Evening star., 1939-02-19

AV tAIIAC WIlC1l 1lAIly VIlOuSlltl VI
citizens on both sides of the Atlantic
are considering the wisdom of formu-
lating some entirely informal and
entirely ingenious understanding
between the United States and Great
Britain as practical defense of the
best independent and realistic in
terests of the two nations and OF
democracy and world peace, it is
pertinent and interesting to know
that the Monroe Doctrine. designed
to preserve the independence and
integrity of the Western Hemisphere,
was, is and probably will continue
to be just such an understanding.
The history of the famous pro-
nouncement against foreign inter-
ference in the Americas has been
somewhat obscured. 1t therefore
may come as something of sur
prise to the lay public at home and
abroad to learn that it was made
In England" Yet that is the truth.
The warning sponsored by President
James Monroe was first suggested by
George Canning 1770-1827), for
eign secretary and later Prime Min
lister of Great Britain.
Understanding Summarized.
The average American has been
taught to believe that the whole
pronouncement and everything re-
lated to it were native develop
ments. DR.. James Truslow Adams,
in his Epic Of America" summar-
ICES the common understanding of
the people of the United States in
these words:
After a long series of interna-
tional complications running all the
way from England, and the Holy
Alliance in Europe, over South South
America, and up to Russia in Alaska,
with all of which the Secretary of
State, John Quincy Adams, had been
coping with distinguished ability,
President Monroe In his annual mes
sage of 1923 had announced the
doctrine which has ever since borne
his name. Briefly stated, this was
to the effect that whereas the politi-
cal systems of Europe and America
were different and we would not in
terfere in the internal affairs of the
old continent, neither would we con-
slider the New World hereafter as a
sphere for European colonization or
permit European powers to extend
their system hither. It was q
gesture, but a gesture that en-
phatically meant not only that we
had seeded entirely from Europe
but that we had embarked on a
policy of the Americas for the
Americans. Although the public had
been unaware of the dramatic Incl
dents that had led to its enunciation,
it was well received by the people
and strengthened the feeling of
Americanism and nationalism. We
intended to keep forever out of
Europe and to keep Europe out of
the New World. The doctrine be-
came almost as deeply imbedded in
our minds as the Declaration of
Independence"
Not New to Monroe.
DR.. Henry William Elson. in his
History of the United States of
America" also omits all reference
to Canning. Instead, he writes:
This doctrine was not new with
Monroe. Its roots may be found in
the neutrality proclamation OF
Washington, in his farewell address
and in Jefferson's warning against
'entangling alliances This attitude
OF non-1nterference in European af-
fairs expanded until it resulted in q
determination to oppose all Euro
pean interference in matters wholly
American. It was a settled policy OF
the Government for years before be-
ing officially proclaimed by Monroe" 4"
These accounts are, however, in
adequate. A better explanation is
offered by Charles and Mary Beard
in their History of the United
States" as follows:
Austria, Prussia and Russia, un-
der the leadership of the Car Alex
ander I, in the autumn of 1915, had
entered into holy alliance to sus-
tain by reciprocal service the auto
cratic principle of government. AL
though the effusive, almost maudlin
language of the treaty did not ex-
press their purpose explicitly, the
alliance was later regarded as a mere
union of monarchs to prevent the
rise and growth of popular govern
ment. The American people thought
their worst fears confirmed when, in
1922, a conference of delegates from
Russia, Austria, Prussia and France
met at Verona to consider, among
other things, revolutions that had
just broken out in Spain and Italy
The spirit of the conference is re-
f1ected in the first article of the
agreement reached by the delegates
The high contracting powers, being
convinced that the system of repre-
sentative government is equally in
compatible with the monarchial
principle and the maxim of the SOW
ereignty of the people with the di-
vine right, mutually engage in the
most solemn manner to use all their
efforts to put an end to the system
OF representative government in
whatever country it may exist in
Europe and to prevent its being in
troduced in those countries where 1t
Is not yet known The Gear, who
incidentally, coveted the west coast
Of North America, proposed to send
an army to aid the King of Spain in
his troubles at home, thus prepar-
ing the way for intervention in
Spanish America. It was material
weakness, not want of spirit, that
prevented the grand union of mon
archs from making open war on
popular government.
England Refused to Aid.
Unfortunately, too, for the Holy
Alliance, England refused to CO.
operate. English merchants had
built up large trade with the inde-
ar 91YnH