New-York tribune., 1916-02-12
Nm REVIEWS AND COMMENT
THE MONROE DOCTRINE:
ORIGINS AND GROWTH
Tho Cornerstone of American Foreign Pocy-lts Begin
nings in Colonial Times-lts Growth and
Enunciation-Present and Future.

, portant modification, or, perhaps, an
| enlargement. Of IL that il has been
called By his name as separate doc
trine Csss had something TO say about
II. and so did Seward. The latter, m
decd. came close 10 enurciating a veri-
table Seward Doctrine. For ne and hi8
illustrious chief were the first 20 re.
frain from the parrot-like repetition OF
Monroe's phrases, With which tnelr pre-
dccessors had so much been content,
and 70 enuncate principles whlcn were
capable Of standing entirely outslle
the shadow Of Monroe's name. Cleve-
land and Olnoy, Roose'elt ard Hay,
likewise. had their interpretations ana
recommendations 10 give 20 the world, with
much effect.
The Doctrine has not escaped chal-
lenge and denuncistion. Canning him-
self. though he claimed TO have origi-
rated il. dssented from half or ~.
chiefly because he did not understand
its meaning. Lord Salisbury once de-
clined 70 regard it as international law,
in which he was quite right, since no
iuGicious American claims for II such
a status. Bismarck called ID ian Ameri-
can impertinence" and "a species o.
arrogance particular TO the American
nind, and quite ineXcusable.' Ameri-
cang themselves have misconstrued and
misapplied 10 az extravagantly az any
foreigners. Yet the Doctrine has sur
v.vcd, and il probably more potent to-
dav than ever before; a fact which sut-
fciently demonstrates the sanity and
validity Of the original proclamation.
One Of the especially timely portions
OF Professor Hart's work is consid-
Grafton Of the Doctrine in its relation
20 our acquisition of the Philippines,
and then, naturally. some consideration
Of the duty OF the United States toward
those islands Professor Hart IS no
treaty scrapper or scuttler. He sees
plainly what would happen were the
proposed abandonment of the islands
effected. "To set them aioat as an in
dependent nation would be 70 invite
war and conquest; and he sptly quotes
from President Wilson words worthy OF
all remembrance at this time, when, IN
the name Of that President, men are
trying to enact at Washington a bill
for the reputation OF our obligations
70 the islands. THE Philippines" said
Or Wilson, "are ours. but not 70 do
what we please with. We must admin
ister them for the people who live In
them. and with the same degree OF re-
sponsibility TO them as toward our own
people i'm our domestic affairs"
The War of the Nations, N Pro-
fcssor Hart's judgment, makes the ike
ihood of an invasion OF America from
Europe greater than at any previous
time. The Doctrine is thus likely IN
the not distant future TO be challenged
and tested by some ambitious power.
For such a contest ss that would neces-
sarily provoke, the naval preparation Of
the United States is. he declares, in
sufficient. while our military organiza-
ton is simply preposterous. This state
of affairs - due, 10 doubt. largely 70
the fact that American statesmen and
the people at large have been regard
ing the Monroe Doctrine "as a sacred
principle which needs % be stated. but
not 70 be executed" The fact is. as
Admiral Chadwick has well said, tha.
eft has life and being only so long as
The United States IS ready 20 back
such policy b. force And Colonel
Roosevelt has recently declared that il
"is as strong as the United States Navy,
and no stronger" Il ia a whole
some thing 20 have the Doctrine, IN his
tory and in controversy. as elaborately
and authortatiyely set forth as 10 IS IN
this volume by man who takes so
sane and practical view Of II and =
50 much in sympathy with its greatest
eXponeuts in former years.