine, yesterday, in the Auditorium at
Chicago, carried by the propulsive force
iof electricity through far-reaching wires
land cables to the whole civilized world,
is definite notice to the nations of the
conception by our government and nation
of the American obligation and the scope
of our premiership on this hemisphere.
The president recognizes in the con-
summation of the arrangements for the
construction Of the isthmian canal one of
those great acts in the history Of the
nation, which have an abiding and power
full influence over it's destiny. The estab-
lishment Of American influence in such
a commanding position on the territory
which links together the north and south
continents, not as conqueror ard ag
iglessor, but as the warden of the henis-
ipherical peace, is a. step toward that future
day when the Monroe doctrine will be in
icorporated in international law. The doc
itrne touches the instinct Of national safe
fty and national honor embodied in the
obligation to guard the territorial integr-
'ty Of this hemisphere from aggressive OBJ
trusion by the nations over the sea. Re-
ferring to the Venezuelan affair, the pres
ident cited it an example Of the Amer
$ican comprehension of the doctrine.
Said he:
The concern Of our government was, OF
course. not to interfere needlessly in any
quarrel so far as it did not touch our in
terest our honor. and not to take the
attitude Of protecting from coercion any
power Unless re were willing to espouse
the quarrel of that power, but to keep an
attitude Of watchful vigilance and that
there was no infringement Of the Monroe
zdoctrine-no requirement Of territorial
rights by a European power at the eX-
pense of a weak sister experimentation
this acquisition might take the shape of
an outright and avowed seizure of terri
tory Of the exercise of control which
would in effect be equivalent to such
seizure
The stand thus taken led to the dsso-
luton of the blockade by the foreign
squadrons and the acceptance of arbitra
ton Of the foreign claims. AS matter OF
fact, no president Of the United States
can appeal unheeded to the Monroe doc
! trine on any occasion Of conflict of Eu.
ropean with American interest on the two
continents, if the principles Of the doc
trine are found to be involved in the con
f1ict. When it is legitimately applied, ne
power in Europe can possibly complain O.
wroEg. No sister republic in the two con
tinents can complain. .-.,.
The president properly devoted a seq
ment of his speech to strong insist
ence that our position Of premier 0
the western hemisphere surely involve
the duty of intelligent and persistent at
ttention to our naval defenses, to back on
just claims embodied in the Monroe doc
1rine. The advocates Of the doctrine ar
not a lot of *'befogged jingoes,'' Wat
terson calls them. The president voice
y their position when he advocates d power
full and efficient navy as the surest guar
anty of peace and extinguisher Of ag
gressive hostility toward us by Europe
Under such policy he rightly declares tina
'thera is but the smallest chance tina
trouble will ever come to this nation; w
may rest assured that no foreign pbwc
-s will ever quarrel with us about the Mou
roe doctrine. Our ability to maintai
our supr emacy on this continent was dem
onstra ted to the nations of Europe by iii
tremendous operations and SUCCESSES dun
ing the civil war, the greatest war
modern times. We hayc since starte
those nations by our rapid advancemel
as a sea power, and it is Il national nc
cessity, in the interest of peace, that tn
essential power shall be augmented.
There is not the slightest doubt thu
the president articulated last night tt
patriotic thought of the vast majority
the people of this country, who are n,
afraid to back our government in its a.
sumption of the responsibilities and d,
ties Of the premiership Of the westel
hemisphere.