The Washington herald., 1909-11-21
THE MONROE DOCTRINE
Germanys Resentment at Count Won BernstOrff Speech
Not Justified

throued King 10 power, and # was un-
derstood that they proposed TO follow Up
this step by an effort 10 overthrow the
recently organized Spanis.l-American re-
publics and to re!ustate the authority o.
the King or Spain over his revolted
American subjects.
The authorship OF the declaration has
been attributed. respectively. to four men
Jefferson. George Canning. President
Monroe. and John Quincy Adams. There
is TO doubt that Jefferson had conceived
the idea involved I'm the principle. as We
have seen in his suggestion as 10 Cuba
and South America, but he did not form
ulate the principle in words nor give
public expression 20 his views. When
the annual message OF 1923 was being
prepared and was under discussion in the
Cabinet. the diplomatic correspondence
and documents were submitted 20 Mr.
Jefferson by the President and MS views
were requested. His answer was a
hearty concurrence IN the proposed dec
laration. but he had no immediate part
in it's initiation
George Canning. the British secretary
for foreign affairs, in speech delivered
( in the House Of Commons three years
after the doctrine was announced in Mon
roe's message. made the following boast
full utterance, 7 called the New World
into existence 20 redress the balance OF
the Old. This was taken TO be claim
20 the authorship Of the principle. the
enunciation OF which had guaranteed the
Spanish colonies their independence. 50
careful a student as Charles sumner has
stated that "the Monroe doctrine pro-
! ceeded from Canning" and that he was
Its inventor, promoter, and champion. at
least so far as it bears against European
Intervention in American affairs"
James Monroe was the putative author
Of the doctrine. as he gave it FIRST public
utterance In his annual message to Con-
gress. His biographer. President Gilman.
says Il do not suppose that he regarded
this announcement as his own. Z
| appears 70 me probable that Monroe had
but little conception Of the lasting effect
which his words would produce" In no
part Of his writings or private CORE
spondence, so far as known. did he claim
| to be its author. and the detailed account
OF the circumstances Of its adoption. as
recorded At the time in the diary or
Adams shows that he at best merely
edited, with slight amendments, Adams
draft OF IT, Nevertheless. President Mon
roe has well earned the association OF
| his name with the doctrine which has
! been so beneficial 20 his country and to
/ this hemisphere. and is entitled 10 great
credit for having proclaimed II 10 the
world at the opportune moment In tho
| life OF the nation
The circumstances under which the
Monroe doctrine was adopted and intro
duced into the message Of 1923 were the
subject Of discussion in the Senate years
after its PRONUNCIATION, In 1913 President
| Polk recommended to Congress the OcCu-
patton OF Yucatan. on the ground that
the white people who were unable t.
| protect themselves from the savage In
/ dams. had asked TO be Incorporated into
the United States; that unless we took
the country under our protection il would
be occupied by Great Britain or some
other European nation, and that such az
ton on our part was justified BY the Mon
roe doctrine
The proposal awakened an animated
debate in the Senate. in the course OF
which the chairman OF the Committee on
! Foreign Relations narrated a lengthy in
terview which he had held with John
! quincy Adams short time before his
death, which had occurred only a few
months previous 10 the debate Among
other statements relative 10 the circum-
stances attending the PRONUNCIATION Of the
4 doctrine, the chairman narrated that Mr..
Adams said he was requested by Prcsi-
| dent Monroe TO reduce the principle 10
writing; that the next day he returned %
| the President the declaration. which.
with possibly a few slight verbal alter
ations. was incorporated In the message.
and that II was unknown to the other
members OF the Cabinet until it appeared
! in the message.
| While. therefore. this great and distinc-
/ tive principle OF American diplomacy Is
properly termed the Monroe doctrine. be-
cause II was James Monroe who at the
/ critical moment assumed the responsible
/ ity or publishing it 10 the world, the
/ credit for its formulation into precise
/ and emphatic language is due. according
/ to ex-Secretary Foster TO the expert
! enced diplomat and stanch American.
! John Quincy Adams.