The Peril of the Republic of the United States of America - Percy T. Magan

was to re-establish the despotism of Spain upon her
revolted colonies in South America and in Mexico.
On the other hand, the essence of the Monroe
Doctrine as then understood by all the world was
that “while we forbid the establishment of despotic
governments upon the American continent, we
recognize the corresponding obligation to refrain
from any attempt to force our political system upon
any part of the Old World.”[2]
Now we have abandoned the Monroe Doctrine,
and entered into the arena for foreign possessions,
and this, of course, naturally calls for a large
increase of the army and the navy. If the American
nation persists in this policy, the time is past and
gone forever when she can look down with
condescending pity upon the nations of Europe
groaning beneath the weight of tremendous
military establishments. It is now seriously urged
that the United States requires an army of at least
100,000 fighting men. This would mean an annual
cost of about $150,000,000. It must also be
remembered that to-day the nation is carrying a
pension roll of most enormous proportions. Last
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