The sun., 1919-03-20

ton OF tne tempOrat power Oh inc Nati-
can.
If It were not self-evident that purely
Internal affairs were intended TO be left
In the hands Of each country as thereto
fore, the exceptional treatment OF a
couple of such subjects would prove It
Special provisions are made for reduce
ing armaments and improving the con-
dition of 1abor--matters that would
otherwise be regarded In international
law as domestic concerns 1t Is true
that there Is no express statement in
the covenant that internal affairs are not
subject to interference by the council.
and there In no attempt to define what
matters are of this nature, but It is
perfectly clear that immigration and
tariffs ere internal Affairs. and IL there
In any serious doubt on the question
there will doubtless ~be no objection to
making 1t perfectly clear.
Next we come to the greatest bug
bear Of all the point on which popular
alarm Ia most readily awakened by
vague denunofation without definite ex-
PLANTATION. It 10 the Monroe Doctrine
As one Of those who have always be-
lieved strongly In this doctrine. un-
derstand that It means. or In by some
persons supposed to mean. several DIFF
ferent thinga In It's original sense II
meant that no foreign nation should
interfere with the Independence, or seek
by force to acquire any part OF the ter
ritory, Of any country In the American
hemisphere. Taken in this sense the
covenant extends the doctrine over the
whole world, or at least over all that
part Of 1t which Is covered by the league.
Would Preserve Monroe Ides.
There Is another later and broader
sense in which the doctrine means that
no foreign nation shall acquire foot
hold on those continents even with the
consent Of the country that owns the
place. This was the phase Of the doc
trins invoked in the case Of Magdalena
Bay. A Japanese company proposed TO
buy from Mexico a tract OK land on
this bay m Lower California, ult-
mately, as We believed. for the purpose
OF q Japanese naval station. Our Gov
eminent objected and the purchase was
not made Such a transaction Is not
forbidden by the Covenant of Paris and
IL we went to arbitration about II the
decision might be that Mexico had a
right to sell land to Japan or any other
Power X abe wished to do so. The
United States would be justified in ask
ing. and IN my opinion ought to ask, for
a clause in tho covenant that no foreign
Power shall hereafter acquire by con-
quest, purchase or in any other way
any possession on tho American con-
tinents or the Islands adjacent thereto.
Nor do believe that the European MEM
bers of the league would object to such
a clause. because they do not want an
other nation to acquire military posts
or naval stations In the neishborhood
Of their own coasts. canals or coaling
stations.
There is. however, a third interpre-
tation Of the Monroe Doctrine, rarely
asserted. often repudiated. but neverthe-
less widely entertained, which stands
on a very different footing. It is that
while foreign Powers are forbidden to
take territory from American countries
We are at liberty to treat them as our
interests may dictate. According to
that view Central and South America
are a game preserve, from which poach-
ers are excluded. but where the pro-
prietor may hunt as he pleases. Mat
urally the proprietor Is anxious not only
to keep away the poachers. but to OPP
pose game laws that would interfere
with his own sport. With their pro-
fessed principles about protecting tho
integrity and independence of small
countries, the nations that have drawn
up the Covenant Of Paris can hardly
consent to a claim Of this kind. Nor
ought We to demand It A suspicion that
this Is the real meaning of the Monroe
Doctrine Is the spectre that has pre-
vented tho great South American States
from accepting the doctrine. This has
been the chief obstacle to mutual con-
fidence and cordial relations with them
and the sooner it Ia definitely rejected
the better.
"Imperialist Americana"
"Some Americans. while protesting a
faith in the right of all peoples to in
dependence and self-government, are
really imperialist at heart. They be-
lieve in tho right and manifest destiny
OF the United States to expand by over
running Its weaker neighbors. They ap-
peal to a spirit of patriotism that sees
no object. holds no ideals, and acknow-
lodges no rights or duties, but the ma
tional welfare and ACKNOWLEDGMENT. In
the name OF that principle Germany
sinned and fell The ideas 6f these Amer
lean imperialists are less grandiose. but
at bottom they differ little from hers. 1t
would be a calamity II we should have
helped overcome Germany only to be
conquered by her theories and her e.
rors
Finally. an objection is made to the
covenant on tho ground that its pro-
visions are contrary to the Constitution
Of the United States. II is argued that
an obligation assumed by treaty to limit
military or naval forces and ornaments
in this country is contrary to the pro-
vision OF the Constitution which vests in
Congress the power to raise and support
armies; that the obligation not to go to
war without previous arbitration or per-
chance, to go to war under certain con-
tinsencies, is contrary to the provision
vesttng in Congress the power to declare
war; that the same is true OF the obliga-
ton to preserve against external ag-
gression the TERRITORIAL integrity and DO