Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-12
ACCEPTS MONROE DOCTRINE
Argentine First South American State Ia
Acknowledge claim.
'SKs HAY TO ENDORSE DEBT VIEWS
Says weak Nations would he swal.
lowed IN ~ strong ones Could
Claim Immediate Cash, but
Gets NoncOmmittaI Answer.

WASHINGTON. March 1.-THE follow
ing statment was given out tonight at the
Argentine legation:
Recent publications referring to the note
of instruction sent by the Argentine gov
ernment TO its minister i'm Washington DR..
Garcia Merou, in regard to some of the
features of the Venezuela incident, gave
the erroneous impression that Argentina
asked for an alliance with the United
states and that its proposal was rejected
BY the secretary of state.
In fact, the dispatch of DR.. Drago, min
ister OF foreign. relations of the Argentine
displomatic agent in Washington the views
of his home government relative to the
collection of public debts of American
him to convey these views to Secretary
Hay, expressing his hope that the doctrine
Of International public law set forth by
acceptable TO the United States.
Creditors May he Dangerous
Taking into consideration the real char
acter of many Of the obligations contracted
by the governments Of the minor South
American republics, the Argentine goy-
eminent has felt that there Is great dan
compulsory demand for Immediate pay
tons is to be accepted in silence, without
discrimination as a right OF the stronger
powers of Europe to control and dominate
the weaker and struggling states of Central
and South America.
on this point the Argentine minister of
foreign relations in his note remarks that
the capitalist who supplies any money to
a foreign state Away takes into consid-
Grafton the resources of the country.
The compulsory and immediate demand
for paymen at a given moment of a pub
lie debt by means of force would not pro-
duce other than the ruin of the weaker
nations and the absorption of their gov
.rnment altogether by the powerful ma
tions OF the earth.
We do not pretend, neither can we either
nTatRnn that fhpCa nntfnna ghn11 npttn
an exceptional position in their relations
with European powers. who have the UNI
amply as in any other part of the globe,
against any Injustice they may have been
victims of. The only thing the Argentine
republic, maintains is the principle, already
accepted, that there cannot be European
territorial expansion in or oppression of
the people of this continent. because their
oblige one of them to put off the full
fllment of its obligations. The principle
cannot give rise to an armed Intervention,
and much less to the territorial occupa-
ton of the soil of American nations by any
European power.
Hay Arbitration.
Complying with his instructions Minister
Merou left a copy of this communication
with the secretary of state. In his reply,
Mr.. Hay did not express assent or dissent
TO the doctrine of public law set forth in
the note of the Argentine minister of for
eign relations. He referred the minister
to the messages OF Decmbe 3, 1901, and
December 2, 1902.
Secretary Hay said further that the
government of the United States would
always be glad to see claims by one state
against another growing out of individual
wrongs or national obligations left to the
decision of an impartial arbitrel tribunal
before which the litigant nations, weak and
strong alike may stand as equals in the
eye OF international law and mutual duty.
One of the more important features of the
Argentine note is the recognition and en-
dorsement given by the government of
that republic to the Monroe doctrine which
for the first time is acknowledged and
accepted as a principle of American public
law by a nation of South America.