Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1928-03-09
vAsHoN ISLAND NEWsREcoRp

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! for injury to its subjects, phys
zeal or financial, but applies only
TO territorial aggression by foreign
powers. The Monroe Doctrine is
sometimes held TO commit the
/ United States to a protectorate
over other American States, re-
curing this country to espous1
their quarrels though unable To
control their actions. 1t has never
been within its intent TO forbid
European nations TO employ force
in settlement of just demands
upon this continent Nothing hap
pened for a great while to bring
the Monroe Doctrine into light,
, In 1861. during the war with
Mexico when France proclaimed
herself victor, the United States
protested against this violation of
the Monroe Doctrine and France
was obliged to withdraw her
troops from the Mexican territory.
Later, thing happened that
went right to the heart of the Mon
roe Doctrine. England and the
United States came TO clash
In the CIayton-Bulwer Treaty, the
United States had admitted that
Great Britain was an American
power. The question which was
soon to be decided was whether
Great Britain was excluded from
the operations of the Monroe Doe
trine. In 1915 England became a
neighbor of the Republic of Venez-
uela. by the acquisition of part of
Dutch Guiana. The boundary be-
tween British Guiana and Vencz-
uela had never been fixed accurate
ly, and various attempts at settle
lnent had been broken up because
of the insistence Of the British in
pushing their claims further into
the disputed territory. The requests
of Venezuela to the British for
arbitration was continually put
off until Venezuela complained TO
the United States and asked the
intervention of fine Monroe Doe
rine. But the British kept up with
this invasion until they were sud
denly brought up sharply by a dis
patch of President Grover Cleve-
land in 1894, saying that the Unit
ed States was practically sovereign
on the American continents, and
that its word was law on the sub
.iects to which it confined its atten-
ton.
This note was vigorously denied
by the British and they again re-
fused to arbitrate. Then President
Cleveland threw the protection
of the Monroe Doctrine about
Venezuela, and a general arbitra-
ton treaty was negotiated be-
tween the United States and
Great Britain.
In 1902 there was revolution
in Panama. The United States
forces landed to protect the rail
way and refused to permit the
the revolt, on the ground that it
would endanger property rights.
BY this intervention, Colombia
lost Panama, which became am in
dependent republic, Canal negotia-
tons were settled and thus the
Panama Canal was built. But Col |
umbia felt that an outrageous in
justice had been done her, and i'll
she chose to sell it or not it was
her right, and the act sent a shock |
thru all of Latin America and made |
them feel that the American for
eign policy was now thing to be
feared. The Monroe Doctrine had
taken on different shape to
these Iispanic neighbors of the
United States, and they have net
hesitated to say hat they do not
like it in its new shape.
In the dispute over Venezuela,
IN 1903 when Germany refused to
arbitrate certain financial claims
on Venezuela. threatening 10 send
troops TO that land until debts were
collected, she was Informed that
il would be an imfraction of the
Monroe Doctrine and would be
prevented by the American navy !
War was the very last thing that
Germany desired, aud within thir.
ty-six hours the Kaiser offered 10
arbitrate.
In 1915, Haiti became a ward oil
the United States, and it was % |
place of revolution aud terror. The
european countries 70 which Haiti |
was in debt threatened TO intervene
and the United States felt obliged
ruder the Monroe Doctrine, 90 send
troops to restore order. and to adj |