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

l
by a Burton High School pupil il
the ID. A. r. essay contest. Tn
winning essay from the yashor
High School will appear in al
early issue.
"As nature hath separated hel
from Europe, and hath established
her alone las sovereign on q
great Continent, it is contrary ID
the nature OF her existence. and
consequently to her interests, that
SHE should have any connections q
Politics with Europe other than
merely commercial. = This was the
feeling expressed in Thomas Pown-
ais Memorial to the Sovereigns
of America" The same idea was
recorded by John Adams, in a con
versation with the British Peace
Commissioner at Paris, where he
insisted that the United States
must not be make-weight. And
later, during President Monroe S
term, the message was finally
voiced.
Elihu Root, one of our greatest
statesmen said, 1.-The great dee
claratlon of Monroe, made in the
infancy of Latin American lib
erty, was am assertion to all the
world of the competency of Latin
Americans TO govern themselves. :
Whit is known as the Monroe
Doctrine is not part OF mterna-
tional law or even of the law of
tne unlred States, although, i'll
1919. during Wilson, administra-
ton, it was said 10 have been made
a part OF international law because
! all the world gave assent 10 it in a
formal way. II has formed the
basis of American foreign policy
for a hundred years, and has been
,he cause of much diplomatic cor
respondence and the United States
has stood ready to fight for it OIL
occasion. The occasion which
called its first formal expression
grew out of the revolt of Latin
American colonies from Spain i'll
1915, and the creation Of new Re
publics IN Mexico, Central Amer
lea and South America. Spain was
greatly weakened, and could not
regain her colonies without aid,
and there was much talk of al
lance with European powers. This
policy was strongly opposed by the
United States and Great Britain.
John Adams, then Secretary OF
State thought the United States
should make an Independent dee
laration, and after a discussion
with President Monroe, he formu-
lated most of the important mess
age which was delivered ON Dec
ember 2, 1923. Pointing to the fact
that it was America S policy not
to intermeddle in European af-
fairs, President Monroe gave
warning that any attempt made
by the monarchies of Europe to-
extend their system of interven-
tion to any portion of this hemis-
phere would be considered By the
United States as dangerous to our
peace and safety In later section
of the message the view was ex.
pressed that this American contin.
cnt was no longer opened to new.
colonization. These two declara-
tions are the seed from which has
grown the Monroe Doctrine Of to-
day. Great Britain has given un-
qualified support TO them. This
declaration had the desired re-
suit and no serious European inter
ference in the Americas was at
tempted until 1861.
The Monroe Doctrine did not
mean that the European colonies
which existed at the time of its
announcement should be abandon
ed Nor does il mean that the Tn
tied States will lend its aid inI
every case of dispute between AMI
American and a European govern
ment, since it is not treaty Of al
lance. II does not forbid any Am
erican country from setting up
any kind OF government it wants,
but applies only when coercion by
other nations is attempted. The
great idea underlying the Monroe
Doctrine that nations have right
to determine their own mstitu-
tions' is still vital today. In 1917
President Wilson said. ~ am pro-
posing as it were. that the nltionsI
should with one accord adopt the
doctrine of President Monroe as
the doctrine ni the world. that mo-
vnt..,,, .Io,.II IL A.. ..-...T q