Evening star., 1928-05-13
MONROE DOCTRINE
DEFINITION ASKED
U. S. Attitude in Latin Coun-
tries Shifts, Forum
! Speaker Says.

The United States should make al
exact definition of its Interpretation oi
the Monroe Doctrine. and the American
people should know exsctly the extent
enc nature of financial investments IL,
the Latin countries. John Dewey. pro-
feSsor of philosophy at Columbia Uni
verSity, yesterday told meeting on
international relations held by the
Peoples Forum at the Raleigh Hotel
Before his address, it was stated that
Prof. Dewey had failed to secure ali
audience with President Coolidge to eX-
plain to HIM his ideas.
Through policy of drifting and OPP
portunism for the last half century.
Prof, Dewey said, the Monroe Doctrine
has come TO mean exactly what the
American Government may want IT to
mean at any specific time,
Investments Increase.
In the past Is years. he said. Ameri-
can investments in the Latin countries
have increased 90 times and the Mon-
rce Doctrine has been invoked to pro-
tect them without much consideration
of their exact nature.
'Tn the United States" he said,
"'property' has come TO have greatly
extended meaning through court inter-
pretations until 1t has come 10 denote
not only material. tangible possessions,
but also such matters as the right Of
certain returns on investment, This is
all very we'll when applied to our do
nestle affairs. but 1t hardly can be
made a matter of international law to
be enforced under the Monroe Doc
trlne."
When the Monroe Doctrine was pro-
mulgated Prof Dewey said. 1t had a
sxax ian od
States was a weak Nation offering to
protect weaker nations against aggreS-
sive European powers. but since then
the Latin American countries have lost
all fear of Europe while their pro-
tector" has become the most powerful
Nation in the world.
BeiittIes Treaties.
Wars no longer break. out directly
between great powers. but as the result
of controversies over small countries
University School of Political Science
said in stressing his belief that treaties
between the great powers outlawfne war
would do little real good.
At the end of 1927, American foreign
investments amounted to $500. 000, 900.
Robert w Dun OF New York told the
meeting. and capital now is being loaned
TO foreign governments and corporations
at the rate of about s2,0o0.0o0.000 a
year.
The maintenance of the largest mill
tary and naval force this country has
ever known" he said. is q logical ac-
compartment of economic imperialism.
Just as war is but function of that im-
perialisn. The Navy Department open
ly boasts Of services rendered to en-
courage profitable trade with certain
colonial countries rich in resources,
notably Haiti and San Domingo"
Urges Cooperation.
Arthur Warner. associate editor of
the Nation, declared that co-opera-
ton with smaller American nations TO
the south was essential In order TO pre-
serve our democracy
"Imperialistic chickens come home
TO roost." he said An administration
which rides on horseback over popular
rights abroad soon begins TO do the
same thing at home. and our aggression
In recent years In Santo Domingo
Haiti. Nicaragua and elsewhere in
Latin America is partly responsible for
the simultaneous curtailment of civil
liberties In the United States