Evening star., 1936-12-02

proclaimed originally by President
Monroe, should be multilateral. that is,
1t should be in the nature of an Of
fensive and defensive alliance. But
the United States respectfully declined
then. and, in answer to successive pro-
posals of similar nature throughout
the last century, stated that the Mon
roe Doctrine was national policy.
Speech Examined.
Mr.. Roosevelt's speech at Buenos
Aires opens the way to the conversion
of the Monroe Doctrine into policy
for the two Americas. The exact
phrasing of his proposal, which, 1t Is
assumed. will take the form of a treaty
at the Inter American Conference just
opened, is worth examining word for
word.
I'm the determination to live at
peace among ourselves, we in the
Americas make it at the same time
clear that we stand shoulder to shoul-
der in our final deliberations that
others who, driven by war madness or
land hunger, might seek to commit
hemisphere wholly prepared to con-
suit together for our mutual safety
and our mutual good"
Such a declaration. undoubtedly
worked out with great care by the
Department of State, has specialized
meaning IN the world Of diplomacy.
To stand shoulder to shoulder" cam
not but be regarded as equivalent to
an informal alliance for defense, eSpe-
cially as it is plainly stated that ag-
eressor nations will find "a hemisphere
wholly prepared"
Prepared for what? The new doc
trine merely says prepared to consult
together for our mutual safety" but
q pledge ito consult" has been re-
gardect in recent years as an implied
pledge that the consultation shall
result in collective action of some
kind In any event. the promise is
that the consulting nations will look
to the mutual safety" of all the
nations in the Western Hemisphere,
and this is tantamount to a state
ment that. one nations safety being
measures of safety. as are. decided
upon will be of united and collab-
orative character.
Several Paths to Objective.
It remains for the Inter- American
Conference to Maintain Peace, as the
session opened by President Roosevelt
Is called, to reduce to a formal treaty
the promise outlined by Mr.. Roosevelt,
but the same object might also be
accomplished by resolution Of ad-
herence adopted by all the partici-
pating members of the conference.
This is not the first time that an
American President has proposed
treaty of mutual guarantee. Presi-
dent Wilson, after his unfortunate
experiences with revolutions in
Mexico, strove to appease anti
American sentiment among Central
and South American nations by a
treaty that went further than any,
thing Mr.. Roosevelt has proposed.
Thus, Mr.. Wilson sent circular note
to all the Pan-American republics
proposing a four-article treaty. one of
the main proposals being guarantee
on the part of signatory members that
each would protect the territorial
integrity of the other and that ire
publican form of government" should
be guaranteed to each nation by the
group as whole.
This treaty fell by the wayside,
being frustrated by the foreign min
ister of Chile, who insisted that the
right of each country to choose what
ever form of government it desired,
even a monarchy. should not be
limited by any other nation.
Doctrine Used for Intervention.
Mr.. Roosevelt is wisely confining
himself to the very thing the Monroe
Doctrine was supposed to cover,
namely, aggression from outside the
Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately,
the Monroe Doctrine has been con-
strued by various administrations IN
Washington as giving the United
States a peculiar right to intervene in
the affairs of other countries to the
south Of us for the purpose of bringing
about internal stability and internal
peace.
The theory back of this policy has
been that the Monroe Doctrine inn
posed upon the United States the du-
ties of a policeman in the Western
Hemisphere because European nations
unable themselves to land forces to
protect their nationals without being
subject to MISUNDERSTANDING of ter
ritorial ambition. looked to America
to act for all foreign citizens and
their properties.
Mr.. Roosevelt does not touch upon
this phase of inter- American rela-
tions, limiting himself for the mo-
ment to the original purpose OF the
Monroe doctrine, that is to proect the
Americas against invasions OF any
military character from Europe or
Asia.
One form of invasion. of course. Is
an attack on neutral rights, such Is
the United States suffered when Ger
man submarines in 1917 interfered
with American shipping. It remains
In be seen how far the conference at
Buenos Aires intends to insist upon
rights to trade abroad during war.
1t appears probable that embargoes on
shipment of arms and strict neutrality
laws will be decided upon as one way
IN ward of aggression from European
countries.
-- Must Plug Leaks.
Abandonment Of so-called neutral
rights" seems more in line with the
Rooseveit policy than insistence upon
them. But for the United States to
. ref,1se 70 trade with belligerents while
other countries IN this hemisphere oid
- would be to defeat the objects o.
1esitraiity all along the line.
achieve .. united front IN Fan-
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