Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-23
NEW MONROE DOCIR|NE
Whitelaw Reid Says the Time
Has Come For it's MOdifica-
ton
THE NATION HAS ouTeRoWN IT
Sees Danger in Too Close Application
of the PrincipIe-New York Editor
addresses Yale Graduates and Makes
Some Startling Observation-Disclosures
Roosevelt.

Roosevelt.
New Haven, Conn, June ga
statement that the Monroe doctrine will
one day be outgrown and the ma
ton will have to modify it was the
feature of an address delivered by
Whitelaw Reid to the graduates of the
law school of Yale yesterday.
While there may be no formal an
nouncement Of a change in policy by
the nation, Mr. Reid said, the moditi-
cation will come gradually when the
nations of the world have learned that
it will be enforced at any cost and they
have ceased to oppose it.
The sradua ting exercises formed on
ly a part of the ceremonies Of the day
in the commencement program. Tween
ty alumni cla sses were back for reun-
ions and the seniors had their class
day.
After explaining the Importance of
the legal profession and impressing on
the students minds their duty to the
state and nation, Mr. Reid continued:
ITO the average American the Mon
roe doctrine seems so natural and nee
essary that lie is always surprised at
the surprise with which the preten-
sion is regarded by Europe. Not one
of our citizens out of a thousand has
any doubt o, its propriety and of our
duty to maintain it. The slightest show
OF foreign opposition would call
practically unanimous country to its
defense.
AT the same time there is no in
innate familiarity with the circum-
stances of it's origin, or the varying
scope we have given it. and little at
tention has been paid to the changed
conditions that must now affect Its
application. Considered at present
merely in the old light, as a barrier
against the reactionary designs OF the
holy alliance upon the new republics
we had just recognized in the Amer
lean continents at the close of the
French revolutionary and Napoleonlc
period, it's condition resembles that of
long neglected barrel around which
have accumulated the debris of years
The hoops, the thing that made it a
barrel, have dropped away; only the
pressure of the debris outside holds the
stave together. Remove that and the
barrel would tumble to pieces. Keep
up the outside pressure and il may last
Indefinitely.
Il do not say that the illustration
exactly fits the case or that the Mon
roe docrine would disappear IL Europe
ceased to oppose IL. | do say that
under n show of European opposition
it would be likely to last indefinitely:
and that IN a long absence of such
opposition it may hold together less
lenaciouSly
The things that made the Monroe
doctrine have disappeared-the danger
that the infant republics should be
strang!ed by their cruel stepmother
and her allies; that the holy alliance
should check the spread of republican
institutions or overturn them in any
place where they deserve to exist; or
that Europeans should attempt now,
under the shadow of the United States
of the twentieth century, TO COLOMBO al
legged unoccupied lands in America.
Under such circumstances it may
be easy, after a while. for us to look
over the Monroe doctrine again in the
light of the present situation Of the
American continents and of our pres
ent necessities. We will certainly not
abandon it; but we may find, if nobody
is opposing US, that perhaps its eX-
tension quite so far beyond the origin
al purpose of Mr.. Monroe and Mr..
Adams, as the fervor of our patriots
has carried it, may prove to be attended
with wholly unnecessary Inconvenience
to ourselves
mo one denies that the Gulf of Mex
leo, the Caribbean sea, and the waters
of both oceans about the isthmus are
within that sphere They must be for
ever dominated by the great republic
1t can not tolerate a nuisance at its
doors and the races that people those
shores must keep the peace and pre-
serve order as to us, and conform to
ordinary international obligations to-
ward the world. To this the moral
duty of our strength points and our
material interest binds us. 1t was on
this ground our action toward Cuba
was justified: and reasons OF equal
strength would no doubt be found to
conduct us again to similar action in
any similar emergency thruout that
whole region on the continent, in the
islands. or on the other ocean. at least
from Los Angeles to Lima.
Towards the rest of the American
continents, it may some day prove more
convenient for us to assume less re-
sponsibilty. We shall certainly never
cease to manifest our friendly interest
in those countries"
The address next discussed the old
exemption of political crimes" from the
list of those for which eXtraditon is
granted, and showed its relation to the
movements against all organized gov
eminent, now so frequently breaking
out in transformations of presidents or
other heads of governments. 1t traced
the slow progress to the United States
treaty law on this subject and cited
the appeal of the German and Russian
governments after the asSa SSination of
Mckinley and the extent of the re-
Spouse the United States has yet made
concluding as follows:
The efforts TO overturn established
governments or to throw all govern
ments into chaos by The assassination
OF chief magistrates seem to have
grown steadily more frequent and
monstrous thru the last century. The
resulting crimes are worse now than al