Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-05

truth. Yet that impression continued
to be a serious barrier to good under
standing, to friendly intercourse, to the
Introduction Of American capital and
the extension Of American trade. The
impression was so widespread that ap-
parently It could not be reached by any
ordinary means.
Secretary Roots Mission
IL was part of Secretary Roots mis-
sion to dlspe this unfounded impress
sion. and there is just cause to believe
that ne has succeeded. In an address
to the third conference at Rio on the
3lst of July-an address of such note
that I send It in, together with this
message-he said:
1--WE wish for no victories but those
of peace; for no territory except our
own; for no sovereignty except the
sovereignty over ourselves. We deem
the independence and equal rights of
the smallest and weakest member of
the family of nations entitled to as
much respect as those OF the greatest
empire, and we deem the observance
of that respect the chief guaranty Of
the weak against the oppression of the
strong. We neither claim nor desire
any rights or privileges or powers that
we do not freely concede to every
American republic. We wish to in
crease our prosperity, to extend our
and I'm spirit, but our conception of the
true way to accomplish this is not to
pull down others and profit by their
ruin, but to help all friends to a COM
mon prosperity and a common growth,
that we may all become greater and
stronger together Within a few
months for the first time the recog-
nized possessors of every foot of soil
upon the American continent can be
and 1 hope will be represented with
the acknowledged rights of equal SOW
ereign states in the great world con-
gress at The Hague. This will be the
worlds formal and final acceptance of
the declaration that no part of the
American continent is to be deemed
subject to colonization. Let us pledge
ourselves to aid each other in the full
performance of the duty to humanity
which that accepted declaration inn
plies so that In time the weakest and
most unfortunate of our republics may
come to march with equal step by the
side of the stronger and more FORUM
ate. Let us help each other to show
that for all the races of men the liberty
for which we have fought and labored
is the twin sister of justice and peace.
Let us unite in creating and maintain
ing and making effective an all-Amer-
lean public opinion, whose power shall
influence international conduct and pre-
the causes of war, and forever preserve
our free lands from the burden of such
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 pros
perity, protection and trade, wealth,
learning, the arts, and happiness for
us ALL
Monroe Doctrine Again
These words appear to have been re-
ceived with acclaim in every part of
South America. They have my hearty
approval, as l am sure they will have
yours, and l cannot be wrong in the
conviction that they correctly represent
the sentiments of the whole American
people. l cannot better characterize
the true attitude of the United States
in its assertion of the Monroe doctrine
than in the words of the distinguished
former minister of foreign affairs of
Argentina, DR.. Drago, in his speech
welcoming Mr.. Root at Buenos Ayres
He spoke Of
1.-THE traditional policy of the United
States (which) without accentuating
superiority or seeking preponderance,
condemned the oppression of the ma
tions of this part of the world and the
control of their destinies by the great
powers of Europe"
1t is gratifying to know that in the
! great city of Buenos Ayres. upon the
| arches which spanned the streets
entwined with Argentine and Ameri-
can flags for the reception of our rep
| reSentative there were emblazoned not
| only the names of Washington and JEFF
ferson and Marshall, but also, in ap-
preciative recognition of their services
to the cause of South American inde-
| pendence, the names of James Monroe
| John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay anG
Richard Rush. We take especial pleas
ure in the graceful courtesy of the gov
ernment of Brazil, which has given tC
the beautiful and stately building first
used for the meeting of the conference
the name of "Palacio Monroe" Oul
grateful acknowledgements are due tC
| the governments and the people of al
the countries visited by the secretary
of state for the courtesy, the friend
ship, and the honor shown to our coun.
try in their generous hospitality tC
him.
In my message to you on the 9Th o.
December, 1905, l called your attention
to the embarrassment that might bt
caused to this government by the as
sertion by foreign nations of the righ
to collect by force of arms contract
debts due by American republics tt
4 citizens of the collecting nation, ant
to the danger that the process Of com
pulsory collection might result in the
come permanent. 1 then said:
Our own government has always
refused to enforce such contractual OBJ
legation on behalf of its citizens BY
an appeal to arms. 1t is much to bt
wished that all foreign governments
would take the same view"
This subject was one of the topics Of
consideration at the conference at Rio
and a resolution was adopted by thai
conference recommending to the re-
spective governments represented "tc
consider the advisability of asking the
second peace conference at The Hague
to examine the question of the COM
pulsory collection of public debts, and
in general, means tending to diminish
among nations conflicts of purely pc
cuniary origin"
This resolution was supported by the
representative of the United States in
accordance with the following instruc-
| tions:
1T has long been the established
policy of the United States not to use
it's armed forces for the collection ol
ordinary contract debts due to it's citi-
zens by other governments. We have
not considered the use of force for
such a purpose consistent with that re-
| snppt for tha in6anandanf ~