The sun., 1916-12-22

the accomplishment Of these ends, schen
the tea Is over. cith every influence
aud o at their commend"
In this passage. as the World justly
remarks. "the President pledges the
cooperation Of the United States in
the enforcement OF future guarantees
Of the peace Of the world and the
integrity Of the small and weak ma
lions Of Europe. 1t cannot be made
too clear that whether this Is or IL
not a desirable departure from past
policy. It Is n departure involving not
only our participation In the control
Of the destlnies Of Belgium and Ser.
bia and Rumania, but also the par.
ticipation Of Great Britain and Ger.
many and Russia and France and
italy in the control Of the destinies
Of Mexico, of the Central American
States, Of Venezuela why not even
Of Cuba?
For the. Monroe Doctrine. thus
blithely swept away I'm the exuber-
ance of emotional rhetoric. is beyond
the power Of President WILSON to
annul. The Government Of the United
States. by the joint action Of Execu-
tive and the Legislature. has officially
declared the Monroe Doctrine to be
It's policy. Our participation In the
Peace Conferences at The Hague, and
our assent to the conventions there
framed, were distinctly qualified and
limited by this declaration:
Nothing contained in this Convsn-
ton shall be so construed rs to require
the United States OF America to depart
from It's traditional policy Of not enter
ing upon. interfering with. or e~ntansling
itself in the political questions or In
ternsl administration OF any foreign
State. nor shall anything contained in
the said Convention be SO construed a.
to require the REIMBURSEMENT, by the
United States OF America. Of its tradl-
tionai attitude toward purely American
questions"
AS the American historian Of the
first Peace Conference ut The Hague,
himself one Of the American dele
gates, well said: "Not even In the
supposed interest Of universal peace
would the American people have sane.
toned for n moment an abandon.
ment or the slightest infractiOn of n
policy which appeals to them rs be-
Ing founded. not only upon Legitimate
national desires and requirements.
but upon the highest interests of
peace and progress throughout the
world And the general conventions
both Of the first Conference ut The
Hague In 1900 and Of the second In
1907 we're ratified by the Senate OF
the United States with this broad
and significant reservation specifically
recorded as part Of the contract.
President WILSON can. IL he sees
fit. propose the REIMBURSEMENT Of the
| Monroe Doctrine as tho traditional
policy Of the United States by ne.
g~otiating with European countries
new treaties -effecting the entry OF
this Government into political on.
gagements Of European concern and
conversely admitting European Pow
ers into political engagements OF
purely American concern. The Sen
| ate OF the United States can. II II
chooses. validate such proposed trea.
ties by the constitutional process OF
ratification.
But until that has been done the
Monroe Doctrine stands as our de.
clarcd policy in international rela'
tons. and there Is no more power IN
the White House TO extinguish 1t. Oi
To pledge the people and the Govern
ment Of the United States To the
guarantee of European boundaries
than there is In this newspaper or IN
the executive offices Of the Pcnnsyl
vania Railroad.