Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-03-20

Secretary Hay NoncommittaI.
At the legation of the Argentine Re
public in Washington there was given
out the other night a statement deny
ing that that government had asked for
an alliance with the United States In
connection with its recent note on
some features of the Venezuelan Incl
dent. says the New York Press. This
statement is of importance because II
shows, first, that Argentina is the first
South American country TO indorse
formally the Monroe doctrine and, sec
ond, that she asks Secretary Hay TO
recognize an extension of that doctrine.
After making the denial which has
been mentioned the statement contin-
ues:
I'm fact the dispatch of DR.. Drago,
minister of foreign relations of the Ar
gentine Republic, aimed only TO explain
to his diplomatic agent In Washington
the views of his home government rel
ative to the coercive collection of pub
lie debts of American states by Euro
pean nations and instructed him TO
convey those views TO Secretary Hay,
expressing his hope that the doctrine
of International public law set forth
by the Argentine government should
prove acceptable to the United States.
Taking into consideration the real
character of many of the obligations
contracted by the governments of the
minor South American republics, the
| Argentine government has felt that
there is greater danger to the peace of
the continent II the compulsory de-
mand of immediate payment of public
debts or national obligations Is to be
accepted in silence without discrimna-
ton as right of the stronger powers
of Europe to control and dominate the
weaker and struggling states of Cen
tral and South America.
ION this point the Argentine minis
ter of foreign relations in his note re-
marks that the capitalist who supplies
any money to a foreign state always
takes into consideration the resources
of the country and the more or less
probabilities that the obligations will
be filled without difficulty. DR.. Drago
says further on this: The compulsory
and immediate demand for payment at
a given moment of public debt by
means of force would not produce 9th
er than the ruin of the weaker nations
and the absorption of their govern
ments altogether, with all its inherent
faculties, by the powerful nations Of
the earth
"Dr. Drago also cites enunciations by
Hamilton and provisions of the consti-
tuition of the United States in this con-
nection. DR.. Drago explicitly disclaims
any intention to defend bad faith or
Irregularities and deliberate and volun-
tary insolvency.
"'We do not pretend, neither can we
pretend he says. that these nations
shall occupy an exceptional position in
their relations with the European pow
ers, who have the undoubted right to
protect their subjects as amply as in
any other part of the globe against
prosecution or from any injustice they
may have been victims Of The onl5
thing that the Argentine Republh
maintains is the principle already 10
cepted that there cannot be Europeak
territorial expansion in America or op-
preston of the people of this continent
because their unfortunate financial
condition might oblige one of them to
put off the fulfillment of its obligation.
The principle which we maintain is
that public debt cannot give rise to
an armed intervention and much less
to the territorial occupation of the soil
of American nations by any European
power
Complying with his instructions,
Minister Merou left copy of the COM
munication received from his minister
Of foreign relations with the secretary
of state. In his reply Mr.. Hay did not
express assent or dissent to the doc
trine of public law set forth in the note
of the Argentine minister of foreign re-
lations. He cited the minister to the
messages Of the president of Dec. .,
1901, and Dec. 2, 1902.
Secretary Hay stated further that
advocating and adhering in practice
in questions concerning itself to the
resort of international arbitration in
settlement of controversies not adjusta-
BILE by the orderly treatment of diplo-
matte negotiation, the government or
the United States would always be
glad to see questions of the justice OF
claims by one state against another
growing out of individual wrongs or
national obligations, as well as the
guarantees for the execution of what
ever award may be made, left to the
decision of an impartial arbitration
tribunal. before which the litigant ma
tions, weak and strong alike,s may
stand as equals in the eye of interna-
tional law and mutual duty
zone of the most important features
nf the Argentine note is the recogni-
tion and Endorsement given by the gov
ernment of that republic to the Monroe
doctrine. which for the first time is ac-
knowledged and accepted as principle
os American public law by nation OF
South America"
Lilac the March Flower.