Defenseless America

ghtful tyrants to which men ever are subject, because doctrines

Sumner, "War an

for the belief or conduct of another person or set of persons. A doctrine is not

s of fanaticism. An exact truth is never proclaimed

pport of England, was proclaimed in 1823, mainly in response to a Continental doctrine called the Holy Alliance, formed in 1815 by and between Austria, Russia, Prussia, and France. The Holy

y shaken the old intolerant and intolerable order of things. The Holy Alliance wa

people, who had raised their heads and begun to look around for freedom, were again bowed

of all other Powers out of the North Pacific Ocean. That was a R

rican possessions except Cuba and Porto Rico, and Portu

on the ruins of the Spanish and Portuguese empires. They had mostly adopt

actual formulator of the Monroe Doctrine was John Quincy Adams, at

ts acquisition by other nations. George Canning tried four times in 1823 to get the United States to join England in her declaration of the open-door policy. Mon

ssage to Congress, President Monroe made the foll

misphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere. But with the governments who have declared their independence and maintained it, and whose independence we have, on great consider

it effective. The Monroe Doctrine has nothing whatever to do with international

rine appears to have been mainly dependent upon the fact that we had no intentions of encroaching upon the spheres of influence of

proclaimed-a doctrine which, as one writer has said, is "the most

some little differences of opinion within our family of states, to exact recognition of our protest. After the memorable exchange of compliments and courtesies between Grant and L

d to be quite effective in preventing land-grabbing on the American continent by other European Powers. But the Monroe Doctrine possesses an innate dog-in-the-manger aspect, certain some day to bring trouble, for the great nations of the world have far outgrown the expectations of our forefathers; their commerce has become an inseparable part of the commerce of South Americ

ur Inflated Monroe Doctri

r cultivated trade with them, nor joined them in the development of their industries, and have never financed their enterprises. Even when

he South American republics, have supplied them with working capital and cultivate

ly been adventurous, irresponsible fortune-hunters. Their trouble-breeding propensities have not t

he United States, abandoning its time-honored policy of keeping within American confines, and out of entangling alliances and complications with other nations, reached out a grasping hand and seized upon the Far Pacific possessions of Spain, right a

America for the Americans; we also have a similar doctrine-Asia for the Asiatics; but we are not ready to enforce ours yet, and you are not ready, and are not likely to be ready

h stupendous strides into a very eminent position as a World-Power, a Power to be reckoned with. They are different from us, but we have no right to consider them our inferiors. They may very possibly prove to be our superiors. A government of the

om "The Valor of Ignoran

years, while this Republic, without armies, shall maintain dominion over one-half the unexploited lands of the world! Or that Japan, possessed of two-thirds the population of this nation and a military organization

on, but not so in execution. It was proclaimed

n modern or ancient times.... Societies, religions, unions, business men, and politicians on the one hand, spare no effort to debase every militant instinct and military efficiency or preparation necessary for its enforcement, while,

rchies should be relinquished, but simply that they should not be extended; and that,

osition to look with favor on the Monroe Doctrine, because in the event of Great Britain being defeated in war by any of the Great Powers, her victor or victors would be unable to seize an

atic guns. He replied that Canada was very peculiarly situated; that she could not be attacked successfully by any Power unless the British fleet were first destroyed, whic

Germany. If the people of Canada and the United States were as different in race, language, ideals, and ambitions as are the French and Germans; and if, also, the two countries were as thickly settled and the inhabitants as land-hungry; and if each had a history as antagonistic as the French and Germans; th

nsisted mainly in bluff, but they were, nevertheless, far better prepared to support B

h America and from the rest of the world, within the continental territory of the forty-eight states. An impenetrable barrier of British warships would lie between us and the Panama Canal. Therefore, it will be seen that our Mon

iral Mahan to con

ezuela incident, with the utterances then made by our statesmen of all parties