The Washington herald., 1908-02-14
of National Responsibility.


Secretary Root, in presenting TO the
House Foreign Affairs Committee rea-
sons for sending an American Minister
10 each of the Central American repub-
lies, made some significant observations
on the trend of our national policy toward
the commonwealths lying i'm the neigh
borhood of the Panama Canal When
that canal is finished, said the Secretary
all these countries viii be in our back
yard. our traders and capitalists will be
exploiting their resources as they are
those of Mexico, where more than $780,
oooo0 Of American capital is invested. As
natural consequence, says Mr.. Root
The relations between them and tie United
States are bound 10 be of the most intimate char
acter. They are stepping into the position that
cuba has additionally been regarded as occupying
toward the United States. There has never been
IN this country auy division Of palties OF Of opinion
among American public men as 10 the fact that
Cuba must be kept Iu certain relations with the
United states. For any other country Than Spain
60 acquire possession of her would he So inc1m-
pathle with the interests Of the United States that
it could not be- permitted. The Central American
republics are now assuming through the building
of the canal. the same relation toward MS. They
iuteTpGsCd right In the middle Of our coast line
which VIII run Som the Atlantic to the Pacific
when We set the canal built"
Acting concurreHtly with Mexico. the
United States has been trying TO bring
about d better order of things in the
Central American republics The peace
conference recently held in Washington
conventions to some extent federalizing
the relations of those FIVE republics; but
as Alr Root shrewdly remarked 20 the
committee. it remains TO be seen whether
the conventions viii he observed. So far.
they have not been ratified. In any event,
Mr.. Root SAYS. we want 10 exercise a
constant influence there in favor Of peace
and order" and to do so must have the
men on the spot To do il with, Mr. Root
regards the situation Of such great im-
portance that there should be a separate
Minister in each Of the Eve Central Amer
lean republics.
Our far-seeinE Secretary Of State evil
deutly believes that manifest destiny 10
urrect an old American catchword. is
leading as toward a considerable expan-
sion OF national responsibility in the
American hemisphere. If our relations
with Cuba furnish an analogy to our
future relations with the Central Ameri-
can republics, what is to come certainly
involves a notable development of Ameri-
can hegemony in the Western world We
have always exercised an influence for
peace and order in this hemisphere, but
hitherto by moral and diplomatic suasion.
Cuba, however, has passed more directly
under our control and there we preserve
peace and order by force of arms, if
necessary. Are we carrying Mr.. Roots
idea too far when we assume that some
day we may be performing in Central
America the same offices we are now
performing ln Cuba2 Ten years ago the
idea would have been almost unthiukable.
but SO ten years ago was it undreamed
Of that We should become a colonial
power with far-fung possessions in
yolving us deeply in the awakening Of the
orient. American enterprise is overrun-
ming the countries 10 the south of us.
and our interests there make it impera-
tive that the local governments shall be
capable of performing their functions IF
they are not, 1t will inevitably become
our business 10 set them right 1t is
new and serious responsibility. but one
that we will be apparently forced to ac-
cept as a normal outcome of our pre-
dominant position in Pan-AmeriCan af-
fairs.