The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-25
fan-American Conference Refers
= DrsgO Doctrine to The Hague.

: DragO Doctrine to The Hague.
At Rio de Janeiro on August 22 the
International American Conference unan-
imorsfy adopted a resolution submitting
to the Hague Congress in an interroga-
rive form the Drago Doctrine, which
prohibits the Use Of arms for the en-
forcement of contractual obligations.
Obviously, this was the most judioious
and discreet course that could be pur-
sued, if the question were to be mooted
at all in a forum where a favorable re-
sponse can hardly be looked for with
much confidence. 1t is doubtful, how
ever, whether the more Jealous advo-
Gates of the doctrine would have as
sented to such prudent action but for
the reference to the subject made by
Secretary RooT az Buenos Ayres.
Whether the Pan-American Congress
would as a body sanction the Drago
Doctrine, and if so to what extent a
willingness to uphold it would be ex-
pressed, were questions which have
taken up much Of the time at the dis
posal Of the delegates. What the spokes-
men of Argentina would have liked to
bring about was a declaration that
henceforth the countries represented at
Rio de Janeiro would regard the Drago
Doctrine az a part of the law of nations,
so far as the Western Hemisphere should
be concerned. Such a declaration would,
of course, bind only the parties, but it
might have been held TO imply a con-
Certed purpose to resist any attempt of
n European creditor Power to violate
that doctrine in the New World. The
onus of such concerted resistance would
manifestly, fail ON the United States,
which alone possess IA considerable navy
ana financial resources adequate to the
prosecution of a maritime wal, possibly
protracted.
We, do not understand that our dele
gates were authorized TO impose upon
our Government 80 grave d responsible
ityg1 We eouId nnt, consistently assume
it "a Hnesas Tho DEgo Doctrine should
be .unrecognized by European Powers,
for-twiee in the. last four years we have
acted On a4pTineipIe opposed diametri-
callyta the Drago Doctrine. BY assent
ind ist 1ap4to the bioekadeof Venezuelan
seSpkfts o,ir State Department accepted
the theory that in international law
E4ropsaf Ureaitor- Powers have a right
toienforce ~contractual obligations upon
American debtor States by IN appcal to
naval and military coercion. Since then
President R%oosEvELr's offer to take
charge temporarily OF the custom houses
pflthe Dominican republic was based on
the assumption that European creditors
possessed, and meant to exercise, the
right OF applying q debtors customs
retenue to the payment OF debts arising
ouf~nf contract, How, then, could our
Government, which at this moment is
sotiDg in Santo Domingo On the assump-
tioS nanbed, agfee in Rio de Janeiro to
On a4sertfon that the assumption named
ought MOTTO have been, and would not be,
90 far as the New World is concerned,
permitted tohave any foundation? This
n not to say that our Government, now
alise TO the troublesome il not ominous
c~onsaiplenoes Of that assumption, might
not gladly see il rspudiated by the Peace
Congress at The Hague and replaced by
the opposite principle embodied in the
'Drago Doctrine.
The real question, then, was whether
theoUnited States would cooperate with
Latin American republics in urging the
hague. Congress TO reconsider and re-
adjust the status Of c~ontractusl obliga-