Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-03
THEMONROE DOCTRINE
Subject of Presidents Speech
in Chicago.
AUDITORIUM CROWDED
NAVY NECESSARY TO MAKE
POLICY PRACTICABLE.
Attitude of the Government During
the Venezuelan Trouble Gone
Over in Detail.
AUDITORIUM CROWDED

disnatch from Chicago last night says:
six thousand people in a hall the seating
capacity Of which is but 5000, gave enthu-
siastic greeting to President Roosevelt
when he stepped upon the stage of the Au-
ditorium tonight. The great building has
held many throng, but never one that
was more hearty and unstinted in Its APP
plause for any man than the crowd that
filled 1t tonight. From the first floor to the
roof 1t was packed to it's utmost capacity
Every seat was occupied, and although the
aisles were kept clear all the space In the
lGbbies and on the stairways was TAKEN
and even the passage ways leading TO the
hall from the lower floor were damned
with hundreds of men who were utterly I'M
able to hear a word of the Presidents adj
dress All that came to them was the roar
of applause from within. and with such
loyal lungs did they accept their cue that
several times they were giving vent TO
cheers when those on the INSIDE had oieo
away. and the President had resumed his
address. Twice during the evening Cnle1 OF
Police O'Neil was compelled to send word
to the patrols without the door that they
must cheer in better time or he would be
compelled to clear the stairway
The President bowed his thanks to Mayor
Harrison and to- M MacVeagh, who In
PRODUCED him to his audience. and ex-
pressed his pleasure at the cordial reception
long trip, and then, turning directly to the
audience in front of him, proceeded In his
peculiarly energetic manner to deliver his
address. He had some difficulty in COM
msncing. for the reason that the cheers had
greeted his first appearance in the hall
burst forth with renewed vigor, and 1t was
several minutes before he was able to pro-
coed. The address throughout was re-
ceived In the most cordial manner. and with
as much approval for the manner in which
it was delivered as for the matter which 1t
contained.
The Presidents Speech.
The President said: Today I wish to
speak to you. not merely about the Monroe
doctrine. but about our entire position in
the western hemisphere-a position SO pc
culiar and predominant that out Of it has
grown the acceptance Of the Monroe doc
trine as a cardinal feature Of our foreign
policy; and in particular l wish to point
out what has been done during the life
time of the last Congress to make good
our position in accordance with this his
toric policy.
Ever since the time when we definitely
extended our boundaries westward to the
Pacific and southwark to the gulf, since
the time when the old Spanish and Portu-
guese colonies to the south of us asserted
their independence. our nation has insisted
that because of It's primacy in strength
among the nations of the western hemi-
sphere it has certain duties and response
bilites which obige it to take a leading
part thereon. We hold that our interests
in this hemisphere are greater than those
OF any European power possibly can be,
and that our duty to ourselves and to the
weaker republics who are our neighbors re-
quires to see that none or the great
military powers from across the seas shall
encroach upon the territory OF the Ameri-
can republics acquire control thereover.
Effect of the Policy.
This policy, therefore, not only forbids
US to acquiesce in such territorial acquisi-
ton. but also causes US to object to the &C
quirement Of control which would in Its
effect be equal to territorial aggrandize-
ment. This is why the United States has
steadily believed that the construction Of
the great isthmian canal. the building of
which Is to stand as the greatest material
feat Of the twentieth century-greater than
any similar feat in any preceding century,
should be done by no foreign nation but by
ourselves. The canal must Of necessity go
through the territory of one of our smaller
sister republics. We have been scrupulous-
ly careful to abstain from perpetrating any
wrong upon any Of these republics in this
matter. We do not wish to interfere with
their rights in the least: but. while care
fully safeguarding them, to build the canal
ourselves under provisions which will ena-
BILE US. II necessary. to police and protect 1t.
and to guarantee its neutrality. we being
the sole guarantor. Our intention was
steadfast: we desired action taken so that
the canal could always be used by us in
time of peace and war alike. and in time
Of war could never be used to our detri-
ment by any nation which was hostile to US.
Such action. by the circumstances sur
rounding 1t, was necessarily for the benefit
and not the detriment OF the adjacent
American republics.
After considerably more than half of a
century these objects have been exactly
fulfilled by the legislation and treaties of
the last two years. Two years ago were
no further advanced toward the construc
ton Of the isthmian canal on our terms
than we had been during the preceding
eighty years. BY the Hay-Pauncefote
treaty. ratified in December 1901 an old
treaty with Great Britain. which had been
held to stand In the way, abrogated
and 1t was agreed that the canal should be
constructed under the auspices of the gov
eminent of the United States and that this
government should have the exclusive right
to regulate and manage It, becoming the
sole guarantor OF its neutrality.
Limit of the Stipulation.
1t was expressly stipulated. furthermore.
that this guaranty of neutrality should not
prevent the United States from taking any
measures which II found necessary in order
to secure by its own forces the defense of
the United States and the maintenance of
public order Immediately following this
treaty Congress passed a law under which
the President authorized to endeavor
to secure a treaty for acquiring the right
to finish the CONSTRUCTION or, ana 10 OPP
crate. the Panama canal, which had al
ready been begun in the territory of Co
lombia by a French company. The rights
of this company were accordingly obtained
and tereaty negotiated with the republic of
Colombia. This treaty has just been ra titled
by the Senate. Ii reserves all of Colombia's
rights. while guaranteeing all of our own
and those of neutral nations. and specif-
cally permits us 10 take any and all meas
ures for the defense of the canal and for
the preservation OF our interests when
ever in our judgment an exigency may
arise which calls for action on our part In
other words, these two treaties and the
legislation TO carry them out have resulted
In our obtaining on exactly the terms we
desired the rights and privileges which we
had so long sought In vain. These treaties
are among the most important that We
have ever negotiated in their effects upon
the future welfare of this country and
mark a memorable triumph OF American
diplomacy-one of those fortunate triumphs
moreover. which rebounds to the benefit of
the entire world
About the same time trouble arose In con-
nection with the republic of Venezuela be-
cause of certain wrongs alleged to have
been committed and debts overdue by this
republic to citizens OF various foreign pow
ers, notably England. Germany and Italy