Evening star., 1939-02-11

fense.
Since President Monroe ANNOUNCE
ed this policy in message to Con-
gress in 1823-1l6 years ago-the
Monroe Doctrine has been regard
ed at times as practically obsolete,
and at others, as during the Cleve-
land administration, it has been
brought back to vigorous life. Today
the rastatement of the policy laid
down by Monroe-restated as it has
been both by President Roosevelt
and now, in somewhat different
form of restatement, by the Re-
publican minority in the House, is
due notice to the world that the
doctrine is as fully alive as it was
when first enunciated.
This country, the restatement of
ihe Monroe Doctrine asserts, will
not permit any foreign power either
to acquire land in the Western
Hemisphere nor will it permit any
foreign power to extend their sys-
ten of government to any part of
this hemisphere. When President
Monroe sent his message to Con-
gress both these things were
threatened. Today there are
rumors of such threats from
abroad.
Cites u. S. Interests.
In those days there was a
boundary dispute between the United
States, Russia and Great Britain,
in the Northwest. Said President
Monroe: The occasion has been
judged proper for asserting as a
principle in which the rights and
interests of the United States are
involved that the American conti-
nents, by the free and independent
conditions which they have as
sumed and maintained, are hence
forth not to be considered as sub
jects for future colonization by any
European powers. In this way Mr..
Monroe laid down the first part of
the doctrine"
The second part of the doc
trine' grew out of the proposed
action of the Holy Alliance-the
European concert of those days
aimed to reimpose the Spanish yoke
upon the South American coun-
tries, then in revolt and whose in
dependence the United States al
ready had recognized. In this
connection Mr.. Monroe said: I'VE
owe it to candor and the amicable
relations existing between the
United States and those powers, to
declare that we should consider
any attempt on their part to extend
their system to any portion of this
hemisphere as dangerous to our
peace and safety"
Could any one put it more clearly
today? The Republicans of the
House, however, in the report just
adopted dealing with national de-
fense, state very clearly that foreign
powers, either European or Asiatic,
must not be permitted to gain
foothold in any part of the Western
Hemisphere, for such foothold
would of necessity threaten our
national defense.
Assures Defense Program.
The Report of the House Repub-
licans, prepared by special COM
mittee headed by Representative
James w. Wadsworth, jr.. of New
York, assures the passage of the ad-
ministration's defense program with
an overwhelming vote. Only on two
phases is the program challenged
by the Republicans-the fortifica-
ton of Guam In the far Pacific
and the immediate construction of
5000 new Army airplanes. The ad-
visibility of fortifying Guam Is
questioned and the Republicans pre-
fer to have the new planes for the
Army added thousand year in
stead of having them produced all
at once.
These, however, are details. The
main thing is that the administra-
ton counts on the practically unani-
nous support of the House for its
national defense program-there will
be some members on both sides OF
the aisle who will not support the
program, holding that they do not
consider it needed now under all
the circumstances. The emergency
defense bill, introduced by Repre-
sentative May of Kentucky, chair
man Of the House Military Affairs
Committee, is to have the right of
way in the House on Monday, un-
der a special rule, with six hours Of
general debate permitted. There
seems no doubt that it will pass
promptly.
Doubtless the action of the House
will. have it's influence upon the
Senate. where there has been a
greater tendency to question the
need of an immediate and larger
and new national defense program.