The Topeka state journal., 1905-08-11
WARNS TRUSTS.
President RooseYelt Says Drastic
Measures May Be Necessary
On Account of a Few Men Who
Defy the Laws.
WILL BE THEIR FAULT
IF the People Finally Lose
Patience With Them.
Address Before the Chautauqua
Assembly in New York.
Will BE THEIR FAULT

Chautauqua, n. Y, Aug 11-President
Roosevelt addressed the assembly at
this place today. He spoke as follows:
Today wish to speak to you on one
feature of our national foreign policy
and one feature of our national do
mestic policy.
The Monroe doctrine is not a part
of international law. But it is the
fundamental feature of our entire for
eign policy so far as the western hem
tsphere is concerned, and it has more
and more been meeting with recogni-
tion abroad. The reason why it is
meeting with this recognition is be-
cause we have not allowed it to be-
come fossiIized, but have adapted our
construction of it to meet the growing
changing needs of this hemisphere.
FossilizatiOn, of course, means death,
whether to an individual, a govern
ment, or a doctrine.
1t is out of the question to claim a
right and yet Shirk the responsibility
for exercising that right. When we
announce a policy such as the Monroe
doctrine we thereby commit ourselves
to accepting the consequences of the
policy, and these consequences from
time to time alter.
Let US look for a moment at what
the Monroe doctrine really is. It for
bids the territorial encroachment of
non-American powers on American
soil. Its purpose is partly to secure
this nation against seeing great mill
tary powers obtain new footholds in
the western hemisphere, and partly to
secure to our fellow republics south of
US the chance to develop along their
own lines without being oppressed or
conquered by non-American powers.
As We have grown more and more
powerful our advocacy of this doctrine
has been received with more and
more respect; but what has tended
most to give the doctrine standing
among the nations is our growing will
lingness to show that we not only
mean what We say and are prepared
to back it up, but that we mean to
recognize our obligations to foreign
peoples no less than TO insist upon our
own rights.
What Monroe Doctrine Means.
We 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
it in any shape or way as an excuse
for ACKNOWLEDGEMENT on our part at the
expense 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 it's
own nlIsdeeds 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
to help those of our sister republics
which need such help, upward toward
peace and order.
AS regards the first point we must
recognize the fact that in some South
American countries there has been much
suspicion lest we should interpret the
Monroe Doctrine in some way inimical
to their interests. Now let it be under
stood once for all that no Just and Or
n
anything to fear from us. There are
certain of the republics south of us
which have already reached such a point
or STABILITY, order, and prosperity that
they are themselves, although as yet
hardly consciously, among the guaran-
tors of this doctrine. No stable and
growing American republic wishes to
see some great non-American military
power acquire territory in its neighbor-
hood. 1t is the interest of all of us on
TINS continent that no such event should
occur, and in addition to our own re-
publlc there are now already republics
IN the regions south of US which have
reached point of prosperity and power
that enables them to be considerable
factors in maintaining this doctrine
which is so much to the advantage of
all OF us. 1t must be understood that
under no circumstances will the United
States use the Monroe Doctrine as a
cloak for territorial aggression. Should
turbulent, how disregardful of our
rights, finally get into such a 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 absolutely
demanded by our self-respect; that this
action will not take the form of terri
tor1al aggrandizement on our part, and
that it will only be taken at all with
the most extreme reluctance and not
without having exhausted every effort
to avert it.
Has It's Limits.
AS to the second point if a republic
TO the south of us commits tort against
a foreign nation. such, for instance. as
wrongful action against the persons of
citizens of that nation, then the Monroe
Doctrine does not force US to Interfere
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 Offend
ing country. The case is more difficult
when the trouble comes 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