The San Francisco call., 1904-06-30
ROOSEVELT AND WILLIAMS.

!
no interference from the United States. Brutal wrong
doings impotence which results in general loos
ening of the of civilized society may finally require
Intervention by civilized nation, and in the West
Hemisphere the United States ignore thi:
duty"
This has excited Mr.. John Sharp Williams who ex.
hausts his stock of nvectve in calling it sunsafe, in
sane reckless and incredible" But why is it either
Now, and for indefinite future, the international is
OF the greatest interest of this country
found in Latn-America In order to clearly compre-
hend them and our duty and relation them, it is
necessary to know the conditions in the sixteen indie
pendent states of that part of our hemisphere They
nominally republics and such command sent-
mental sympathy of people, but, unhappy,
y all of them government is republican in form only
while absolute in substance
Administration is unstable, subject to revolutionary
change and violent transfer from usurping dictator
TO another. Their judicial processes partake of the
wu character of their executive administration which
is usually defiant of the rights of person and property
Under such circumstances the ownership of property
has fallen to the few who strong enough defend
1t against their predatory government and the masses
are without property enterprise. Most of those
states are rich in natural resources but their develop
ment by their citizens the placing of wealth
within the lawess reach of irresponsible government
and they remain unexpected except by the energy
and capital of the nationals of the United States and
Europe.
These conditions new. They existed when
Edward Everett Secretary of State made the treaty of
1851 with Peru to the rights of our citizens in
the development of that country by the navigation of
Its waters and freedom of its seaports when Secre
tary Marcy contended for similar privileges on the
Amazon, declaring them be necessary means for the
development OF its watershed They like their prede
ceorS and successors at the head of Foreign OF
hce contended for the security private intercourse be-
tween nations essential the spread
and growth of civilization
The conditions On executive instability and judicial
which existed in their day have increased
and the need of foreign enterprise and capital has in
tenslhed throughout LatinAmerica until it is esti-
mated that billion of dollars of capital belong
ing to North Americans and Europeans is invested be-
tween the Rio Grande and the Straits of Magellan The
activities and institutions incident to the social state and
national life founded upon that capital Mining
transportation manufactures banking insurance and the
factoring OF the products of the soil are all dependent
upon it.
The usurpng dctators who grasp executive power to
misuse and finally surrender other revolutionary
usurpers, having impoverished their own people, look
lusttully upon the property of the foreigner 1t is
tempting spoil Though usurpers they are the wards Of
our Monroe doctrine, which protects the integrity of
their soil and sovereignty and which will never sur
renoe for 1t is as necessary to national safety as
the constitution itself It's and function are mis-
construed by them shelter their violation of all inter
HduoHdl oOngatons Such violation is act of war
but the hnaty of is the loss soil and sovereignty
and they are the first group of in the world to
have both made forever naenable by the hegemonv Of
a power like the United States
Therefore, it is that look to Latin America
to sixteen independent states majority of them under
irregular government in chronic revolution in1poversh
ing their own people by robbery and existing at all by
foreign investment of capital for the source of our ser
complications with Europe and the only part of the
world where Our own nationals recklessly robbed
Inundated and oppressed We have just passed through
the first experience in the Venezuelan incident and II;
the use reckiessly made of it domestic politics
we may the consequences latent in the Latin
American situation.
To people is due and frank discussion Of
that admontory event The ways and of spolia-
ton of the nationals of Europe and the United States in
Latin America numerous and ingenious The issue
has been presented to people the collection of
ordinary debts by war, and impeachment of our ad-
is attempted for permitting the concerted
to blockade the ports of Venezuela in such an
enterprise.
An ordinary debt is that arises in everv dav busi
ness in the exchange of commodities or the use of
credit defautng debtor may be udicially pursued
for collection, and judgment and execution follow ac
cordng to the principles of either the common or the
civil law, the creditor, if domcied abroad has no cause
TO apply to the state of which he is national for re
dress by diplomatic act-ntefvention. If his debtor
have property to respond to execution the fnaity is
If not he stand the loss as he would
at home.
How then ordinary debt due in Latin America
to the national of foreign state, become properly the
subject of diplomatic Intervention? The answer to this
is important for is in that the critics find the ooport
nifty to ground complaint against their own country
and to demand that it abandon our own citizens
their persons and their property to the criminal cupid
Al.