Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
MONROE CENTENARY FINDS
DOCTRINE NEEDING CHANGE
Joint Responsibility of ALI American
Republics Seen Cure of Bad Feeling
and Productive of Confidence.

states when an emergency arises,
and discuss with them the action
to be taken by common accord. the
whole problem would be different. Even
II she offered her military forces as the
agent of this cooperative action and
these were accepted, the physical re-
suits would be about the same, but the
psychological atmosphere would be en-
tirely different.
The out-of-date and distorted Monroe
Doctrine should be converted into a
pan American doctrine Of Joint respon-
sibility. Any judging or policing to be
done in the Caribbean is the proper
task a pan-American organization.
United States troops may be used, but
only with the consent of the other ma
tlons OF the western Hemisphere. Pref
erably, combined group of army and
navy units of three or four different
American countries should be employed
1t would not be a difflcult task to
convert the unpopular Monroe Doctrine
into a continental doctrine Of mutual
obligations, Endorsed by all the govern
ments on this side of the Atlantic.
Latin Americans in general are very
much opposed to the Monroe Doctrine
as it Is understood today. The United
States, on the other hand, has come to
consider the protection Of her nationals
abroad one Of the traditional corner
stones" of her foreign policy. The only
solution. then. is the adoption of an
all-American doctrine which would sat-
isfv at the same time the pride Of the
Latin Americans and the interests Of
the Saxon Americans. and also serve
to protect international obligations and
the progress of civilization that only
peace, mutual confidence and Corpora
ton can afford.
Time for Declaration.
The first step in the evolution of the
Monroe Doctrine would be a formal
declaration by the United States Gov
eminent as to the original meaning and
present status of the doctrine, 50 capri
ciously misinterpreted and so little un-
derstood. The celebration of James
Monroe's centenary next Saturday seems
an especially appropriate occasion fe.'
that move.
What greater homage could be giveH
to the memory of James Monroe on the
cav of the centenary Of his death thrN
formal declaration by the President
Of the United States restatin the sig
nif1cance and scope of the Monroe Doe
trine in its original intent. and thus re-
moving forever Misunderstanding, slla-
picions and resentments which have
grown UP under it?
roe Doctrine, as the Latin Americans
advocate. would be almost impossible
The doctrine has become by custom and
tradition an integral part of the foreign
policy of the United States Even more
it has become catch word" in Ameri-
can politics. which very few statesmen
in this country would dare to ignore.
But such an abandonment is not
necessary. All that is required Is for
NAL declaration from President Hoover
stating that the Monroe Doctrine ia
1881 means exactly the same that it
did in 1923. when President Monroe an
nounced it: that is, that it embodies
two simple principles pronouncement
against continuation of European dom
ination in the American continent and
announcement against any attempt
on the part Of a European power to
interfere with the government or the
domestic affairs of any American re-
public. This is the sum total Of the
Monroe Doctrine as 1t was originally
proclaimed, and therefore the corol-
laries and varied interpretations which
later statesmen have given It, according
to their own Judgment, are alien to It,
They do not come under the scope Of
the Monroe Doctrine. II the President
Of the United States should so proclaim
1t. the real meaning of the doctrine
would be vindicated and the prestige OF
Uncle Sam in the rest of the continent
very much enhanced.
Conference Call.
The next step would be the calling Of
a pan-American conference, in which
representatives of all the American
nations would indorse the Monroe Doc
trine in its real sense making IL Q con.
tinental doctrine. This same confer
ence would then set up some sort Of an
agreement by means of which the lin
ternational police power" heretofore ex-
ercised exclusively by the United States
would be placed in the hands of Joint
au-American organization. This may be
pan-American court of Justice an
inter American league OF nations, q
continental tribunal of arbitration or
other institution of the kind In this
way each republic would be acting upon
footing of equality with the United
States and with each other, and what
was once the privilege of one would be
the right of all
This international organization, sup
ported by new and continental Monroe
Doctrine. could go even further than the
protection of foreign lives and rights
and OF international obligations in the
Latin American countries It could be
later intrusted with the task of adjust
ing the boundary controversies still
pending among many of the Southern
republics and with the arbitration of
any international difference arising in
the Western Hemisphere.
AS for Central America itself. this all.
American organization might discuss the
plans of the long-dreamed-of union Of
the five small Central American repub-
lies into a single federal state under a
we'll organized government. The sta
bility of such government and the eco
nomic structure of united Central
American republic would be guaranteed
by the concerted action of the countries
OF North and South America. among
which the United States would be but
one
These further developments deserve
to be discussed at length in separate
articles. The urgent thing now. the
immediate problem, Is the substitution
of a continental doctrine of Joint re-
sponsibility for the misused Monroe
Doctrine. This is the only road to a
practical pam Americanism of the right
kind-of equal obligations. equal privi-
leges and mutual confidence.
/ insist that the greatest tribute
which could be paid to the memory Of
James Monroe would be the initiation
on the centenary of his death of this
movement to eliminate so much misir-
depreciation and misunderstanding COM
mitted in his name.
(CopyriEht 1917