The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-22
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS
The Monroe doctrine.

articles showing that this doctrine which is supposed to be the one distinctly American, was invented in England by Canning. who turned 1t over to Presi- dent Monroe.
 I think most of us are ready to admit that the English fleet has preserved it for us during century, and that in spite of Grover Clevelands famous mes sage. when he was supposed to have called England's bluff
 I know this much I feel very much more sure that 1t will continue to be in violate if England retains the proud title as mistress of the seas. It will be remembered that as late as 1896 Prince Bismarck, the man of blood and iron" stigmatized the Monroe doctrine as "an incredible impertinence to the rest of the world"
 Knowing this and knowing further the desire of his imperial master the Em- peror of Germany, for a place in the sun, I do not see how any intelligent American can doubt that sooner or later 1t was Germany's purpose to put it to the test.
 It is hardly necessary to recall the in- stances in which Germans tried the pa tience of Americans by nosing ill seas where there was a chance to come into collision with our fleet, and but for the promptness in the way in which Admiral ho oho A NYrn Diedrichs at Manila bay, we might have been at war with Germany ere this. Students of history, and especially of l German history, after her victorious war with France in 1870, when the old Elm peror William was crowned at Versailles, and began his rule over united Ger many, know that Prussianism became 8 menace not merely to the peace of Eu- rope, but to the new world also. | The pan-Germanic dream had for its programme a greater Germany that would find colonies in the new world. on the South American continent, be- ! low Panama, and that Brazil, Chile, and ! the Argentine, once under the German flag, 1t would be only a question of tine when the Prussian eagles would try their l strength against the American eagle on the north.
 l An English publicist well known in | America and well versed in American politics and diplomacy made clear to me In an article in an English publication 1 k1.o uvhiC h brought Europe to the ragged edge of | war, was a peril to America if the | Kaiser had been permitted to have had his way.
 l It is well known that the central em- pires stood behind the Kaiser's demand ! for the cession to Germany by Morocco | of the port of Mogador on the Atlantic coast, which port as a central station for a vast German fleet would have pointed a pistol equally at the head of | Spithead in England and Fire Island in 1 America.
 | It is hard to believe that any nation had deliberately gone about getting ready for ''the day. for more than two ,l score of years, but now facts are com ing to light which show that the mill tarists of Germany have secretly planned to take advantage of every strategic point in the hour in which she went out to bring Europe first and then America to her feet.
 It seemed slight thing to go to war about an insignificant port, and so it would have been if it had not held the key to a naval campaign against the two great English speaking peoples Here comes the astounding but little known fact that holding Mogador, g German fleet could have reached New York ahead of British fleet, and again could have reached Rio harbor ahead of an American fleet.
 And yet in spite of this knowledge there are pacifists who will continue to many?" The possession Of the Moroc- can port would have menaced the Mon- roe doctrine and made 1t untenable even though the fleets of England and France had come to our rescue. With 1t as 8 base for submarines it would have made every ship on the Atlantic unsafe. Germany has so polluted the ocear that it is fearful to think what sht
 would have done with such leverage or the Atlantic, for see how ruthless ant successful her undersea warfare hal
 been in spite of the fact that the Eng fish channel is supposed to be bottled up
 I believe it was in her heart to strik' Europe down and then bounce on Amer
 ica before we had had time to reailz' her damnable scheme
 
 America fights with England for nor !, than sentimental reasons. It's foolish t
 say that we are fighting England's bat , tle The plain truth is, we are fighting : for our right to live and be freemen. l Is no mere phrase that has set u against Germany's insolence It's tn
 naked truth that We are fighting t
 safeguard our own democracy and whel } we have won it will be time to tall about handing 1t on to the world. , | Do not let any one be fooled. Flo 7 many years Germany has seen her man
 fest destiny on the Amazon and tn } Orinoco. The British fleet, in conjunctio ! with our own, and their combine strength alone has continued to kep he
 from fighting for her place in the sun.
 
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