The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-09
PRESS ON MONROE DOCTRINE


 we find out about it and the better we understand it. For long time 1t has been the fond belief that the Mon roe Doctrine was evolved by President Monroe-out of his own knowledge and diplomatic experience. Now we learn from writer in the New York Times that, "as a matter of fact, the idea is almost exclusively of South American origin We have always maintained the idea of excluding European and Asiatic powers from Latin American as sort of latent thunderbolt of our own, to be launched solely by Ameri- can presidents whe nand where they desired. The fact is that President Monroe himself and his immediate successor, the caustic John Quincy Adams, had an entirely different idea in mind. They wished the Monroe Doctrine to be joint declaration of all the American republics-a princi- pie which any one of them would be obligated to defend by its own means. In other words, it was to become the nucleus of what would really have been League of American Nations"
 And what about its South American origin? Many have thought that the majority of Latin American republics resented rather than fostered the prin- ciple of the Monroe Doctrine. Says the Times writer, R. Dana Skinner "The other side of the picture which has only come to light in recent years, is the campaign which the Latin Amer jeans themselves were conducting dur ing all this period, not only to obtain political recognition from the United States, but to have North America join in great continental system of Amer ican republics, all of them sworn to resist further interference by the Flu ropean monarchs. The significant fig ure in South American diplomacy was Don Manual Torres, who represented Bolivar in the United States and later became the first Latin American diplo- mat to receive official recognition at Washington. Torres came frequently to the United States to urge his case, and kept up a continual fire through the columns of the Philadelphia Au- rora, enlarging upon the commercial importance of Latin America and the dangers to the United States itself if European monarchs should be allowed to retain any foothold there. Many of his words might be inserted in the Monroe Doctrine itself without in any way altering its meaning" Thus it seems that Monroe was in reality voicing a Latin American principle when he enunciated his famous Doc urine. It is too bad that our nation has been so obtuse all these years, and has failed to profit by the very valuable advice of one of South Americas first real statesmen. We have also, unintentionally of course, appropriated as our own an idea that originated quite elsewhere. It is not too late to do belated justice, and we must, for, 1t i. said, all Latin America knows the truth about the origin of the Doctrine and resents our assump- ton of authorship.
 Since this is the centenary of the Monroe Doctrine, it is we'll for us to learn as much as we can about it, es- pecially as it is being urged as a req son why we should stay out of Eu- rope. The Chicago News finds in Mr. Hughes recent speech on the subject this European application: "The re- cent proffer of American aid In a constructive solution of the German separations problem was an excellent illustration of the principle laid, down by MT. Hughes. The United States did not say that it had no concern or interest in that problem; it did not say it was afraid of complications. It said it was ready to act under certain con- ditions and for certain specific and beneficial purposes. It will be equally ready to act in the future in pursuit of its purposes and ideals. It will be guided by reason, not by irrational fear; by justice, not by blind selfish ness; by practical idealism, not by an ignoble materialism."
 The Louisville Courier Journal asks "But what is the American foreign policy as revealed by the American secretary of state in his latest deliv- erance? We are not seeking to dictate to Europe,' he explains, but we do desire peace and economic re- cuperation in Europe' We have the deepest sympathy with the people of France and wish to see them prosper, with their just demands satisfied. At the same time we wish to see united and prosperous Germany. We wish to see the fires of hatred quenched. But the extent of our action to bring about these ends is limited by the terms of our rejected proposal for an investigation of Germany's ability to pay separations. It is not that our interests are not affected injuriously by disorder and disaster in Europe. But, despite such injury, we had bet