The Delta independent., 1919-03-21
SHALL THE MONROE DOCTRINE
WALK THE PLANK? +?

WASHINGTON, March 1SThe :
republican publicity association, thru
its president. Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr., today gave out the following state
ment from its Washington headquar-
ters:
Opponents of the league of nations
have claimed from the first that the
adoption of the new constitution would
sound the death knelI of the Monroe
Doctrine. Mr.. Taft and his co-laborers
have taken the position that the league
merely extends the doctrine to all the
world, and that the United States
would continue under it's protection
precisely as heretofore But in the
face of the denunciations of the lea
que in the Senate and the tremendous
tide of popular indignation that is
rising against it even Mr. Taft is
weakening and now has publicly ad-
mitted that the leagues constitution
should be made more definites by a
larger reservation of the Monroe Doc
trine.
THE British know full well that the
adoption of the league means the elm
ination Of the Doctrine. The London
Daily Express speaks the public mind
in England when it says. AS to the
Monroe Doctrine, that is of course in
direct conflict with the idea and ideal
of the League of Nations, and there
for the moment, We leave them both
"At the famous White House dinner
to the foreign affairs committees of
Congress, Senator Brandegee is report
ed to have asked the president what
would happen if for instance, Brazil
should decide to return to monarch
ical form of government and become
once more part of the Portuguese EN-
pire by inviting a prince of Portugal
to become its ruler. Mr.. Wilson is
said to have replied that such a situa-
ton would be most distressing.
after admitting that the constitu-
tion should make specific mention of
the Monroe Doctrine, Mr.. Taft gives
most startling opinion of the attitude
we may expect Europe to assume
toward matters of the western hemi-
sphere. We may be sure says he,
they (the nations of Europe) are en-
I'll Willie " fcdft " tHt OulLeu
States and other American nations the
policing of the western hemisphere
until such time as an American pow
er shall seek the assistance of Euro
pean powers to meet emergencies on
this side of the ocean Are we to be-
lieve that Mr.. Taft seriously advocate
the adoption of the revolutionary pol
icy to which he gives expression? In.
tervention in western quarrels is cyaot
ly what the Monroe Doctrine was de-
signed to prevent, and yet Mr.. Taft.
in effect, tells us that If called upon
to do so by any American republic.
Europe, through the league of nations
presumably will intervene.
"If this astounding doctrine had
been in existence when Panama estab-
lished her independence what would
have happened If Colombia had com
panied to the league that the United
States was giving undue assistance
to the Panama revolution 1t Is easily
conceivable that war between this
country and England would have re.
suited and the Panama canal would
still be a dream. There was recently
ii ScTlOuS ulSpult DetWeeH feTu anu
Chile. Would America under the Mon
roe doctrine have let the interven.
ton of European nations in that quar-
rel? Most assuredly not but under
tho Taft policy Europe could have
been called into the controversy up.
on the appeal of either of the nations
affected What a nationwide protest
, would have gone up II Mexico had ask
, ed Europe to aid her in repelling the
, Pershing expedition of two years ago
: III Mr.. Taft thinks the American
people will be satisfied with the league
, providing 1t contains a reservation OF
the Monroe Doctrine, and in the next
paragraph permits European interfer
ence in America II requested bv one
of the parties to an American quarrel
be IL mistaken. We might rs well
| Lob hc1toh ho donf IT,, t.. .tt,at,, n.