Evening star., 1934-11-04
MONROE DOCTRINE SEEN
NO BAR TO PEACE MOVE
Historic Document, Considered Out of
Date 20 Years Ago, Again Is Held
Conflicting With Modern Methods.

AS for those more skeptical, those
who scorn at the mention of moral
advancement In the affairs Of nations.
they must not forget that, even if a
European attack on Latin America
should be launched in our days, the
United States could not afford to re-
main Indifferent. For the same rea-
son that 1t proclaimed the Monroe
Doctrine-namely, that its geographic
proximity made Latin America inde-
pendence Of particular value to its
safety and interests-the United
States would hasten today to the help
of a neighboring Latin American ma
ton whose autonomy were In real
danger.
q. S. Interested.
The United States would be just as
much affected by, and therefore Just
as much interested in preventing, the
introduction by force of European
dominance south of the Rio Grande.
as it was in 1923. AS a matter Of
fact, it should be much more so today,
when its commercial interests are in
comparably larger and the political
disadvantages of European neighbour
hood in this continent would be en-
hanced. potentially, by the facilities
of modern warfare. So. Monroe Doc
trine or no Monroe Doctrine, if the
emergency ever arose. the United
States today could not view any in
terposition for the purpose Of oppress-
ing" the Latin American countries "or
controlling in any other manner their
destiny. by any European power, in
any other light than as the manifes-
tation Of an unfriendly disposition
toward the United States" exactly as
when these utterances were originally
made, in President Monroes famous
message of December 2, 1928
Not even the argument of the real-
istic school, of the skeptics and the
practically minded, is good enough,
therefore, to vouch for the usefulness
of the Monroe Doctrine at this time.
On the other hand. hear how justly,
how logically, Latin American spokes-
men support their charge that the
Monroe Doctrine has outlived itself.
Addressing former President Theodore
Roosevelt during his visit to Buenos
Aires, DR.. Zeballos, prominent Argen-
tine statesman, declared: The Ar
gentine Republic, today, would not be
protected by the Monroe Doctrine, for
it has completed its evolution from
the point of view of civilization; it
has become a respected country and
has rendered itself worthy of the es-
TEEN of the world. 1t does not
fear any aggression against her ter
ritory on the part of Europe or Of
any other non-American power, and
there is not the slightest danger that
the integrity of her sovereignty will
be menaced by any nation. Conse-
quently, the Monroe policy could not
be applicable to the Argentine Re-
public. Neither does it apply to the
other states of the Rio de la Plata
and of the High Central Plain"
The case of the Argentine Republic
is that of any one Of the southern
republics. During the same trip the
former President of the United States
heard another distinguished Latin
American statesman, Dr. Martinez of
Chile. refer to the Monroe Doctrine
as IAN antiquated document. the sup
position of the existence of which as
being in force is a glaring anach-
ronism." He added: The social and
economic conditions. the political. and
even the chronological conditions of
1928, have absolutely disappeared, and
it is not possible. without incurring a
charge of manifestly dodging the is
sue, to pretend to apply to the present
time a system which is, as a matter
of fact, extinct and superannuated."
That was said more than 20 years
ago. How much truer is it not today?
(Ccnyrirht 1o2A1