Norwich bulletin., 1916-03-11

4 highly interesting address on Ere paredness. What Does It Msanf was delivered by General William A. Aiken before the members of the Mems club of Park Congregational church at their monthly meeting in the parlors of the Osgood Memorial Parish house Fri day evening. In his address General Aiken expressed his views fn regard eo this subject which is uation-wide interest at the present tirna.
 Preceding General Aiken's talk there was a brief business session which was called to order about o'clock by the president. Robert Johnson. The minutes of the previous meeting were read by the secretary and routine bus mess u.atterr were actsd upon. Gen. eral Aiken was then introduced as the speaker and from the very beginning he held the undivided attention of every one of tho thirty or more men pr esent.
 General Aiken said: In my paper on | we hate war-and should avoid it by | all honorable means-but we cannot | subscribe to the doctrine that wars are | never necessary. nor that they are al- ways an unmixed evil.'
 At the outset of this taIk, want to reassert, in the most emphatic manner my hatred of war and my | unceastng desire to stretch to the ut- | most, every means of prevention chief of which is the observance of the Golden Rule by our government in its l intercourse with other nations. | Tonight, let us try to get a closer | idea of what preparedness means. | taking preliminary birds eye view of the Monroe Doctrine.
 Next, of the various plans proposed | Tor preparedness, avoiding elaborate statistics for lack of time.
 Next, glance at the calient features of any plan. making such final deduc- dons as to our personal responsibfli- ties, as may suggest themselves.
 The doctrine of James Monroe bears ed Monroe Doctrine of 1916 that a gun bears to the latest superdreadnought.
 It is the great American ShIbboleth constantly quoted in speeches and messages as the Ultima Thule" of our world politics, though changing color from year to year, as new events happen or new interpreters interpret
 Based on the historical fact of sue ceesful revolution against Spain py her American colonies and the so-cali- autocracies, 1t was declared by Pres ident Monroe that the new republics of the western hemisphere were thenceforth mot to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any | European power and that "the ex- tension of their system to any portion | Of this hemisphere is dangerous to ouI peace and safety7 That Is the simple substance of the original doctrine.
 To trace its subsequent development would make an enlightening paper by itself. Sufficient for our present sur. vey to show how Its later interpreta. ton have governed concrete cases
 Suppose. for instance, that a com. mercial corporation of Japan desirel coaling station for their rapidly In. creasing merchant fleet, or Eoyernmen ships. on the western coast and com, mences negotiations with Mexico ti that end. Our government learns O 1t and promptly notifies both Japal not meet the views of the Americal nation-the thing is dropped.
 Suppose again. that Germany de
 sires for her great fleet of sea goinI vessels. which (till the great wa
 stopped them) were navigating au m
 oceans; wants a convenient coalIn
 station or strategic base, as you pleas
 say at the Island of St. Thomas, noy
 owned by Denmark; that Germany 1
 willing to but the same and Den
 mark equally desirous to sell. Gu l government steps in and says "NS
 gentlemen, if you please-under tn
 Monroe Doctrine we should be com
 pelled to regard such a sale and trans = fer as against our interests and tn
 trade is off.
 
 L Santa Domingo. heavily in debt to
 European. power defaults on that del l- as to interest or principal, or both, Tn
 power after exercising some patienC
 and diplomatic player. fails to 2, ,- satisfaction and quietly sends a sloo = of war to a Dominican port perchanc g to take temporary possession of a cus ; tom house in order 10 collect impo n or export duties till her debt is sat l. ished. As if by magic, m America d cruiser is on the scene. whose con IO mander IS instructed politely to motif 4 the foreign commander that, und, es the Monroe Doctrine, his little pla
 cannot be made to work. but thnt oI ll commander can show him q moro e1 ss cellent way, namely that he strniEh ts way land detachment of marine D. take possession of the Dominican ou Id tom house, eject their native office v and put Americans fin their place m with the polite assurance that fro m the revenues received, the foreign ts shall annually get a certain propo m tion. as determined by our Foverl
 ment. still the debt is paid. 1t is m the snme time intimated, in & dellgh le fully friendly manner that tho on ot permissible plan is now before fl ut foreigner 10 accept or reject, ri re foTGiEner, ,ss covering up his Injur se Glory flies yenr after year over tho ry custom houses, our silver tongued e; as secretary of H'sto soiicits places ther n- In for "DeservinR Democrats" fro
 Yankee Land, and. tho doctrine iH vii ed dicated,
 ey The upstoot of the doctrine nt [ to date of President Wilson's last me
 sage was, that no European natI
 might acquire by conquest, purcha!
 lease. or deed of gift, tenure of laI r1 or buildings, either on the mainla1 lu or on islands of an existing so = ereignty of the Western Hemisphe without the consent of the Unit States. and. by implication, that no
 of said sovereignties might be free - thus dispose of their domains withe
 our consents a relation of dependen \ which our sister republics apprucra and resent.
 a And now, President Wilson adds v new internretatioB-and the Monr s Doctrine becomes "The Pan-Amel na can Doctrine"-flo less patsrnai tn
 before, but, apparently more fraterni
 which the twenty-oHe republics of |
 hemisphere are to protect each otf
 against foreign aggression and
 farua1 re1rof1ffnu and ,ff ID.