Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-01-10
From Dc ~ York Tribune.l

complishment OF these ends, when the
war is over, with every influence and
resource at their command.
This is TO some extent a paraphrase
of the Presidents address last year TO
the American society which is pro
noting the formation Of an interna-
tional league for the enforcement OF
world peace. IL certainly commits
the Administration 70 the principle %
cooperation BY the United States in
peace concert which Is to police the
world and adjust clashes between ma
lions by peaceful methods. II such
a league is formed every nation viii
have to submit its differences with
other nations to the international
concert and accept its decis ons, with
/ the alternative of carrying on SIN
gle-handed fight against the rest OF
the world.
II the United States agrees TO par
ticipate in international proceedings
affect ng the status Of European ma
lions, it must logically admit the right
OF the nations of Europe TO take part
! in proceedings affecting the status OF
the countries of the two American
continents. It must abandon the
Monroe Doctrine, which is based on
the even older American doctrine,
enunciated by Washington, OF Amer
! lean non-concern with European ar
fairs. We should have to submit 10
/ international arbitration, or to some
other form OF parl amentary or 1u-
dieial settlement, all the issues aris-
ing out Of our assertion of the Monroe
Doctrine against Europe and of our
exclusion doctrines against China anc
Japan.
How could we reserve to ourselves
the right to prevent European coli
nization in the Americas or the intro
ductlon here of European monarchi-
cal institutions, IL we entered a league
which is to regulate the political de-
velopment of Europe-wh Oh is to
undertake to settle Europe's internal
problems?
The question answers itself Some
supporters of the President may
shrink from accepting the logic OF
his post on. But they can prove that
the position is compatible with a
maintenance OF the Monroe Doctrine
and our Asiat,c exclusion policy only
by admitting that what the President
says about joining a league of nations
to enforce peace means practically
nothing at all
We cannot agree with them that i
means nothing. Our government has
been playing fast and loose with th'
Monroe Doctrine for the last three
years. It has had no fixed policy sc
far as the application of the doctrine
is concerned In dealing with Hayti
the Dominican Republican and Near
aqua President Wilson has recognized
the responsibility resting on the Unit
ed States under the Monroe Doctrine
to compel backward Latin-Americar
States to discharge their just obliga
tions to European nationals. We have
imposed political protectorates or
these three countries in order to force
them to maintain internal order ant
to pay their foreign debts. But II
the case OF Mexico the Administration
has repudiated all obligation to re
store internal order or to coerce thu
Mexican Government into giving pro
lection to the lives and property o
European nationals or even o
7 American citizens.
The Monroe Doctrine can be dena
| tured just as easily by accepting wha
is loosely called the doctrine of Pan
Americanism as by entering a world
wide International concert for tn