Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-16
Costa Rica and the League.

Before accepting its invitation to re-
enter the fold. Costa Rica asks the
League Of Nations to interpret the Mon
roe Doctrine The League. Costa RIGA
maintains. has made the Monroe Doc
trine 4 constituent part Of American
public laws thus eleyating it from a
previously accepted status as uni
lateral declaration by the United States,
IF the league SO recognizes the Monroe
Doctrine. what. Costa RIGA asks, IS the
Leagues conception Of the doctrine?
Since Nonroe'S original PRONUNCIATION
OF John Quincy Adams ideas in 1923
the Nor, oe Doctrine has been eXpound-
eo at different times and in more or
less varying form by Van Buren,, Web
ster. Polk. Seward, Grant Fish. Evarts
Hayes. Blaine. Olney. Cleveland. Roose-
welt and Wilson. not 10 mention vari-
Gus other students of government. whose
interpretations have lacked the stamp
OF official utterances. The conception
Of the Monroe Doctrine today is not
what It was century ago. There are
differences Of opinion concerning its
scope and application. Costa RIGA
would like to know the Leagues opinion.
Costa lea raises an interesting, If
unimportant. point The Versailles ne
gotiations at the end of the Great War
promised. for time. TO substitute a
world doctrine for the Monroe Doctrine
hut ~a
strong protest which arose in the United
States at the time resulted in the in
corporation in Article Il of the League
Covenant Of the following clause: The
covenant does not affect the validity
Of international engagements, such as
treaties or arbitration or regional I'M
derstandings like the Monroe Doctrine.
for securing the maintenance of peace"
Therefore. Costa RIGA points out, every
member Of the League Of Nations rec
ognizes the Monroe Doctrine as re
eioral understanding Before accept
ing by re-entering the League. this con-
ception of the Monroe Doctrine, Costa
RIGA asks the League to give its official
view Of the document and prevent Costa
Rica, in effect, from signing something
that Costa RIGA does not understand.
Costa Rica's request may have been
aimed az embarrassing the League TO
the extent of asking the League to do
something that it will not and can
not. n propriety, do At the same
time Costa Plea focuses attention on the
position taken by her sister republics Of
the south in retaining their member
ship in the League. The League Coun-
Gil is understood TO have declined al
ready the task of interpreting the Mon
roe Doctrine. but has passed along
Costa Ricas request 70 the member ma
rions. An Associated Press dispatch
from Geneva hints that this may re-
suit in a debate on the Monroe Doctrine
when the League Assembly convenes in
September. The debate will be. like
Costa Ricas request, interesting if I'M
important.
While the Monroe Doctrine has been
accepted as a regional understanding
By the American republics, it remains
United States policy. President VIII
son himself said that there was no
promise in the doctrine Of what the
United States might do. For its inter-
probation has always rested, and always
viii r-s., with the United States. Mon
roe merely stated the fundamentals Of
e policy which has been applied under
conditions Of which he never dreamed.
These fundamentals remain, but con-
clctons always change