America

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 39, 16 June 1915, Page 6

America

THE MONROE IJOCfRINE. AMERICAS NEUTRALITY. Mr W; B. Harvey, principal of the I'West Town Preparatory School, near l Philadelphia, America, while in Adei laide on a visit to members of the i Society of Friends, to which he bej longs, in an interview, appeared to be i much concerned about the attitude of Australians towards America. | America's part in the present crisis, ihe said, seems to have been grossly I misrepresented here. When he and I a friend arrived at Brisbane, "'Ave 1 were insulted," he said, "by the Customs officials. For instance, when one of the officers opened my bag and discovered the American flag therein, he remarked, 'You had better keep it very close.' I considered the remark very disrespectful. You people out here do not appear to understand how deeply the American people and Government are interested in bringing about peace in the world. We have 1 refused to be a warlike nation, and ' though the American opinion is thorI oughly in sympathy with the Allies, 'we are striving to be neutral. Under ! the provision of the Monroe Doctrine, the United States is bound to keep out of European politics. We did not "guarantee the neutrality of Belgium* People out here seem to think we did. | Even the. New Zealand Minister for '"Defence thought we guaranteed it. But the people are confusing it with a document to which America was a signatory at a Hague Conference quite recently, and the guarantee of Belgium's neutrality was arranged without America many years ago Tin signing of the later document in no' wise nullified the Monroe Doctrine, whieh keeps America out of European politics."