Evening star., 1924-08-14

Verify. the unrest ofsLatin Amer
lea threatens trouble for the great
power''-the United States of America
Under the Monroe doctrine we
brook no intereference from Europe
or Asia How far has the United
States assumed guardianship over
the other nations of this hemisphere!
There is nothing in international law
more elastic than the Interpretation
of the Monroe doctrine. What bur-
dens are we really facing?
Brazil is in the throes of revolution,
though late press dispatches report
that the government forces have trl-
umphed over the rebels. Mexico has
long been in disfavor with Great
Britain, which refuses recognition
to her present government. and Brit
ish affairs are in the hands of the
American Ambassador. Now comes
a new revolt in Honduras.
Under it's constitution, adopted in
1894 as the fruit of a successful rev.
olution, no Honduran President can
succeed himself. The constitution
also requires that in case no can
didate gains a majority at the polls
the election shall go to the National
Assembly In the election of sue
cessor to President Gutierrez last
year there were three candidates,
including President Gutierrez, al
though he was constitutionally incl
igible. AS no one received a ma
jority, the election went to the, Ma
tional Assembly, and President Gut
teriez undertook to continue in office
until his successor was chosen. The
National Assembly also failed to
give a majority to any candidate.
There was the usual danger that
lA1 cfo Of o,v
lead to disturbances and probably to
hostilities. President Coolidge, there
fore, sent a special envoy, Sum-
ner Welles, to help seek a settle
ment of the situation. Mr.. Welles
called the leaders of the factions
to a conference aboard the American
warship, the Milwaukee, and there
an agreement known as the "Amer-
ican pact" was signed by all. Under
this compromise all the candidates
withdrew from the presidential race
and agreed to support Gen. Tosta as
provisional President until a popular
election could be held to settle the
matter, in line with the constitution.
President Gutierrez died about three
months ago. His death aroused the
other two candidates, Gen. Carries and
Gen. Ferrera, and out of that situa-
tion has come the open revolt of Gen.
-Ferrera, minister of war, who has
taken the field with 500 soldiers, each
carrying three rifles with which to
arm recruits.
No movement has been taken by the
United States against this situation in
Honduras, although two Americans
have been killed, and other foreign
lives and interests are reported to be
in danger. Only in case foreigners
are attacked or their property jeopar-
died would the responsibility under
the Monroe doctrine become apparent,
but without that complication, there
are said to be other obligations which
this country will not overlook.
4 X 4 + X
! It has always been the settled pol
icy Of the United States to refuse
recognition to any power gained by
violence against orderly, constitu-
tional government. That policy has
nothing to do with the Monroe doc.
trine, although it is the tendency of
many to attribute to that doctrine
practically all relations between the
United States and the other nations of
this hemisphere.
Last November the Secretary of
State, Mr.. Hughes, in a speech before
the American Academy of Political
and Social Science, in Philadelphia,
discussed the Monroe doctrine in con-
,nection with its centennial. In that
speech he said:
Attempts to stretch the doctrine
have Inade eit, in some quarters, a
mystery, and in others a cause Of Of
fense. Treating the doctrine as
much unnecessary debate but has