Evening star., 1923-12-02
Monroe Doctrine Satisfies,
Thomas r. Marshall Saws

of the United States that Europe shall
Keep hands Off the western continent.
put would like to be allowed to join
IN declaration Of that policy.
l am not trying to influence nor to
change the policy Of my government.
am not pretending to say that a
very able. senator did not utter a
great truth in the Senate and in my
presence when he announced that it
was the history of the world for
tne incompetent to go down in the
h race OF the competent; that the bar
baric must yield to the civilized; that
the American Indian had been COM
PEELED, in the interests Of civilization,
10 yield his territory to the European,
ana that sooner or later this repub-
lanai zone. I am not proposing to
ffy in the face of history or national
evolution. What he said may have
been foreordained truth, but when
our position with reference to the
imperial German government, I am
lost in a wilderness.
our principal objection to Germany
was that 1t had two codes of morals,
one for Its citizens and another for
the empire. The German view vas
that the Individual. because of a GER
tain course of conduct, might be con-
sidered an immoral man, but that
similar conduct at the instance of the
state would absolve both him and the
state from responsibility. 1 am un-
willing to admit that in the private
relations of life survival of the fit
test is the law. However. | am
frankly in doubt whether the survival
as the law Of nations e for 'e eome no'th time ne
to come. If our view touching the
aggression OF the German empire
were held applicable to the world and
not simply to the central powers.
then think there should be some
Limitation put upon the fixed policy
of the American people.
If we are to have nothing TO do
with European affairs which shall
in any way hold us responsible for
to bind ourselves to participate in
any way in the discussions which
invariably and inevitably precede
war; IL, having taken by conquest
and suhterfuge all the territory we
desire. we are to withhold the stamp
of our approval from the doctrine
ceed the incapable In the control of
a country. and IL we really are de-
sirous further to foster and cement
the ties Of frienship and fellowship
which bind us to the republics of
our western continent, then we must
take some step which will guarantee
the fullfllment Of these desires.
Why not a league Of the republics
OF the western continent? Is 1t not
possible to make the Monroe doctrine
the avowed policy of the entire con-
tinent. just as 1t is now the policy of
our own republic? Have we not yet
risen to those heights of altruism
where we are willing to join in an
agreement that each of these western
countries shall have an opportunity
to work out its own salvation? Have
we not reached the time when we can
safely convert our general guardian
ship of the western world into a
co-trustees in which our sister re-
publics shall have equal voice?
This accomplished. might 1t not
lead to similar action upon the part
of European nations? Thus a pos
sible step forward in promoting the
right kind Of peace of the world
might be taken. 1t should not be
forgotten that there are two kinds
OF peace-sullen peace and peace in
which there is satisfaction. We can
have a sullen peace II 1t be guaran-
teed to the world by nations suffi-
ciently powerful to enforce 1t. We
can have a satisfying peace only
when all nations believe that 1t is
being preserved by their joint ef-
forts.
Copyright, 1928. by Twenty-frst Century
Press.)