Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-17
PRESIDENTS POLICY
Dominican Message to Senate
 Outlines General Idea.
APPLICATION OF MONROE DOCTRINE
AAny Attempt of Outside Govern. ments to Oppose Destiny of Little Republic We Would Regard
 as an Unfriendiy Act"

~Any Attempt or Outs1de OOvefn"
 ments to Oppose Destiny of Little
 Republic We Would Regard
 as an Unfriendfy Act"
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.7President Roosevelt's message transmitting to the senate the new Domtlican protocol of an agreement providing for the col lection and disbursement by the Unit ed States of the customs revenues of Santo Domingo for the adjustment of all the obligations of that government has been made public by order of the senate in executive session. The dOcu- ment includes the new agreement as well as the original protocol and award of the commission of arbitration for the settlement of the claims of the Santo Domingo Improvement company. under which agents of the United States are already collecting the rev enues at certain of the ports of the Dominican government.
 Few documents that have gone to the senate in relation to any of the south or central American or West India re- publics have attracted so much atten- tion. Because of the controversy that has arisen as to the right of the execu- tive to enter into treaty arrangements with any foreign government without the advice and consent of the senate extraordinary interest has been aroused. The message of the president outlined the policy of the administration in re- lation to the Monroe doctrine, holding that it demanded that this govern ment take charge of the customs of American states when it is manifest that they are unable to maintain their own integrity.
 In addition to the presidents discus sion of the Monroe doctrine in the case of Santo Domingo, the protocol itself makes specific declaration of its application and in that respect is un- usual in treaty making. The declara- tion occurs in the second paragraph. which recites that the government of the United States views ''any attempt on the part of governments outside of this hemisphere to oppress the destiny of the Dominican republic as a mani festation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States" The mes- sage in part says:
 "The conditions in the republic of Santo Domingo have been growing steadily worse for years. There have been many disturbances and revolu- tions. and debts have been contracted beyond the power of the republic to pay. Some of these debts were proper ly contracted and are held by those who have legitimate right to their money. Others are without question improper or exOrbitant, constituting claims which should be paid in full and perhaps only to the extent of q very small portion of their nominal value.
 Tt has for some time been obvious that those who profit by the Monroe doctrine must accept certain responsi- Utilities along with the rights which it confers and that the same statement applies to those who uphold the doe Urine. It cannot be too often and too emphatically asserted that the United States has not the slightest desire for territorial aggrandzement at the ex- pense of any of its southern neighbors and will not treat the Monroe doctrine as an excuse for such aggrandizement on its part.
 ..The Dominican debt owed to Euro pean creditors is about $22, 100000. and of this sum over S1S.OOO.OO0 is more or less formally recognized. The repre- sentatives of European governments have several times approached the sec rotary of state setting forth the wrongs and intolerable delays to which they have been subjected at the hands of the successive governments of Santo Domingo in the collection of their Just claims and ntimating that unless the Dominican government should receive assistance from the United States in the way of regulating its finances the creditor governments in Europe would be forced to resort to more effective measures of compulsion to secure the satisfaction of their claims.
 If the United States government de- clines to take action and other foreign governments resort 10 action to secure payment of their claims the latter would he entitled. according to the de cision of The Hague tribunal in the Venezuelan cases. to the preferential payment of their claims. and this would absorb all the Dominican reve- nues and would be q virtual sacrifice of American claims and interests in the island.
 Under the accepted law of nations foreign governments are within their right. if they chouse .o exercise it. when they actively intervene in SUD- port of the contractual claims of their subjects. They sometimes exercise this power. and on account of commercial rivalries there is growing tendency on fhe part of other governments more and more to ail automatically in the enforcement of the claims of their sub- iects. In view of the dilemma in which the government of the United States is thus placed. it must either adhere to i;s usual attitude of nonintervention in such eases an attitude proper under normal conditions. but one which iu this particular kind of casc results tu the disadvantage of its citizcIs in cam parison with fliosr of other siatc<-ur else # must in order to -le consistent ia ifs policy. actively intervene to pro i.~-t tie ~pl'ra~tS aIsl concessions of iIs s.iiiznnS eil.,y..I ir agriculture com.