180 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



antee" such neutrality. In a vague sort of way this has 

 ever since been the canal doctrine in the United States. 



The reservation of any special privileges for American 

 ships in time of war is considerably at variance with the 

 idea of a neutral canal; and the belief in the sufficiency of 

 American guarantee indicates a decided misconception of 

 the meaning of "neutralization." United States guarantee 

 of neutrality really means nothing more than her promise to 

 defend the open waterway against attack. No nation can 

 give a guarantee against the attack of another ; it can only 

 pledge its resistance against such attack. No nation can 

 " positively and efficaciously guarantee " neutrality, unless, 

 indeed, it be sufficiently strong and powerful to enforce the 

 guarantee, even then it could not really give more than a 

 promise to defend the canal route in case another sought to 

 hold or destroy it. 



T^itali^ajion_means an exemption from_all_>yarlike opera- 

 tions, and this condition can only be effected l>y an agree- 

 ment of all parties to abstain from such warlike operations. 

 It consists of that immunity from attack that can only be 

 secured by general consent. " Neutralization is the assign- 

 ment to a particular territory or territorial water of such 

 a quality of permanent neutrality in respect to all future 

 wars as will protect it from foreign belligerent disturbance. 

 This quality can only be impressed by the action of the 

 great powers by whom civilized wars are waged, and by 

 whose joint interposition such wars could be averted " 

 (Wharton Digest, 145). 



It thus becomes evident that if the United States is really 

 sincere in its determination to accomplish the neutrality of 

 the Central American Canal, it defeats its own object by 

 declining to accept international cooperation to that end 

 for by that means only can neutralization be secured. 



The " American Canal doctrine " of to-day, generally ad- 

 vocated, does not in reality contemplate neutralization. It 

 promises merely to keep the canal open in times of peace ; 

 (to defend it in times of war ; and to close it against enemies 

 f the country. 



