The diamond drill., 1919-05-10
The Worlds Next Step
NO.
The League Of Nations and the Mss-
roe Doctrtns
By CLARENCE L SPEED


that the cherished Monroe Doctrine
will be signed away IL the United
States becomes a party TO the league
or nations. as II is now proposed. Is
one OF the grounds OF opposition TO
the league In the senate.
The Monroe Doctrine was enunci-
ated at time when reaction was In
the saddle In Europe. Napoleon had
been crushed and ancient dynasties
were being re-established on the
thrones which had been overturned
following the French revolution. The
infant republic In America was sur
rounded by the possessions OF power
full European states.
With the exception OF the struggling
republic In America there was hardly
any place where the spirit OF democ-
racy seemed to survive. President
Monroe felt the isolation not only OF
this nation but OF the democratic
spirit which IL represented, and gave
voice TO the doctrine that no Euro
pean state should be permitted 10 OBJ
tain further territory on this contl-
nent He feared that the establish
ment OF monarchical forms Of govern
ment any nearer our borders might
make the overthrow OF democracy
complete.
The right OF the United States to
take this position OF guardian OF a
hemisphere was never admitted by the
European nations. but Europe was
busy with its own affairs and In the
early days the Monroe Doctrine was
not challenged.
Time passed. Mexico and Central
and South American countries threw
OF the yokes OF Spain and Portugal.
Democracy progressed In Europe. The
British government was llberalized.
France became a republic. then an
empire, and then once more repub-
lie. With the exception OF the Ger
man menace. which was not recog-
nized until the war broke out, Europe
seemed to have no territorial designs
on America.
But the Monroe Doctrine grew and
grew. From being a protection against
the aggression OF monarchy which
might overthrow democracy In the
United States, IL came TO be inter
preted as involving a duty of this
country to protect the little Latin
American republics from punishment
for reprehensible acts such as repu-
diatlon of debts or violence to the per-
sons or property OF foreigners residing
In their borders.
We were placing ourselves in the po-
sltlon OF being made the policeman
whose duty IL was to make the little
republics be good by force or ourselves
to fight other nations which might at
tempt to protect the rights Of their
citizens. Can anyone imagine any
foreign ENHANCEMENT more likely to
involve us In war than thlsP IL Will
be remembered how near we came TO
war with England once on this ae-
count and just before the world war
broke out ii began 10 seem pretty plain
that we either would have to enforce
order I'm Mexico or stand aside and see
some other nation do IL.
However, except that the Monroe
Doctrine was sometimes used TO stir
up jingoism In national campaigns, IL
had really played little part In Ameri-
can thought in recent years. In fact,
our assumed rights under It were alb
rogated in some twenty arbitration
treaties which we signed with England,
France, Russia and other nations In
1913 and the years following and no
one even noticed It. These treaties
agreed that the United States and the
other nations signing them should
submit all disputes whatsoever TO ar
bitration." These disputes were just
as likely-probably more SOTO In
volve the Monroe Doctrine as anything
else. And under the treaties we
would have had 10 submit them TO an
/ international body much like that pro-
yided for IN the league Of nations.
But. though we had signed away
| our rights under the Monroe DOCTRINE
| the league of nations. while IL does not
mention this American principle spe
clfcally. in reality does recognize II
] by virtue pI IeCoEiiNllE lile luhhhHi'H
! tai principle und rlying It; and this
! is the first general recognition 1t has
| ever had.
The Monroe Doctrine asserted that
no country would be allowed TO graf
territory on this continent without
getting into trouble with Us. The
league of nations provides that no ma
ton shall be allowed TO grab terri
tory anywhere In the world without
getting into troable with all the mem
hers of the league. Obviously this ap
plies to America as well as any Other
country.
The result Is that we, instead o
having all the burden OF enforcing thu
J Monroe Doctrine against the world
now will have the world pledged L
help rs support II against any natiot
which seeks To grab land.
Apparently this, instead OF dragging
| - F,t. q. forof,,n 9nfanpiptnent helm,