, 1923-10-20
After One Hundred Years

When the next American coneress ~ !.
necember 4. its converting Will marx no pas
on I hn1dred years since James Monroe
mreS;dent of the United States oeiigsaeu -.
Message to congress on December Z, 80 tba
n;sfins what has been known ever since as 'Ho
Monroe Doctrine. h-ood nroposi.
lions. first. that the United states did nor pr.
nose TO hermit European powers 10 uI.n 20
lend their political systems OF govern Irsi4aJ
+his hemisphere, and, second, that ~ ia
S4a+os aid not intend to Interfere IN the poii1'
;cai affairs of Europe. President Monroe ehun-
cIated This American policy as a matter Vi 81
defense for the United States ana its 800
Sorm Of government. During this hundred years
a. hos been known throughout the world as tne
American policy. .oos
Socretory Hughes on a recent occasion rear
firmed this century old policy saying w ~
nassinp of one hundred years, 1t remains u cner,
ished nolicy. inimical TO no just interest anu
deemed to be vitality related to our own saiefy
and to the peaceful progress OF the people d Ia
hemisphere" a.. .h. N,onroe
Doctrine is not a doctrine of aggression. 1t does
not infringe upon the independence OF sovereign
~ of any other American nation; IL does not pie
vent Pan-American cooperation l Is " Potuy
az self defense of our government ana OF our
conception of free institutions, ana as n distine'
tive American policy the government OF the
limited States reserves to itself the ueiIltioh,
Interpretation and application of the doctrine,
senator Henry Cabot Lodge who heads the
senate committee on foreign relations reviewing
The one hundred years of the operation of the
Monroe Doctrine sets forth clearly that the doc
trinc is an American one as distinguished from
n partisan one. Within the last 60 years five
Observation-Disclosures, Grant, Cleveland, hoose-
welt and Taft-haye found it necessary 10 re
assert the Monroe Doctrine by invoking 1t
aeninst intervention or attempted intervention
upon the part of European and Asiatic powers
in the political affairs Of the western hemis'
phere. =.
necessary to defend the Monroe Doctrine from
the covenant of the league of nations which
would have nullified its operation. TINS the SEN
ate did by adopting II reservation to the league
covenant which stated that the United states
would not submit to the league of nations "any
questions which in the judgment of the United
States depend upon or relate to its longestab-
lished policy, commonly known as the Monroe
Doctrine; said doctrine is to be interpreted by
the United States alone and is hereby declared
to be wholly outside the Jurisdiction of said
league of nations.
That the senate was justified in making such
n reservation and that the Monroe Doctrine is
looked upon rs a protection by South American
countries, was given fresh proof by Senior AL
varez member of the league of nations repre-
senting Chile, before the league assembly at
Geneva when he declared the Monroe Doctrine
was vastly superior to the league OF nations for
the protection of the integrity of American ma
tons. He stated the Monroe Doctrine had con-
tributed more to the main tenets of the free ma
lions of the western hemisphere than any article
or covenant the league could possibly contribute.
The Monroe Doctrine contributed much dur
ing the past hundred years to the growth of
democratic institutions in this hemisphere and
the territorial integrity Of The nations Of this
hemisphere. 1t is one OF Americas important
contributions to the cause OF free institutions
and progressive civilization.