Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1919-05-23
The Worlds Next Step
No. !
The League Of Naaons and the Nom
roe Doctrine
ng cLARENcE .. srEFp


Apprehension. real or pretended
that The cherished Monroe Doetrins
viii be sighed away If the UnIte'
States becomes a party to the leagu
Of nations, as II Is now proposed,
enc Of the grounds of opposition
the league In the senate.
The Monroe Doctrine was enuncl-
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 demoe-
raey seemed to survive. President
Monroe felt the Isolation not only Of
this nation but Of the democratic
spirit which II represented and gave
voice to the doctrine that no Euro.
pean state should be permitted 70 OBJ
tain further territory on this CONT
nenf. lie feared that the establish
ment Of monarehical 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 wns
busy with It's own affairs and In the
early days the Monroe Doctrine was
not challenged.
!. Time passed. Mexico and Central
aud South. American countries threw
of the yokes Of Spain and Portugal.
Democracy progressed IN Europe. The
British government was liberulized.
France became republic. then an
empire. and then once more repub-
lie. With the exception Of the Ger
man menace. which was not recog-
nized untll the war broke ont. Europe
seemed to have no territorial designs
on America.
But the Monroe Doctrine grew and
grew. Prom being q protection against
the aggression q monarchy which
might overthrow democracy ia the
United States. Il came 10 be inter
preted a. involving duty Of this
country to protect The little Latin
American republics from punishment
for relrchensihle acts such n rcrn
dlntlon Of debts or violence 10 the per.
sons or property OF foreigner residing
Ia their borders.
We were placing ourselves 10 the 20
sitlon Of being made tire policeman
wiiuze duty II wus 20 nfsks the little
republics be good IS force or ourselves
10 fight other nations which might At
tempt 70 project the rights q their
citizens Can anyone imagine auy
foreign entnngicment more likely 70
Involve Us 10 war than THAI II viii
be remembered how near We came TO
war With Englapl once On this ac-
count; aud just before the world war
broke out Il began 20 seem pretty plain
that ne either would have 70 enforce
order IN Mexico or stand aside and see
sumo other nation Do Il.
However. except that the Monroe
Doctrine was sometimes used 10 stir
up jingolsm n national campaigns. It
had reilly played little part ~ Ameri.
can thought ia recent years. II fact
our assumed rights under Il were nh
rosaied 10 sasae twenty arbitration
fsea,les which 1e isnesl silh ENGLAND.
France. Russln and ether nations II
1r13 ard si.e years following. aad 30
one even noticed # These treaties
agreed thnt tie United sates and The
other millions signing them should
"subs1it all disputes Whatsoever to ar
htraton.s These dispete. were iusf
as likely probably more so-ic IN.
golye The Monroe Doctrine as anything
else And under the treaties We
would hive had To submit them 70 an
international body much ike that pro-
slded FOR m the lengue Of nations.
But. though we had signed away
our rights under the Monroe Doctrine.
the league Of nations. while Il does nor
mention ihls American principle spe-
officially. m reality does recognize II
BY virtue Of recognizing ilefnndamen-
cal principle underlying r.; aud this
is the FIRST general recognition Il has
ever had
The Monroe Doctrine asserted that
no country would be allowed 20 grab
territory on this continent without
getting into trouble with rs. The
league Of nations provides thai no ma
ton shall be allowed 10 grab terri
tory anywhere In the world without /
getting into trouble with all the mem |
bers OF the league. Obviously this APP |
plies to America as well as any other
country.
The result Is that we, Instead Of /
having all the burden OF enforcing the
Monroe Doctrine against the world.
now Will have the world pledged to |
help US support 1t against any nation
which seeks to grab land.
Apparently this, instead of dragging 1