Evening star., 1924-01-03

The recent agreement of President
Coolidge's administration to sell arms
and other war material to the Obre-
gon government of Mexico is not
departure from the traditional poll
cies of the United States.
This government has consistently
set it's face against the toe prevalent
tendency of the Latins of Central
and South America of rebelling
iagainst the legally elected constitu-
tional governments of their coun-
| tries. The United States exercises
no sovereignty over the sister re-
lpublics of this hemisphere, but she
stands for orderly government and
the defeat of appeals to arms when
ever a dissatisfied general or poll
ttician thinks he can force the over
throw of the elected chief magis-
itrate and make. himself military
dictator.
| This attitude of the United States
Ito support orderly government has
| nothing to do with the Monroe doc
trine. but is based upon the patent
fact that ours is the great power of
this hemisphere, and, as such, is
Hooked to by the rest of the world
Ito preserve a watchful care, not as
in the other republics, but that what
lever governments do prevail shall be
elected by the people,. according to
| their constitutions, and not raised to
lpower by murder and military coups.
| Thrice we have interviewed in in
lternecine wars-in Cuba, Santo Do
Imingo and in Mexico.
After the close of the Spanish war
we sent armed forces into Cuba to
sustain the legally established gov
lernment there against military in
surrection.
| AS evidence of our settled policy Of
idisinterestedness and our sole concern
| in orderly government in this hemi-
sphere may be cited two occasions in
relation to Santo Domingo, the island
republic of less than million popu-
llation.
The first was the refusal of our
lSenate to ratify treaty made and
ratified by Santo Domingo soon after
she had gained her independence from
Spain. in 1853. BY that treaty bes
mingo and President Grant, the island
Twas to be annexed to the United
Estates. The Senate declined to ratify
the treaty, because the nature of the
Ipeople was foreign to that of Ameri-
deemed desirable from the American
In 1898 Congress passed a joint
resolution giving the President the
supplying Of war material to any
tcountry in this hemisphere, and by
Virtue of that resolution President
Roosevelt. in 1906. issued a procla-
nation forbidding the sale of war
material to the warning factions of
the island of Santo Domtnpo
At the same time a treaty was
made between the governments OF
Santo Domingo and the United States
whereby we took over the manage
to ward off interference from her
European creditors, because she was
mot paying either principal or inter-
est on her debts and was verging on
Ianarchy.
we paid off the European claims
lof the money in which the oonsaao
ttions were payable, we saved ner oV
lper cent of her Indebtedness. Inen
we held her customshouses until we
were reimbursed by their receipts.
On March IA, 1912, President Tart
ISSUED a proclamation prohibiting
expectation of war material to any
faction in Mexico, for at that time
There was no recognized constitu-
4 tional government there. The. whoie
country was torn by factional striIe
and military aggression OF amoltlous,
leaders. There was the uprising o,
Gems. Reyes and 0roseo aga;ins, gr;vsr
PrssiSens PrssiiSsns Porfsrio aasl Diae out Of the
. country. To this revolt was SCOT
Iaddsd the rebsllton OF Gen. Seu'
80 =. 8 @sss.<-sss s-,7 :