The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-06
NEW POLICY NEEDED.

Changing conditions in South an'
Central America emphasize the neet
for q stronger foreign policy on thu
part of the United States. Those wht
oppose the Monroe doctrine and urg'
its abandonment fail to realize thai
the building of the Panama Cana
has given the United States a deeper
interest than ever in controlling the
destinies of those nations bordering
on the new waterway.
That the state department under
President Taft and the present state
depar tment appreciated the need OF
going beyond the Monroe doctrine was
revealed by the proposed treaty with
Nicaragua, which the senate failed to
approve. The treaty was not an ex-
tension Of the Monroe doctrine because
it applied only to Nicaragua, but
the time seems to be approaching
when the United States must assume a
irmer attitude toward all the coun-
tries between the Rio Grande and the
canal.
The United States must protect the
Panama Canal, and Notifications are
not sufficient. This country cannot
permit constant revolutions in the Cen
tral American states. 1t cannot per-
NIT European interests TO gain an in
huence in these countries through revo-
lutions. The United States is annoyed
by the presentation Of foreign claims
whenever a revolution occurs In a
Latin American republic. In any great
crisis foreign countries can make these
claims pretcxt for gaining military
foothold in Latin America, threatening
the canal from territory which is not
controlled by the United States.
II may not be necessary to amplify
the Monroe doctrine with reference to
all of South America We could suf-
icienfly protect our national integrity,
our commercial interests and the
Panama Canal by applying stronger
policy only to Mexico, Central Amer
ica, and the northern states of South
America. Such a policy is more essen
tial in the region between the Rio
Grande and the canal than in the
northern states of South America, but
il probably would be necessary to
q pplu 70 Ind
Peru. The overturning of the Peru
viau government last Wednesday
shows how foreign interests promote
and back revolutions. President
Billipghurst was dcposed because he
declined 10 indorse concessions
granted by his predecessor.
What the new doctrine shall be is a
matter for thorough discussion in tbc
years Immediately ahead Perhaps the
famous Platt amendment will offer
some idea of what such policy ought
10 be- The Platt amendment applies.
of course, only TO Cuba, but the spirit
of 1t will suggest TO statesmen some
OF the clements necessary in "A policy
designed TO fit the new conditions aris-
ing from the Panama Canal.
An amendment TO the army ap7ro.
priation bill was offered bv Senator
Platt of Connecticut in 1899, demand.
ing that the Cubaus cmbody in their
constitution the following pledges:
That no foreign power be permitted
10 control any part Of Cuban territory:
that the Cuban government incur no
debt not justified by its revenues. and
that the United States be permitted 10
establish naval stations in Cuban wa
tcrs and to maintain, by force. If
necessary, the independence of the
island.
In devlsine new doctrine for our
sphere of influence in the canal re.
gion it probably will be essential to
make some provision against the Civ
ing of concessions to foreign interests
by the governments Of those countries.
As President Wilson pointed ont q few
months ago IN one Of his speeches. the
foreign conccssiOnaires take no risk of
losing They provide for the payment
VI Prihc'Pdi ana interest on all their
investments and hold the governments
responsible They do not make the,
ordinary business Investments, where
capital is rjsked to obtain profit. The
foreign interests take advantage of the
financial needs Of the Latin American
Governmcpts-usually new and rcvolu-
tiopsry governments-to exact condj
tions that would not be granted in any
other regions of the civilized world.
These concessions almost invariably
give rise to international complications
and must be provided against in the
new foreign policy of the United
states
In 1912 1T was reported that pri-
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