Produced by Al Haines

FROM ISOLATION TO LEADERSHIP

REVISED

A Review of American Foreign Policy

BY

JOHN HOLLADAY LATANE, PH.D., LL.D.

PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE FACULTY IN THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Author of
"The United States and Latin America"
"America as a World Power"
Etc.

GARDEN CITY ——— NEW YORK

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY

1922

COPYRIGHT, 1918, 1922, BY

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF

TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES,

INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN

PREFACE

The first edition of this book appeared in October, 1918, a few weeksbefore the signing of the Armistice, when the United States was at thehigh tide of its power and influence. In view of the subsequent courseof events, some of my readers may question the propriety of theoriginal title. In fact, one of my friends has suggested that a moreappropriate title for the new edition would be "From Isolation toLeadership, and Back." But I do not regard the verdict of 1920 as anexpression of the final judgment of the American people. The worldstill waits on America, and sooner or later we must recognize andassume the responsibilities of our position as a great world power.

The first nine chapters are reprinted with only a few verbal changes.
Chapter X has been rewritten, and chapters XI and XII have been added.

JOHN H. LATANÉ.

Baltimore, June 10, 1922.

CHAPTER

I. ORIGIN OF THE POLICY OF ISOLATION II. FORMULATION OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE III. THE MONROE DOCTRINE AND THE EUROPEAN BALANCE OF POWER IV. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WITHOUT THE SANCTION OF FORCE V. THE OPEN-DOOR POLICY VI. ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONS VII. IMPERIALISTIC TENDENCIES OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE VIII. THE NEW PAN-AMERICANISM IX. THE FAILURE OF NEUTRALITY AND ISOLATION X. THE WAR AIMS OF THE UNITED STATES XI. THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES XII. THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE INDEX

From Isolation to Leadership

I

ORIGIN OF THE POLICY OF ISOLATION

The Monroe Doctrine and the policy of political isolation are twophases of American diplomacy so closely related that very few writersappear to draw any distinction between them. The Monroe Doctrine wasin its origin nothing more than the assertion, with special applicationto the American continents, of the right of independent states topursue their own careers without fear or threat of intervention,domination, or subjugation by other states. President Monroe announcedto the world that this principle would be upheld by the United Statesin this hemisphere. The policy of isolation was the outgrowth ofWashington's warning against permanent alliances and Jefferson'swarning against entangling alliances. Both Washington and Jeffersonhad in mind apparently the form of European alliance common in theirday, which bound one nation to support another both diplomatically andby force in any dispute that might arise no matter whether it concernedthe

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