Evening star., 1923-06-30

Here Is mystery! A party Of
diplomats. representing fourteen
Latin countries. has started to Los
Angeles, to celebrate in that far-of
state, on July .. the Tooth anniversary
Of the Monroe doctrine.
why in California which did not
belong to the United States century
ago. The Monroe doctrine was pro-
mulgated in Washington. The date of
its centennial Is December 2. not
July Q. but Los Angeles preferred to
entertain their distinguished visitors
in July.
It is gratifying to find Central and
South America so interested in the
doctrine, after go many years Of jeal-
ousy and misunderstanding Of its pur-
port. The countries which will be
represented at the celebration are
Panama, the Dominican Republic,
Costa Rica, Argentina Brazil, Chill
Columbia. Cuba. Ecuador, Honduras,
Nicaraugua, Paraguay. Peru and
Venezuela.
These countries are interested to
the same extent. as is the United
States. in the protection afforded
by the Monroe doctrine. The doctrine
| is a warning to the outside world
that the western hemisphere will take
care Of it's own territory and Will
| brook no interference or incroachments
by any foreign power.
The United States does not set It
self UP as protector Of these smaller
nations, except as in SO far as the
sacredness Of their territory is con-
cerned.
While President Monroe based his
doctrine solely on the interests OF the
| United States against any further
colonization upon this hemisphere by
any European power, the fact that we
thereby warned Europe away, resulted
| in the benefit and safety of all the
nations in this hemisphere, though we
| neither asked from them compensa-
( ton nor tribute. nor assumed pro-
tectorate over them.
! X X X
This idea dld not originate in Pres
fdent Monroe's mind It was one OF
| the principles and aspirations Of our
| statesmen, even before the revolu-
ton ended. The hope OF setting up
a. government so strong and so far
reaching as to control the fate Of
| the whole continent-if not the whole
| Ihemisphere-was expressed IN the
1 naming of the army. 1t was not the
| colonial army. nor the army OF STATES
it was the "Continentar army.
" X
! In 1880, Mr.. Pownall of the house
| Of commons, addressed "a Memorial
to the sovereigns of Europe" in
which he said:
| "a people whose empire stands
1 singly predominant, in a great conti-
nent, can hardly suffer in their
borders, such monopoly as the Eu-
ropean Hudson Bay Company. .
America must avoid complication with
European politics, or the entangie-
ment Of alliances, having no connec-
! tion with Europe other than COM
mercial."
Mr.. Pownall had been royal gov
ernor of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony. Appointed in 1855, he had
returned to England in 1851. After
having served three terms in the Brit
ish house Of commons, he gave ex-
preston to the above in 1880. as he
was about to retire from Parliament
l-forty-three years before President
Monroe reiterated this doctrine in mis-
famous message to Congress. De-
cember 2. 1923.
| In 1884, Mr.. Monroe wrote to Mr.
| Madison, sentiments indicating de-
sire that America should preserve
"uninfected by contagion, those pc
tculfarities In their government ano
manners to which they are indebted
for these blessings"
In January, 1888, Washington wrote
to Jefferson, just before the ratifica-
tion of the Constitution: IAN en-
ergetic general government mus
prevent the several states from in
tvolving themselves in political dis
putes Of the European powers"
washington.s famous warning. II
his farewell address, against ZEN.
tangling alliances" with Europe, wal
also a forerunner of the Monroe doc
trine. ss,s -1t,s... =. -
Presidents John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson expressed similar Rloofnes!
from European influences.
! Thus, the honor. which is gtver