Arizona republican., 1914-03-13
Secretary of State Bryan is Called Upon to Investi- gate Alleged Utterances Relative to the Monroe Doctrine
VERBATIM REPORT
 WAS NOT MADE
Senate Will, However, Ac-. cept Statement from Am bassador, Who Will Be Asked to Repeat His Re marks from Memory
ASSOCIATED PRESS DISPATCH A CNrNAhI In 1.oh 1

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 12. - Secretary of State Bryan was called upon to investigate the alleged public assertions of Walter Hines Page, American ambassador to Great Britain, relative to the Panama canal and the Monroe doctrine, in a resolution adopted by the senate today. Sena- tor Chamberlain, aroused over re- ports of speech by Page before the Associated Chambers of Commerce of London. introduced the inquiry resO- lution, which requests the secretary of state to procure a copy for the use of the senate of Pages address, and to also call upon the ambassador for the evidence on which he based his alleged statement that it added greatly to the pleasure of the people of the United States in building the canal to know that the British would profit most by its use"
 Particular request was made, also, for a verbatim report of that portion of the ambassadors speech in which he is reported to have defined the Monroe doctrine as meaning merely that the United States would prefer that no European nation gain more land in the new world.'
 It is said that Pages speech was delivered late in the evening; that no verbatim record was made, and that Page explained that his reference to British use of the canal was in a light vein.
 It is taken for granted at the cap ital, however, that, in response to the state departments request Ambassa- dor Page would furnish his own recollection of just what he said, with the desired explanation. No attempts were made to oppose the resolution when Senator Chamberlain offered it, as it is the usual custom to pass such measures as matter of course. Later in the day similar resolutions were introduced in the house by Rep resentative Murray of Oklahoma, a democrat, but it did not get before | that body for discussion. There was no official comment on the speech or action in the senate.
 ! In an informal discussion at the 1 White House, however President Will son indicated that the Monroe doc | Urine was as much a part of the American foreign policy today as a | hundred years ago. He did not ex- press any opinion concerning the am | bassadors speech, but when asked whether he considered the Monroe doctrine obsolete, replied he had not heard that it was falling in any way
 ] The senate resolution had not reached Secretary Bryan tonight. Ac- cording to custom, if Ambassador
 Page does not forestall the action by
 voluntarily forwarding explanation of 1 the incident, the resolution will be
 cabled him tomorrow as soon as it is
 sent to the state department.
 | Representative Murray's resolution
 sets forth that the remarks of Am bassador Page seem to "portend the
 policy of the state department to
 abandon, upon demand, the Monroe
 doctrine and to invite European viola = tion" It would ask the state depart ment whether "a new American pol icy of subjecting American wealth to the selfish interests of the nations of Europe is the fundamental reason for the demand to repeal the law now in
 force exempting American vessels
 conducting coastwise trade from
 canal tolls.
 It was recalled at the capital that
 Senator Chamberlain last November
 introduced in the senate a petition o1
 protest against reported remarks by
 Ambassador Page from members o1
 the Confederated German societie.
 and the Robert Emmett Society o
 Portland, Ore.
 :. These protests. which were also
 forwarded to President Wilson ant
 Secretary Bryan. characterized a.
 "un- American" the remarks attributed
 to Ambassador Page to the effect tha
 the United States English led ant
 English ruled, and that the obliga
 tion of government and civilization
 rests with the people who speak tn language of Shakespeare"