The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-12
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

At the conclusion of this great
Southern song, the President arose and
spoke in part as follows
To-day | wish to speak to you on one
feature of our national foreign policy
and one feature of our national policy.
Let us look for a moment at what
the Monroe Doctrine is. 1t forbids the
territorial encroachment of nom
American powers on American soil.
It's purpose is partly to secure this
nation against seeing great military
powers obtain new foothOlds in the
Western Hemisphere and partly to Sc
cure to our fcllOw-republics south of
us the chance to develop along their
own lines without being oppressed OF
conquered by non-Amerfcan pow
I'VE can not permanently adhere to
the Monroe Doctrine unless we sue
ceed in making it evident in the first
place that we do not intend to treat il
In any shape or way as an excuse for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT on our part at the eX-
pense OF the republics to the south of
US; second, that we do not intend to
permit it to be used by any of these
republics as a shield to protect that re-
public from the consequences of its
own misdecds against foreign nations;
third, that inasmuch as by this doc
trine we prevent other nations from
| interfering On this side of the water
we shall ourselves in good faith try t.
| help those of cur sister republics,
which need such help, upward toward
! peace and order.
ut must be understood that under
no circumstances will the United
States use the Monroe Doctrine as Il
cloak for territorial! aggression Should
any of our neiShbors, no matter how
turbulent, how disregardful of our
| rights. finally get into such position
that the utmost limits of our forbear,
anCe are reached, all the people south
of us may rest assured that no action
| will ever be taken save what is abso.
| lutely demanded by our self-respeCt
I,that this action will not take the form
| of territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT on our
| part, and that it will only be taken
at all with the most extreme reluct-
| ance and not without having exhaust
| ed every effort to avert it.
LAS to the second point, if a repub-
| lie to the south of us commits tort
against foreign nation, then the Mon
| roe Doctrine does not force us to in
| terfere to prevent punishment of the
| tort, save to see that the punishment
! does not directly or indirectly assume
the form Of territorial occupation OF
| the offending country The case is
| from the failure to meet cOntractual
| obligations. Our own government
| has always refused to enforce such
| contractual obligations on behalf of its
| citizens by the appeal to arms. 1t is
much to be wished that all foreign gov
| ernments would take the same view.
| But at present this country would GER
| tainly not be willing to so to war to
! prevent a foreign government from
! a
| some one Of our sister republics in a
| refusal to pay just debts; and the al
| tentative may in any case prove to be
| that we shall ourselves undertake to
bring about some arrangement by
which 50 much as is possible of the
! just obligations shall be paid. Per-
sonally | should always prefer to see
! this country step in and put through
such an arrangement rather than let
any foreign country undertake it.
Il do not want to see any foreign
! power take possession permanently OF
| temporarily of the custom houses OF
an American republic in order to eli.
force it's obligations, and the alterna,
tive may at any time be that We shah
be forced to do SO ourselves.
FINALLY. and what is in my view,
really the most important thing of all,
it is our duty, so far as we are able, to
try to help upward our weaker broth
erS.
"In the interest of justice, it is aa
| necessary to exercise the police power
as to show charity and helpfup gen.
crosby. But something can even now
| be done toward the end in view That
something. for instance this nation
| has already done as regards Cuba.
and is now trying to do as regards San
| to Domingo. There are few things in