eign Relations: U.S. S: Canada
BRITISH KMBASSY,
WASHIN3T0B D.C.
September 15th 1939.
My Lord,
I have the honour
to Inform Your
Lordahlp that at hie regular press oonference oo
September 12th the President was invited to comment
on a statement which had apparently been issued
on the previous day in London by the Ministry of
Information In regard to certain passages In the
speech which he inside at Kingston on August 18th,
1958.   Tou will recollect that in this speech, the
full text of which was enclosed in Sir Ronald
Lindsay' a despatch So.750 of August 20th 1358,
President Roosevelt, when referring to the common
interests of the United States and Canada and the
ties wbich bound them together, declared "I give
to you assurance that the people of the United
states will not stand idly by if domination of
Canadian soil is threatened by any other Empire".
2« It would seem, according to the local
newspapers* that the Ministry of Information issued
a statement to the effect that "She Monroe Doctrine
as extended or Interpreted by the statement made
last year at Kingston by President Roosevelt on the
interest of the United States in the preservation
of the integrity of Canada from invasion places
Canada in a special position".   To a question on
the subject the President is reported to have
declared/
nourable
VALMtFRBM:
The Viscount Halifax, k.S
etc.

3
.2*
declared that the fact that Canada had declared war
against Genasny did not alter his pledge to the Dominion*
fie insisted, however, that this pledge should not be
regarded as in any way extending the Monroe Doctrine
beyond its original aoope*   He went on, after giving an
historical sketch of the situation at the time when
President Monroe made his famous declaration, to point
out that this had always been regarded as applying not
only to the countries in South and Central Araerioa which
had revolted and set up their own independence but also
to those islands or areas on the continent over which ig&p
certain European powers continued to exercise sovereignty*
$be Honroe Doctrine, the President pointed out, applied
not only to the American Republics but equally to British
Honduras, British, French and Dutch Guiana, the British
and French West Indies and even to the island of St*
Pierre and Miquelon at the mouth of the St.Lawrence*
3* The President explained that European sovereignty
over these places had always been Accepted" because no
difficulties had ever arisen, but he inferred that should
any attempt be made now or later on to alter the status quo
or transfer sovereignty to any other European power the
United States   would rwgard this as an infringement of the
Monroe Doctrine;* :;
4* An English journalist who attended this p?esg
conference tells me that it was quite evident that the
President had this question "planted" with one of the
reliable regular White Bouse reporters, and *he inference
drawn/
mm
drawn by the Journalists present was that Mr. Roosevelt
was anxious to have a chance of emphasising Ida sympathy
with Canada at a time when the press is drawing a lot
of attention to the handicap imposed on the Dominion
by the mandatory application to It of the Neutrality
Act*
5. X am sending a copy of this despatch to
the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in
Canada*
I have tbn honour to be,
vith the highest respect,
My Lord,
Your Lordship1a vest obedient,
humble servant,
•{MM LOTIOAK.