Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-08-02
SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICS
FORCING 1T TO FRONT.
UNITED STATES QUIET
Against ForcibIe Collection of Per-
sonal Claims by Foreign Gov
ernments-Aimed at European
Powers-originsted by Doctor
Drago an Argentina Statesman.

| dSeu ny Lne courteous lndlmerence OF
the United States to the Drago doc
trine, the South American republics
are forcing to the attention their
claims to The general adoption of
their rights as embodied in the plan
originated by Doctor Luis M. Drago,
a statesman of Argentine Republic.
The future of the doctrine will be
watched with interest by citizens
OF this country. In a secondary
place in the program of what is
destined to be one of the most preg.
nant of international gatherings, the
third conference of the American
republics, is set down the Drago
doctrine SO named after its ex-
ponent, Doctor Luis NJ Drago, a pub
licist of Argentina. Yet in it's bear
Ing upon the future, not only of the
little republics of the southern Hem
isphere, but upon the nations of the
world, even upon The greatest, in
their time of misfortune and dis
tress, it should easily command first
place. For according to the ideas
of the originator of the doctrine, IL
should mean the very perpetuation
of their Independent national ex-
istence.
Reduced to It's simplest terms,
this doctrine is a declaration that no
nation has a right forcibly to under
take to collect debts owing to it's
citizens by another nation. And
the proposition before the pan-Ameri-
can conference, which it is asked
to submit 10 the great Hague tribu-
nal, is, to what extent. if at all,
the use of force is justifiiable in the
collection of such debts. Naturally
the question thus propounded is of
the most vital interest to every debt
or nation, and most of all to the
practically defenseIess republics OF
South and Central America.
The three Americas were wrought
up to a pitch of intense excitement
in 1902 when the allied fleets of
three great European nations-Great
Britain, Germany and Italy-appeared
off the coast of Venezuela with
the declared intent to collect by
force, debts owing by that republic
to their citizens A few American
warships were there, too, but merely
| as passive spectators. American
citizens were large creditors of Cas-
tro's government, but the American
ships had not come as debt-collectors.
| They were there to guard against
any infractions of the rights of neu-
trails; to prevent bombafdments of
helpless and defenseless ports; to
restrain excuses, and above all, to
look after American interests-includ-
ing the Monroe doctrine.
Argentine was the first of the
southern republics to raise a note of
protest and it came in the declara-
| ton of the now famous Drago doc
trine. Director by DIR. Drago, then
minister of foreign relations of Ar
gentina, to the government of the
| United States through Garcia Merou,
minister of the Argentine Republic
in Washington, it aroused all of
South and Central America. 1t even
excited sympathetic response from
considerable portion of the press of
America, and so strong was the SEN
| timent aroused that, In dread of
hemishpericai consolidation against
them, The allied blockading powers
| gladly awaited of the good offices
of the United States to submit the
issues between themselves and ven-
ezuela TO the arbitration of The
Hague tribunal
| But profound impression has
been made upon the South and Gen.
trail American republics by the
blockade, and DR.. Drago's protest,
and the feeling of resentment en-
gendered had not been lessened by
the decision of the august Hague tri-
bunal-the packed court" as they
called it, on the ground that the
judges represented only the great
creditor naions-adverse 10 Vene-
xuela.
/ The United States had returned
only a cautious and discomforting
reply to DR.. Drago's note In the
shape of reminder 10 her sister re-
publics that the Monroe doctrine
| shielded their territories against
| nhdd annexation 10 european powers,
but would not protect them against
any lesser action by their creditors.
The president of the Argentine Re
public refused to accept This con-
struction of international relations
and made DR.. Drago's declaration the
subject of special endorsement in
the annual message to the Argentine
congress and since 1902 this doctrine
has been discussed in every South
and Central American capital
There was no lack Of opposition.
and notably Brazil, through her
semi-offieial newspaper press, COM
oatted the Argentine proposition. be-
ing herself on good terms with her
European creditors, but professedly
anxious to avoid the submission OF a