Evening star., 1940-04-14
By Blair Bolles.

decided to act alone In his message to
Congress In December, 1923, President
Monroe outlined in two sections the doc
trine which now bears his name.
Under this doctrine, the United States
acted as the political guardian of the
other American nations, not only the
freed Spanish colonies but the later freed
Brazilian colony of Portugal, which until
1889 was an American empire with
hereditary Emperor at its head. The doc
trine launched the United States on its
policy Of dictatorship Of American af-
fairs The dictatorship has been carried
on under many guises, but 1t has always
been dictatorship. This country's in
terest in guiding in large way the des-
TIMES of all the free Americas came from
three considerations:
l. Politically, the United States wanted
the Americas freed Of any ENHANCEMENT
in European affairs.
wanted to develop wide trade with the
Americas shorn Of special commercial
ties with Europe.
3. Militarily, the United States wanted
insurance against the presence of Eu-
ropean soldiery in the Americas so that
this country might continue as nom
nilitaristic democracy.
F1fty-six years after Monroe pro-
nounced his doctrine. Chile and Peru
turned against each other in the War of
the Pacific, with Bolivia on the side of
Peru. In 1881 the war was still in prog
ress. In Washington James G.. Blaine,
Secretary of State, extended an invita-
ton to all the American nations to meet
here In November, 1882, "for the purpose
OF considering and discussing the meth
ods OF preventing war between the ma
tions of America
The 1882 conference was never held.
But In 1889, Mr.. Blaine once more was
Secretary of State and in October Of that
year the delegates met at the first inter-
sions bloodless revolution in Brazil
turned out the empire and brought in .
republic. This conference had to do
with something wholly apart from
the Monroe Doctrine. 1t established the
Bureau of American Republics in Wash
ington, the symbol of multilateral
policy of the American states. The Mon
roe Doctrine was strictly unilateral, Of
and by the United States even If it was
for the whole Western Hemisphere's free
political divisions.
Technique Irked Republics.
On February IL of this year President
Roosevelt issued proclamation for the
commemoration of the accomplishments
Of that 1889-1890 conference, whose
Bureau Of American Republics (Which
in 1910 became the Pan-American
Union), he said. has constantly fostered
the development Of closer economic, cul-
tural and juridical relations between
the nations of the Western Hemisphere"
In this fostering. however, the union for
years worked under difficulties. The
United States until 1882 pursued Its poll
Icy Of New World domination with q
technique which often irritated and
sometimes angered the Latin American
nations.
President Theodore Roosevelt made 1t
possible for Panama to become independ-
ent of Colombia. After the Spanish
American War, the United States re-
served the right to intervene in Cuban
affairs through the Platt Amendment.
The Washington Government meddled in
q military and fiscal manner in the
affairs Of the Dominican Republic, Haiti
and Nicaragua. In South America Man
uel Ugarte preached Pan Hispanism, or
the solidarity OF the Latins, in opposition
to Pan Americanism, the solidarity Of
Latins and the people Of the United
States.