The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-05

fought and labored is the twin sister of
 justice and peace. Let us unite in creating
 and maintaining and making effective an l all-American public opinion, whose power 1 shall influence international conduct and l prevent international wrong and narrow
 the causes of war, and forever preserve
 our free lands from the burden of such l armaments as are massed behind the frontiers of Europe, and bring us ever
 nearer to the perfection Of ordered lib-
 erty. So shall come security and prosper
 ity, production and trade, wealth. iedrn-
 ing, the arts. and happiness for us all.
 These words appear to have been re-
 ceived with acclaim in every part of 1 South America. They have my hearty ap-
 proval, as I am sure they will have yours,
 and I can not be wrong in the conviction 1 that they correctly represent the sentt-
 ments of the whole American people. l
 can not better characterize the true at- l titude of the United States in its as-
 sertion of the Monroe docrine than in the words of the distinguished former min
 ister of foreign affairs of Argentine, Doe-
 tor Drago. in his speech welcoming MT.
 Root at Buenos Ayres. He spoke of
 The traditional policy or the United l States (which) without accentuating sa- 1 periority or seeking preponderance, con demned the oppression of the nations ot l this part of the world and the control
 of their destinies by the great powers Of l Europe
 1 It is gratifying to know that in the 1 great city of Buenos Ayres, upon the arches which spanned the streets, en- twined with Argentine and American flags | for the reception of our representative, l there were emblazoned not only the names of Washington and Jefferson and l Marshall but also, in appreciative recog- milton of their services to the cause of l South American independence, the names 1 of James Monroe. John Quincy Adams Henry Clay and Richard Rush. We take
 especial pleasure in the graceful courtesy
 of the government of Brazil, which has l given to the beautiful and stately build
 ing first used for the meeting of the con
 ference the name of "Palacio Monroe. | Our grateful acknowledgment are duo 1 to the governments and the people of all 1 the countries visited by the secretary of l state for the courtesy, the friendship, and l the honor shown to our country in their generous hospitality to him.
 1 In my message to you on the 9th O.
 December, 1905, I called your attention to l the embarrassment that might be caused 1 to this government by the assertion by 1 foreign nations of the right to collect by l force of arms contract debts due by
 American republics to citizens of the col , lecting nation, and to the danger that the
 process of compulsory collection might
 result in the occupation of territory tend-
 ing to become permanent I then said: l Our own government has always re- i fused to enforce such contractual obliga-
 tions on behalf of it's citizens by an ap- 1 peal to arms. It is much to be wished
 that all foreign governments would take | the same view"
 l This subject was one of the topics ot | consideration at the conference at RIO
 and a resolution was adopted by that
 conference recommending to the respec- 1 tive governments represented "to consider
 the advisabiity of asking the second 1 peace conference at The Hague to ex-
 anime the question of the compulsory col 1 lection of public debts, and in general,
 means tending to diminish among na- l tions conflicts of purely pecunniary ort- i gin"
 l This resolution was supported by the 1 representatives of the United States in &C.,
 cordance with the following instructions: "It has long been the established policy
 of the United States not to use it's armed | forces for the collection of ordinary con- 1 tract debts due to it's citizens by other l governments We have not considered !, the use of force for such purpose con-
 sstent with that respect for the inde- pendent sovereignty of other members O. 1 the family of nations, which is the most
 important principle of international law
 and the chief protection of weak nations
 against the oppression of the strong. It
 seems to us that the practise is injurious 1 in it's general effect upon the relations of nations and upon the welfare of weak and disordered states, whose development. ! ought to be encouraged in the interests l of civilization; that it offers frequent 1 temptation to bullying and oppression and ] to unnecessary and unjustifiable warfare. We regret that other powers, whose opin- 1 ions and sense of justice we esteem high i ly, have at times taken a different view ' and have permitted themselves, though we believe with reluctance, to collect such
 debts by force. It is doubtless true that the non-payment of public debts may be accompanied by such circumstances Of | fraud and wrongdoing or violation of i treaties as to justify the use of force. 1 This government would be glad to see 1 an international consideration of the sub l ject which shall discriminate between
 such cases and the simple nonperformance 1 of a contract with a private person, and
 a resolution in favor of reliance upoa
 peaceful means in cases of the latter l class.
 Tt is not felt, however that the confer l ence at Rio should undertake to make | such a discrimination or to resolve upon l such a rule. Most of the American coun- 1 tries are still debtor nations, while the 1 | If the Rio conference, therefore, were to l take such action it would have the ap- 1 pearance of a meeting of debtors resolv- 1 ing how their creditors should act, and l this would not inspire respect. The true
 course is indicated by the terms of the programme, which proposes to request the
 second Hague conference, where both | creditors aad debtors will be assembled, | to consider tf< subject"
 l Central America.
 | Last June trouble which had existed for l some time between the republics of Saliva 1 dor, Guatemala and Honduras culminated ] in war-a war which threatened to be runous to the countries involved and very | destructive to the commercial interests | or Americans, MexicanS and other for 1 egners who are taking an important part 1 in the development of these countries. 1 The thoroughly good understanding which 1 exists between the United States and l Mexico enabled this government and that l or Mexico to unite in effective mediation | between the warning republics; which l mediation resulted, not without long-con- 1 tinued and patient effort. in bringing 1 about meeting of the representatives l of the hostile powers on board a United | States warship as neutral territory. and | peace was there concluded peace which
 resulted in the saving of thousands of l lives and in the prevention of an incal- | culable amount of misery and the de- | struction of property and of the means
 of livelihood The Rio conference passed | the following resolution in reference to | this action:
 1 ba frd int n