The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-01
LODGE AND MONROE DOCTRINE

| bOoH6 AMI VlS3NNoIa wv t~A ~ ~
Senator Lodge some time ago made
| himself sponsor for the statement that
the japanese were trying TO obtain a
| naval base upon Magdalena Bay IN
Mexican jurisdiction, Lower California.
His statement at that time was dis
| credited by our State Department. and
was specifically and absolutely denied
| by Japan, which stated that the only
foundation for it was that a japanese
fishing company had obtained certain
concessions from Mexico in that bay.
But it is evident that fishing con-
cessions NAV be stretched to mean far
more than appears at first glance, and
concession to a Japanese fishing
company might easily be transferred
from that company to the Japanese
Government.
1t is evident that Senator Lodge is
suspicious In spite of the denials OF
Japanese operations at Magdalepa Bay.
And so he gives crcdence 10 the re-
port that Japanese company has
bought 100000 acres Of land on Mag
dalena Bay, and be views the trans
action askance, evidently fearing that
it may mean a good deal more than
appears on the surface.
Accordingly, he brings in from the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the Sen.
ate. Of which he is chairman. a re-
port recommending that the United
States reaffirm the policy known
as the Monroe doctrine in terms that
cannot be misunderstood by any any
foreign power.
1t will be difficult, however, to make
a reaffrmation of the Monroe doctrine,
in which that doctrine will be stated
in specific terms that will not seem
to be an interference with the liberty
of action in forign affairs of Mexico
and other Independent governments in
North and South America. 1t is evil
dent that at bottom the Monroe doc.
trine contemplates sort Of guardian
ship over the foreign offairs of all
other American countries, when inter
preted as Lodge means it, 1t assumes
that the United States would have a
right to protest and actively interfere
in case any of the nations of either
military, naval, or sovereign rights in
any portion of America beyond what
is already enjoyed by those nations.
Great Britain has large interests;
France also has interests, and so has
Denmark, in this Western Hemis~
phere. There has never been any
proposition that the United States
should interfere with the interests that
have thus been held all along by Eu~
ropean powers; but the Monroe doc
trine. originally promulgated as a check
to the assumption that Spain, as
member of the Holy Alliance, would
undertake to reconquer her rehellious
provinces in North and South America.
as meaning any sort Of guardianship
or protectorate over the foreign af.
fairs of nations of North and South
America, but rather is pledgine he
United States to aid any of those ma
tions as against European aggression.
II will be the most difficult thing in
the world to formulate this Monroe
doctrine sentiment in such language as
will not give offense to the Independent
nations upon which we expect that
doctrine to have influence. What if
Mexico should reject the Monroe doc
trine altogether, and declare that it
has perfect right, innate in its SOW
ereignty. to grant concessions to ia
pan in Magdalena Bay if it sees ft7
What would the United States do about
it? Under general international law
what could it do? And if Mexico and
Japan persist in their bargaining there
would be but one way in which the
United States could interfere, and that
would be by force. 1t would be quite
different, of course, if Japan were fore
ing aggression upon Mexico; in that
case the Monroe doctrine would clearly
require us to side with Mexico, in re-
sistance.
But are we prepared to DEFY Japan
in the assumed interest of Mexico,
when Mexico and Japan are agreed'
If so, we must make ourselves clear,
If we would protect all the American
nations against their own desires, that
means that the United States assumes
the guardianship over their foreign re.
lations to the extent of veto uron
any dealings Of the kind rumored be.
tween Mexico and Japan. This. how.
ever, is by no means peace pro-
gramme. On the contrary, it is war
programme. and il would mean in this
case. from the beginning, war with
both Japan and Mexico: always pro-
vided that what Senator Lodge sus-
poets is true. and if Mexico and japan
did not give way.
There has been great deal of son.
timent about the Monroe doctrine, and
all or US are fervent adhcrents of il.
But it is evident that the time has
come when we must presently declare
what we mean by il. III we hold that
il means aid against Old World aggres-
sion that IL aaxy. but IL ~ moan. =.