Evening star., 1920-02-08
SALVADOR ASKS
THAT j. s. Define
MONROE DOCTRINE
Latin American Countries,
Invited to Join League,
Watching Request. \

Latin American countries which par
ticipated in the peace conference and
also those which have been invited to
join the league Of nations are watching
the request of Salvador that the United
States define the Monroe doctrine so
that they will know just what they are
agreeing to if they join the league.
The State Department has acknowl-
edged receipt of the request from Juan
France Paredes. minister for foreign af-
fairs of Salvador. It now remains with
President Wilson to draft reply. Mean
while Latin American statesmen are
discussing the question and some of the
Latin American countries are delaying
joining the league until the definition OF
the Monroe doctrine is made.
sympathizes With Ideals.
The reference to the Monroe doctrine
Is in article 21 of the covenant OF the
league of nations. For the first time
the text Of the communication OF the
Salyadorean government Is made public.
1t recites that, despite its neutrality In
the war, Salvador manifested its sym
which animated the government OF the
United States in entering the war;
praises President Wilson for having
crystallized the legitimate hopes OF a
fruitful peace, by submitting the draft
of a league Of nations covenant; says
Salvador 'manifests the desire to adhere
to this treaty. which sanctions arbttra-
ton as the only method of settling dis
putes between nations, and continues:
"The whole text of the treaty is both
suggestive and attractive. In it there
is a return to those principles of life
tnA Irrc h
licists and indeed it seems as If from
the ruins of law there have arisen with
greater strength and potency, the beau
tiful gospels which, in a moment OF folly,
were relegated to the discard by those
who through the immutabie laws OF
international interdependence. were es,
pecially charged with sustaining and
upholding.
Awakened DiscussiOhs.
THE text Of the treaty contains, how
ever, one article which has awakened
warm discussions throughout the whole
American continent. including the Unit
ed States, due no doubt to its brevity
and lack Of clearness. I refer to article
81. drafted in the following terms:
Nothing in this covenant shall be
deemed to affect the validity OF inter-
national engagements. such az treaties
of arbitration or regional understand
ing the maintenance of peace
1.-The legal scope Of this provision
from an International viewpoint II opsa
to differing interpretations since in the
vast schawe ef tna. leacae of .nat t.oae.
derstandings such as the Monroe doc
trine are recognized and sanctioned. de-
spite the fact that as to the highly
peaceful purpose Of the latter doctrine
there does not exist harmonious meeting
ns~H.l~
ApDlicatioa Of Doctrine.
From tho yeAr 1928. in which the
distinguished James Monroe rejected all
affairs of the American continent, to the
present day this doctrine has undergone
different applications depending upon the
divers political tendencies prevailing at
that particular time in the United
States
"It would be unnecessary, Mr.. Sec
retary, to undertake any detailed ex-
position Of the various views Of promi-
nent thinkers and public men Of the
United States as to the genuine and
correct Interpretation of the Monroe
doctrine. which former Secretary of
State Elihu Root regarded as q dec
laration based on the right Of the peo-
pie Of the United States to protect
itself as nation and which could
not be transformed into a declaration,
joint or common, to all the nations
of America or even to a limited num-
Der of them
Asks for Interpretation.
my government recognized that
the Monroe doctrine consolidated the
independence of the continental states
of Latin America and saved them from
the great danger Of a European in
tervention. 1t realized that it is 4
powerful factor in the existence of the
democratic form of government on
| this continent and that it raised a
barrier to European colonization
Since, however. the covenant of the
league of nations does not set forth
nor determine the purpose nor fix a
definite criterion of international re-
lationship in America; and since, on
the other hand, the doctrine will be
forthwith transformed-inv view Of the
full sanction of the nations of the
world-into a principle of universal
public law, juris ct de jure, request
that your excellency will be good
| enough to give the authentic inter-
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