hen necessary, the utopian ideal of the perfect country- prosperous and democratic, a 'Manifest Destiny', the 'American Ideal', which was to be actively encouraged as the 'only way' throughout the world. The first quarter of the twentieth century saw America burgeon to become a significant world power country, turning from an agricultural republic to a manufacturing state. Full of youthful vigour it inevitably rose to greatness through its sheer size and vast array of natural resources. The majority of the population perceived foreign affairs in Europe as troublesome and dangerous, other people's wars were to be shunned, but expansionism and empire building in Central and South America was seen both as necessary and advantageous. Expansion had to be seen as being morally correct, taking democracy to those regimes deemed inferior. The Munroe Doctrine set down the American foreign policy concerning Central and South America. Worried of further European expansion Monroe determined that any foreign, especially European intervention would be construed as a direct attack on America herself.
             '...we should consider any attempt on their [Europe] part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety'
             It established the American right to 'protect' Latin America and encouraged a later aggressive expansionism into the region by America fuelled extensively by economics and big business. When President Roosevelt amended the Doctrine with his own personnel brand of imperialism, the 'Roosevelt Corollary', he gave America carte blanche to interfere in its own 'backyard'. Superseding an American legality regarding influence over ruling foreign regimes to, 'do what it liked to, with or in Latin American countries, so long as it could plead its own interests or an ill-defined duty to police the western hemisphere ...