Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1919 — The World’s Next Step [ARTICLE]

The World’s Next Step

NO. « I he I.ea<ue of Nations and the Monroe Doctrine

Uy CLARENCE L. SPEED (Written for and Approved by the Illinois liranch of League to Enforce Peace.) Apprehension, real or pretended, that the cherished Monroe Doctrine will be signed away If the United States becomes a party to the league <># nations, as it is now proposed, is one of the grounds of opposition to the league In the senate. The Monroe Doctrine was enunciated at a time when reaction was in the saddle in Euroiie. Napoleon had been crushed and ancient dynasties were being re-established on the thrones which had been overturned following the French revolution. The infant republic Ilk America was surrounded by the possessions of powerful European states. With the exception of the struggling republic in America there was hardly any place where the spirit of democracy seemed to survive. President Monroe felt the isolation not only of this nation but of the democratic spirit which It represented, and gave voice to the doctrine that no European state should be permitted to obtain further territory on this continent. He feared that the establishment of monarchical forms of government any nearer our borders might make the overthrow of democracy complete. The right of the United States to take this position of guardian of a hemisphere was never admitted by the European nations, but Europe was busy with its own affairs and in the early days the Monroe Doctrine was not challenged. Time passed. Mexico and Central and South American countries threw off the yokes of Spain and Portugal. Democracy progressed In Europe. The British government was liberalized. France became a republic, then an empire, and then once more a republic. With the exception of the German menace, which was not recognized until the war broke out, Europe seemed to have no territorial designs on America.

But the Monroe Doctrine grew and grew. From being a protection against the aggression of monarchy which might overthrow democracy In the United States, it came to be Interpreted as Involving a duty of this country to protect the little LatinAmerican republics from punishment for reprehensible acts such as repudiation of debts or violence to the persons or property of foreigners residing In their borders. We were placing ourselves In the position of being made the policeman whose duty it was to make the little republics be good by force or ourselves to fight other nations tfhich might attempt to protect the rights of their citizens. Can anyone imagine any foreign entanglement more likely to Involve us in war than this? It will be remembered how near we came to war with England once on this account; and just before the world war broke out It began to seem pretty plain that we either would have to enforce order in Mexico or stand aside and see some other nation do it. However, except that the Monroe Doctrine was sometimes used to stir up jingoism in national campaigns, it had really played little part in American thought in recent years. In fact, our assumed rights under It were abrogated in some twenty arbitration treaties which we signed with England, France, Russia and other nations In 1913 and the years following, and no one even noticed it. These treaties agreed that the United States and the other nations signing them should “submit all disputes whatsoever to arbitration.” These disputes were just

as likely—probably more so—to involve the Monroe Doctrine as anything else. And under the treaties we would have had to submit them to an International body much like that provided for in the league of nations. But, though we had signed away our rights under the Monroe Doctrine, the league of nations, while it does not mention this American principle specifically, in reality does recognize it by virtue of recognizing the fundamental principle underlying it; and this is the first general recognition it has ever had. The Monroe Doctrine asserted that no country would be allowed to grab territory on this continent without getting into trouble With us. The league of nations provides that no nation shall be allowed to territory anywhere in the world without getting into trouble with all the members of the league. Obviously this applies to America as well as any other country. The result is that we, instead of. having all the burden of enforcing the Monroe Doctrine against the world, now will have the world pledged to help us support it against any nation which seeks to grab land. Apparently this, Instead of dragging us into a foreign entanglement, helps us out of our one hereditary foreign entanglement which might threaten us with war over a matter In which we had little or no concern. And what if the league should fail?, What if all the other nations should suddenly decide to combine to overwhelm an offending state on the American continent? That would mean simply that we would be right back where we are now. We could either assume the duty of chastising the offender ourselves, sit by and see someone else do It, or go to war to prevent proper punishment being meted out. That’s all we can do now.