File No. 710.11/69a.
[Untitled]
Washington , May 7, 1912 .
To the diplomatic officers of the United States in Latin-America.
Gentlemen: Mr. S. Perez Triana, the Colombian Minister in London, has recently addressed to the President a letter accompanied by a long memorandum. He states that he has sent copies of the memorandum to all the Presidents of America. Mr. Triana styles the memorandum in question a statement of the reasons that “militate in favor of a Pan-American union for a certain specific purpose, which is that the era of conquest which President Monroe declared as closed in 1823 to European Powers, should be declared as closed to American nations amongst themselves, that is, in other words, to declare that conquest per se is objectionable, irrespective of the conqueror.”
The memorandum occupies several pages and it seems unnecessary to send you a copy thereof. The essence of it is that the United States—and incidentally the other American countries—should solemnly declare that conquest is forever proscribed from the continent of America, and should pledge itself not to practice nor to tolerate the conquest of territory.
If in the country to which you are accredited Mr. Triana’s plan should be discussed in such a way as to come to your notice you should belittle the idea and simply call attention to the following extract from the speech delivered by the Secretary of State before the National Assembly of Nicaragua at Managua on March 6, 1912:—
I note, Mr. President, what you have said in regard to the existence of some apprehension here and in other republics of Latin-America as to the true motives and purposes of the United States towards them under the Monroe Doctrine. I beg to assure you, and I am sure that what I say meets the approval of the people and President of the United States, that my Government does not covet an inch of territory south of the Rio Grande. The full measure and extent of our policy is to assist in the maintenance of republican institutions upon this hemisphere and we are anxious that the experiment of a government of the people, for the people and by the people shall not fail in any republic on this continent. We have a well known policy as to causes that might threaten the existence of an American republic from beyond the sea. We are equally desirous that there shall be no failure to maintain a republican form of government from forces of disintegration originating from within; and so far as we may be able we will always be found willing to lend such proper assistance [Page 2] as may be within our power to preserve the stability of our sister American republics.
You are no doubt familiar with the substance of the Secretary’s speech at Panama which is so illustrative of the friendly and straightforward policy of this Government toward the other countries of this hemisphere, and which might be referred to with excellent effect in relation to the above.
I am [etc.]
Acting Secretary of State.