436 AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC QUESTIONS 



have very few features in common. Great Britain is imposing 

 no " system " upon Venezuela, and is not concerning herself in 

 any way with the nature of the political institutions under 

 which the Venezuelans may prefer to live. But the British 

 Empire and the Republic of Venezuela are neighbours, and they 

 have differed for some time past, and continue to differ, as to the 

 line by which their dominions are separated. It is a controversy 

 with which the United States have no apparent practical concern. 

 It is difficult, indeed, to see how it can materially affect any State 

 or community outside those primarily interested, except perhaps 

 other parts of Her Majesty's dominions, such as Trinidad. The 

 disputed frontier of Venezuela has nothing to do with any of 

 the questions dealt with by President Monroe. It is not a ques- 

 tion of the colonization by a European Power of any portion of 

 America. It is not a question of the imposition upon the com- 

 munities of South America of any system of government 

 devised in Europe. It is simply the determination of the frontier 

 of a British possession which telonged to the Throne of England 

 long before the Republic of Venezuela came into existence. But 

 even if the interests of Venezuela were so far linked to those of 

 the United States as to give to the latter a locus standi in this 

 controversy, their Government apparently have not formed, and 

 certainly do not express, any opinion upon the actual merits of 

 the dispute. The Government of the United States do not say 

 that Great Britain, or that Venezuela, is in the right in the mat- 

 ters that are in issue. But they lay down that the doctrine of 

 President Monroe, when he opposed the imposition of European 

 systems, or the renewal of European colonization, confers upon 

 them the right of demanding that when a European Power 

 has a frontier difference with a South American community, 

 the European Power shall consent to refer that controversy to 

 arbitration; and Mr. Olney states that unless Her Majesty's 

 Government accede to this demand, it will "greatly embarrass 

 the future relations between Great Britain and the United 

 States." 



Whatever may be the authority of the doctrine laid down by 

 President Monroe, there is nothing in his language to show that 

 he ever thought of claiming this novel prerogative for the United 

 States. It is admitted that he did not seek to assert a Protector- 

 ate over Mexico, or the States of Central and South America. Such 

 a claim would have imposed upon the United States the duty of 

 answering for the conduct of these States, and consequently the 

 responsibility of controlling it. His sagacious foresight would 

 have led him energetically to deprecate the addition of so serious 



