Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-01

America and particularly the Monroe
doctrine.
The principle which the Argentine Re
public desired to see recognized vas that
public debts cannot authorize armed in
PREVENTION nor actual occupation of the
territory of American nations on the
part o. any European power.
When the pan-American conference met
at Rio de Janeiro in 1906 the delegation
from the United States was instructed
to make the Draeo doctrine a subject
OF discussion at the conference, with a
view to having it brought before The
Hague conference. This course was fol-
lowed and then at The Hague conference
the United states delegation submitted
the formula which was adopted
A large body of ltera ture has grown
out of the DraGo doctrine. In most of
II the service done South America by
the United States is recognized even by
those European writer's who occasionally
work themselves up into a state of mind
over what they suppose is Yankee I'M
perialism.
The publicists Of South America were
honored by the United States selecting
Dr. Drago as one of the arbitrators III
the north Atlantic fisheries dispute with
Great Britain. DR.. Drago is now living
at Buenos Aires and though not holding
natona subjects is still potent. Some
times it is exercised through the columns
Of one of the leading newspapers.
ne Drago doctrine and the formula
adopted by The Hague conference giving
II qualified Endorsement are likely to
prove of Importance whenever sonnet hing
resembling stable government is estab-
.isned in Mexico and the creditor ma tons
begin to clanlor for the payment OF loans
made by TIER citizens.
Eecoeni ton Of the United States as a
friendly influence without inperialistic
tendencies has been made by the Brazil
ian government. When the pan-AmercaD
conference was held at Rio de Janeiro
the splendid structure which was used for
the sessions of the conference was re
named the Monroe Palace 1t still carries
this name and is the visible evidence that
Yankee imperialism in the minds of re
sponsible statesmen in South America has
not supplanted the principles OF the Mon
roe doctrine. however much their appii-
cation to the stronger countries of South
America may have been lessened by THE
growth of those countries in stability and
in power to take care OF themselves.
With the Drago doctrine and the Mon
roe Palace in mind it is possible to follow
with some patience the manifestations
geographical localities and to try to
analyze what is understood by the term
in those localities. for it is not in every
case the fear that the United States &C
tua!ly contemplates territorial agrees
sion.
Starting i'll al the equator. the hostile
sentiment is PROBABLY acute in Ecua
dor as in any country in South America
and it is cultivated by Ecuador polti-
clans and by some foreign interests for
their own selfish purpOSeS
The Guayaquil and Quito railroad,
which links the capital with the coast.
was a Yankee enterprise though fortu-
,.ately for American investors most of
the capital was coaxed from canny
Scots and conservative Londoners as well
as from thrifty Frenchnen.
This railway is of great benefit to Ecua-
do: as a national project. but the usual
controversy grew up between the gov
ernnent and the railway managers. both
Of them sometimes wrong and both some
times right. Secretary Bryan SO far has
nos been very successful in striking the
balance of right and wrong by assuming
that the grievance was all on one side
and that the Ecuadorian government was
Tie aggrieved party. The dispute IS still
one cause of antiAmerican feeling in
Ecuador.