New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-27
Intenationalism and Monroeism

the Monroe Doctrine raises an issue OF
Intellectual honesty which will doubtless
cause the Senate good deal OF em0arrass-
,nent President Wilson said last Monday
that participation by the United States IN
q league of nations 10 enforce peace would
he entirely consistent with the mainten-
ance of the Monroe Doctrine. "lf we enter
such league" he said in effect, we Mon
roche the world"
Yet in order to give any color of cor
respondence with fact to that statement
the President was obliged TO define the
Monroe Doctrine as something which II
never was and never even dreamed OF be-
ing. Senator's like Mr.. Stone, of Missouri,
also pretend to think that participation by
the limited States in an international con-
cert. which will judge all disputes between
eombative nations and suppress by force
anv nation which attempts to carry ITS
point by going to war, will not involve the
surrender Of our peculiar claim OF suze-
rairty over the Western Hemisphere. Yet
they know that if we reafirm now our an
cient policies Of non-interference IN the
affairs of Europe and Of unwillingness to
allow Europe to interfere in the affairs OF
the Western world-h we reassert the the
orv of American isolation and our century,
old claim TO be the guardian against Euro
pean aggression of all our fellow republics
on the Western continent-then we must
cut a sorry figure asking for admission
info an international concert which is here
after to regulate the concerns Of the world.
Mr.. Stone and his friends do not want
TO repudiate the Monroe Doctrine. Neither
do they want TO indorse it; for they realize
that an Endorsement of it at this time will
amount 10 rejection of President Wilson's
suggestion Of American participation IN a
world league. The more Mr.. Borah's reso-
lution is debated the clearer it will become
that the United States cannot adhere at
the same time to two contrary policies
that II cannot at the same moment ride
two horses moving in opposite directions.
We must either abandon the Monroe Doc
trine or greatly modify it if we are to
become a party to the international en-
forcement Of peace.
The Tribune is not welded to the idea
of reafirming the Monroe Doctrine IN toto.
u believes that the doctrine is already
moribund TO a certain extent Originally
it embraced all the Americas. The United
States. purely as a matter Of self-protec-
ton and self-interest, undertook to forbid
European colonization and to guarantee the
territorial integrity and political indepen-
dence of all the other American nations
against aggression on the part of Europe.
Later that guarantee was logically inter
preted to imply pressure by this country
on backward American states to compel
them to live up to their treaty obligations
TO European governments and nationals.
The United States never could have en-
forced the Monroe Doctrine if it had been
challenged by European concert. Mr.. Root
Justly said in his admirable speech IN Wash
ington on Thursday night that the Mon
roe Doctrine survived only because, in the
first place, the men of Monroe's time real
lied that it was an aggressive national doc
trine. to be maintained only by force, and
were always willing to fight for it; second
Iy. because the delicate balance of power IN
Europe happily prevented combination Of
influences to destroy it, and, finally and
chiefly, because Great Britain did not want
TO see the other European nations get
further foothold on American soil, and
consequently placed behind the Monroe
Doctrine the power of the British navy.
The recent development of the South
American Continent has greatly altered the
relations of its chief powers to the United
States. The Argentine Republic, Brazil
and Chile have become stable and vigorous
nations. They have formed a triple al
lance of their own. They are capable OF
dealing with European aggression on their
own account and capable Of determining
their own political relations with Europe.
They do not need our protection; and If
thew do not seek il it would be foolish of us
TO try to thrust it on them.
So far as the A B c powers arc con-
cerned. and so far as their natural sphere
Of influence is concerned-embracing Uru-
quay. Paraguay, Bolivia, and possibly Peru
the Monroe Doctrine has practically ex-
pired by limitation. We may join with the
Argentine Republic, Brazil and Chile IN
regulating the affairs Of the two Americas.
But if we do, we deal with them as equals
and no longer as political protfges.
The sphere within which the Monroe Doc
trine should operate has therefore shrunk
in the course Of the last two decades. But
as our political interest in lower South
America has lessened our political interest
'r he states in the Caribbean BASIN has
vastly increased. We have freed Cuba and
established an American protectorate over
,,at island. We have acquired Porto Rico
md the DANISH West Indies We have set