576 Presidential Addresses 



to any nation in the Old World. Still less is it in- 

 tended to give cover to any aggression by one New 

 World power at the expense of any other. It is sim- 

 ply a step, and a long step, toward assuring the uni- 

 versal peace of the world by securing the possibility 

 of permanent peace on this hemisphere. 



During the past century other influences have es- 

 tablished the permanence and independence of the 

 smaller states of Europe. Through the Monroe Doc- 

 trine we hope to be able to safeguard like indepen- 

 dence and secure like permanence for the lesser 

 among the New World nations. 



This doctrine has nothing to do with the com- 

 mercial relations of any American power, save that 

 it in truth allows each of them to form such as it 

 desires. In other words, it is really a guaranty of 

 the commercial independence of the Americas. We 

 do not ask under this doctrine for any exclusive com- 

 mercial dealings with any other American state. 

 We do not guarantee any state against punishment 

 if it misconducts itself, provided that punishment 

 does not take the form of the acquisition of territory 

 by any non- American power. 



Our attitude in Cuba is a sufficient guaranty of 

 our own good faith. We have not the slightest de- 

 sire to secure any territory at the expense of any 

 of our neighbors. We wish to work with them hand 

 in hand, so that all of us may be uplifted together, 

 and we rejoice over the good fortune of any of them, 

 we gladly hail their material prosperity and politi- 

 cal stability, and are concerned and alarmed if any 



