There is not any question in the world but that in the present situationit is all a matter of recordwe were asked by the representatives of Great Britain. by the representatives of Italy. and. I believe. by the representatives of Belgium. to protect their nationals who reside in Nicaragua. naturally with the Implication that if we would not they would be compelled to do so. If the Monroe doctrine means anything. as I interpret it. it certainly means that we are not knowingly going to permit Liy European or Asiatic country to occupy a republic in the Western Hemisphere. and I will say from that standpoint that. so far as I know. no country in any part of the globe. in recent years. certainly. has attempted to do so. that the Monroe doctrine has been generally recognized in international treaties and in international affairs. Do we propose to abandon that policy? If we had not sent our troops to Nicaragua on the request. almost the demand. of American citizens whose lives and property were in jeopardy. certainly one of these other nations would have sent theirs.