238 National Duties 



cally, we must make it evident that we intend on this 

 point ever to maintain the old American position. 

 Indeed, it is hard to understand how any man can 

 take any other position, now that we are all looking 

 forward to the building of the Isthmian Canal. The 

 Monroe Doctrine is not international law ; but there 

 is no necessity that it should be. All that is needful 

 is that it should continue to be a cardinal feature of 

 American policy on this continent ; and the Spanish- 

 American states should, in their own interests, cham 

 pion it as strongly as we do. We do not by this doc 

 trine intend to sanction any policy of aggression by 

 one American commonwealth at the expense of any 

 other, nor any policy of commercial discrimination 

 against any foreign power whatsoever. Commer 

 cially, as far as this doctrine is concerned, all we wish 

 is a fair field and no favor; but if we are wise we 

 shall strenuously insist that under no pretext what 

 soever shall there be any territorial aggrandize 

 ment on American soil by any European power, and 

 this, no matter what form the territorial aggrandize 

 ment may take. 



We most earnestly hope and believe that the 

 chance of our having any hostile military complica 

 tion with any foreign power is very small. But that 

 there will come a strain, a jar, here and there, from 

 commercial and agricultural that is, from indus 

 trial competition, is almost inevitable. Here again 



