The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-24
A New Monroe Doctrine

President Hoover should not let the reactonaries
bluff him out of his new Latin American policy. He
is on the right track He is receiving splendid sup
port from this country.
He is being cheered throughout Latin America For
the first time in long while, Uncle Sam 10 becom-
ing popular among the southern neighbors.
That is good for our souls 1t also is good for our
pocketbooks in these days of anti Yankee trade boy
colts and banners
OF course some of the conservatives here howl
ing But surely the President expected that and dis
counted it in advance He must have known that those
whose only idea of diplomacy is a battleship and
big stick would be Mortified by the announcement that
United States marines no longer would be used in
the Nicaraguan civn war.
He must have known that American companies in
Central America accustomed to using American troops
as private police force would object to change in
policy.
Criticism from such partisan sources need not
worry the President, long as it is purely selfish
So far as we can see, there is only one point made
nv the critics which merits Hoovers consideration
That is their feeling that the policy does not suf
fciently clarity this governments future action.
It is bad enough from their sef-interested point Of
view to be told that American troops no longer VIII
protect American property and lives in the Ncaraguan
interior that they must depend on Nicaraguan forces
hereafter.
But it is even worse not to know definitely what
+,s nolicv involves in the way of marine protection
on the coast and future intervention
7oubtess the state departments vagueness here ia
Intentional Hoover apparently is feeling his way 1t
docs not pay to go fast in kicking over foreign
policy OF twenty-five years standing.
Put the President should realize that it is danger
Gus to let too long time eapse between announce
rnent of the destructive feature Of his policy and
announcement Of the accompanying constructive as
poets of that policy.
All he has done so far is to say what this govern
rnent will not do in Central America Soon he must
take the next step and say what this government
will do
If the United States is to give up its Sef-apponted
and unw,se role of poice-judge- and-jury OF the
caribbean who is to take over that role? That is an
inevitable and legitimate question, which is at the
bottom of much of the otherwise irresponsible crit-
cisrn of the Hoover policy.
EVERYONE knows that crises in Central America
are chronic There is continuing need for protecton
of international rights and interests as distinct from
outside interference in the domestic affairs OF those
unstable countries Who is to provide that protec-
tion9
The answer has been given repeatedly by Latin
American statesmen and by the best thinkers IN our
own country The answer is that all the American
republics, acting in concert should reform the pro-
tective function which the United States hitherto
had seized for itself
The one-sioed paternalism OF the distorted Mon
roe Doctrine should be replaced with Pan-Anerican
doctrine of joint responsibility. If there is any judg
ing or policing to be done, any intervention it is the
proper task of Pan-American organization. If
United States troops to be used it should be with
the consent and cooperation Of the western family
of nations
otherwise we shall be blamed as We always have
been blamed for imperialism. We are not 1T to be
the Judge Of Nicaragua Haiti Honduras the others
No nation is 1T to be the master of another.
We have no God-given right and no man-made
right to rule the Caribbean as we have been doing
II we persist shall be defeated in the end Just as