The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-07-13

In the years when this Republic
was still struggling for existence, in
the face of threatened encroachments
by hostile monarchies over the sea-
in order to make the New World
safe for democracy our forefathers
established here the policy that soon
came to be known as the Monroe
doctrine. Warning the Old World
not to interfere in the political life
of the New, our Government pledged
itself in return to abstain from in
reference in the political conflicts
of Europe; and history has vindi.
Gated the wisdom of this course. We
were then too weak to influence the
destinies of Europe, and it was vital
to mankind that this first great
experiment in government of and by
the people should not be disturbed
by foreign attack.
Reinforced by the experience of
our expanding national life, this doc
trine has been ever since the domin-
ating element in the growth of our
foreign policy. Whether or not we
could have maintained it in case of
concerted attack from abroard, it
has seemed of such Importance to
US that we were at all times ready
to go to war in it's defense. And
though since it was first enunciated
our strength has grown by leaps and
bounds, although in that time tht
increase of our foreign trade and
of travel abroad, modern transport,
modern mails, the cables and the
wireless, have brought US close to
Europe and have made our isolation
more and more imaginary, there has
been, until the outbreak of the pres
ent conflict, small desire on our
part to abrogate or even amend the
old familiar tradition which has for
so long given US peace.
In both conferences at The Hague,
in 1899 and 1907, we reaffirmed
this policy. AS our delegates sign
ed the first convention in regard to
arbitration they read into the min
utes this statement:
Nothing contained in this con-
vention shall be so construed as to
require the United States of America
to depart from its traditional policy
of not intruding upon, interference
with, or entangling itself in the po-
litical questions or policy or internal
administration of any foreign State;
nor shall anything contained in the
said convention be construed to imply
a REIMBURSEMENT by the United
States of America of its traditional
attitude toward purely American
questions"
At The Hague we pledged our
selves, in case we ever went to war,
to observe certain broad general
rules of deceny and fair fighting.
But at the same time we cleared
ourselves from any responsibility for
forcing other nations to observe sim
liar pledges. And in 1906, when
our delegates took part in the Alge-
ciras Conference, which was to reg
ulate the affairs of the distracted
Kingdom of Morocco, they followed
the same formula there. While &C.
auiescing in the new regime which
guaranteed the independence and in
tegrity of Morocco, we explicitly an
nounced that we assumed no police
responsibility for the enforcement of
the treaty. And if any honest
doubt was left to our attitude in
regard to the enforcement of Old
World agreements, to protest against
the overthrow of the Acte d Alge-
ciras.
We declined to be drawn into
quarrels abroad which might en-
danger in any way our traditional
policy,
Our second great tradition in in