Evening star., 1914-04-23
Universities Represented.

/
structors.
Universities Represented.
Educators were present today from the
sollowing universities and colleges:
Boston. Brown. California. Catholic Uni
yersity of America, Chicago, Cincinnati.
Clark. Cornell. Dartmouth. Dickinson.
Georgetown. George Washington. Hamil-
ton. Harvard. Illinois. Lafayette. Lehigh,
louisiana Maine, Michigan. Minnesota.
Missouri, United States Naval Academy,
Nebraska. College of the City of New
York North Carolina. Northwestern,
Notre Dame. Oberln. Pennsylvania, Pitts
burgh, Princeton. Rutgers. Swarthmore,
Syracuse. Texas. Tufts, Union. Virginia,
Western Reserve, West Virginia Wiscon-
sin and Yale.
Senator Root and Charles Francis
Adams. international lawyer and lecturer
at Harvard University, were the speakers
last evening at the opening session of the
Society of International Law held at the
Willard Hotel. They addressed a dis
tinguished audience, embracing not only
statesmen. diplomats, students of interna-
tional law. jurists and lawyers. but also
naval and military officials, philanthro-
pists and leaders in the society of the
National Capital. the general topic of dis
cussion being the Monroe doctrine.
Monroe Doctrine Same.
The Monroe doctrine is not different
now from what it was in 1923 when it
was first promulgated" declared Mr.
Root. 1T means that the United States
Is not to interfere in the affairs of for
eign countries. and that the latter are
not to set up their power on American
soil.
1T happens that the United States is
much bigger and more powerful than
any of the other American republics
said the senator, in commenting on the
application of the doctrine, land when
a very great and powerful state makes
demands upon a small state. it is difficult
to avoid feeling that there is an as
sertion therein of superior power.
1t is probable that many present con-.
strued these words as referring to the
present situation in regard to Mexico. in
asmuch as the speaker voted in opposi-
tion to the war resolution.
Necessity of the Policy.
ut is plain that the building of the
Panama canal" he continued, greatly
accentuates the practical necessity of the
Monroe doctrine as it applies to all the
derritory surrounding the Caribbean sea
or near the Bay of Panama.
The plainest lesson of history and the
universal judgment of all responsible
students of the subject concur in declar-
ing that the potential command of the
route to and from the canal must rest
with the United States, and that the vital
interests of the nation forbid that such
command shall pass into other hands.
Certainly no nation that has acquiSced
to the British occupation of Egypt will
dispute this proposition. Undoubtedly as
one passes to the south and the distance
from the Caribbean increases the neces-
sity Increases of maintaining the rule of
Monroe
Certain Phases Held Obsolete.
That certain phases of the Monroe doc
trine are obsolete but that in other ways
it is still very much alive, was the argu-
ment of Charles Francis Adams. who de-
livered a paper on t'The Origin Of the
Doctrine" treating the subject
from what appeared distinctly original
viewpoint. "a sentiment the strength
and virility of which the lapse of years
has not impaired" was phrase used by
the speaker in characterizing the much
discussed doctrine.
There is no portion of the American
population said Mr.. Adams. which
would regard with so little favor the in
PRODUCTION of European methods as the
to America, taken as a whole
They would object even more than the
stock known as native American to
that form of colonization at which the
Monroe doctrine was aimed.
Moreover, it is to be remembered that
it is doctrine and in no respect nat
ural law: and if. I next submit. there Is
one thing political more dangerous than
another it is doctrine SO called, mis-
applied. or one which. having lost its
original significance, is now applied in an
way, or in a lingo spirit.
Such doctrine. degenerated into a cult or
fetch, is apt to come in impact with some
real underlying law of nature, and when
it does the result is the unexpected"
Session This Afternoon.
The society reconvened at 2:30 o'clock
this afternoon to listen to statements. in
and applications of he Mon
and applications Of the Mon
ming of the University of Texas. Prof.
James M. Callahan of West Virginia Uni
versity and Prof. John H. Latane OF
Johns Hopkins University.
John W. Foster. formerly Secretary OF