Evening star., 1939-02-19

states again to the position Of COL
onies. In another part of his mes
sage Monroe considered a similar
question: The aggression of Russia
on the northwestern coast. The oc-
casion has been judged proper for
asserting as q principle in which the
rights and interests OF the United
States are involved, that the Amer
ican continents, by the free and in
dependent condition which they have
assumed and maintain, are hence
forth not to be considered as sub
jects for future colonization by any
European powers In this way and
at this time was announced formally
policy which the United States
had maintained almost from the be-
ginning and which she has de-
veloped with our needs into the great
American doctrine"
Influence of Foreign Perils.
A still more circumstantial &C
count is given by Prof. Willis Mason
West in American History and
Government" reading in part: I'm
182l-1823 two foreign perils called
forth from the administration the
proclamation of the new policy,
America for Americans. In 1921, the
Car OF Russia forbade citizens OF
other powers even to approach with
IN 100 miles Of the Pacific Coast, on
the American side, north of the 51st
parallel. Russia had no settlements
within hundreds of miles of that
line, and this proclamation was
practically an attempt to reserve
new American territory for future
Russian colonization. Moreover, it
would have turned the Bering Sea,
with its invaluable fisheries, into a
Russian lake, absolutely closed to all
other peoples. The idea was pc
culiarly abhorrent, both because of
Russia's exclusive commercial policy
dypified in the proclamation) and
because the Car was the head Of
the despotic Holy Alliance, which
at just this time was planning to
extend its political system to South
America and Mexico.
That plan was itself the second
peril. In 1921 the United States
recognized the independence Of the
revolted South American states and
appointed diplomatic agents to their
governments. But the league of
despots,' known as the Holy Al
lance. having crushed an attempt
at a republic in Spain itself, now
planned to reduce the former Ameri-
can colonies of Spain to their old
subsection.
Canning Made Proposals.
"Alone in Europe, England stood
forth in determined opposition; and
Canning, minister for foreign af-
fairs. made four separate friendly
suggestions to our minister in Eng
land that the two English-speaking
powers join hands to forbid the prof.
ect. President Monroe and his un-
official advisers. Madison and JET
ferson, wished to accept this offer
for allied action; but John Quincy
Adams insisted strenuously that the
United States must not come in as
a cockboat in the wake of the Brit
ish man-of-War," and carried the
cabinet and Monroe with him in his
plan for independent action.
Meantime, Canning had acted,
and, in his proud boast. called the
New World into existence, to redress
the balance of the Old His firm
statement that England would re-
sist the proposed attack upon the
revolted American states put an
abrupt close to the idea of inter-
vention.
when Monroe's message was read
abroad, England hailed it as making
absolutely secure her policy Of pre-
venting European intervention in
America; and the Gar agreed to
move north $50 miles and to accept
the line of 54' 40' for the southern
boundary of Russian Alaska"
Suggested by Britain.
Further testimony is provided by
w. E. Woodward, who explains in
his New American History:
ITO the present generation James
Monroe is best known as the pro-
mulgator of the doctrine which bears
his name. Yet the original idea was
not his, nor did it emanate from
any one in his administration. It
was developed directly from a sug-
gestion made by the British govern
ment.
During the first two decades of
the 10Th century Mexico and the
whole Of Spain's South American
possessions revolted from Spanish
rule and succeeded in gaining their
independence. In Europe at the
time there was a combination of
royalties-the sovereigns of Russia,
Austria, Prussia and France-which
was known as the Holy Alliance. It
was sort of royal trade union and
its chief purpose was to give assist
ance to kings whose peonle were