Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-12
JUST PEACE NEED NOT HARM
THE MONROE DOCTRINE
Mr.. Wilson Himself Has Revealed Its
Spiritual Kinship With the Self.Deter-
mination Principles

address in the Senate on January %,
| 1917. were spoken in explanation of what
might have appeared to be an inconsis-
tency in his bold and broad proposal for
an expansion of the Morroe Doctrine into
"the doctrine of the volil." They are
particularly worth needing today, when
considerable public uneasiness exists over
the possibility that a cardinal principle
Of American political philosophy may be
surrendered in the Paris deliberations
which seek to remake civilization.
These qualms are natural when the
Monroe Doctrine is reduced to its sim
plest terms unllumined by analysis.
America for Americans, Europe for
Europeans" is the superficial form of
that famous dictum. History, however. in
vests it with far greater subtlety. That its
essential spirit was publicly recognized
by Mr.. Wilson nearly two years ago is
proved by his suggestion that mo nation
should seek to extend its polity over any
other nation or people, and "that every
people should be left free to determine
its own polity, its own way of develop
ment unhndered, unthreatened, unafraid,
the little along with the great and pow
erful."
Presumably he is of that mind today,
and if so Americans to whom a phrase
is not fetish may have an opportunity
of viewing the ancient Monroe Doctrine
in the newer terms of self-determination
The logic of this definition is apparent
when the causes which led President
Monroe to safeguard free institutions on
the American continent with a quid pro
quo implication that this country would
avoid intervention in European affairs
are considered.
The Monroe Doctrine as expressed in
the presidential message of December g.
1923, represented very human combina-
tion Of idealism and self-interest. The
Holy Alliance of Russia, Prussia and
Austria, formed in 1916 with the hypo-
critical protestations of Christian moral
ity, characterized by the acute Meter
mich as "verbiage," had shown its hand in
Verona in 1922 in a treaty which is a
veritable compendium of the principles of
autocracy.
The Duke of Wellington, originally
delegate to the Congress, soon realized
that this gospel of despotism was about
to be practically applied on two CONT
nents-in Europe to suppress the new
outburst of liberalism in Spain, and in
South America to crush the aspirations
of the Latin republics which had thrown
off the Spanish yoke. He withdrew from
the sessions. But the plotters persisted
Constitutionalism was quelled in Spain
and the United States, though deploring
this decadent proceeding, was silent
! When, however, the menace to America
became tangible, Monroe, already aware
of England's sympathy in the case as
conveyed through Canning, summarized
in his famous message the principles
which were to become standard in Ameri-
can diplomacy. They may thus be item
lied;
One. No more European colonies on
either Of the American continents.
Tavo. No interference By the United
| States in the internal concerns" of ann
European PoaUer.
Three. If any European PoVer at
| tempts at any time to ertend its DO
hticdl system to any part of either North
or South America "for the purpose of
| expressing" the nations or "controlling
IN any other manner their destiny," the
United States 1ViH seek to prevent such
actions.
The selfish interest in this announced
policy is plain. 1t prevented in America
any such war-breedng scramble for ter
ritory as has continued for nearly a CEN
tury in Asia and Africa; it safeguarded
the commanding position of the United
States in this hemisphere and permitted
the unfettered development of free insti-
tutions. The deliberate withdrawal from
European "internal concerns" whole
somely relieved US from ENHANCEMENT in
perilous dynastic squabbles.
The idealism was manifested in the
espousal of the cause of liberty The
application was relatively narrow because
the state of the world in 1928, and fol
years thereafter, gave such geographica
restrictions high practical value. AL.
though never recognized as part of the
body of international law, the protectiv,
Monroe Doctrine, with its concomitan
American isolation, operated effectivel!
in many crises, of which, after the Holy
Alliance plans were confuted, the dispute
with England over the Venezuelan boun
dary and the complications with Franc,
regarding the establishment of Maxi
milan's monarchy in Mexico Were tn
most formidable. In all the instances tn
letter of our self-constituted formula wa
scrupulously observed.