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How European History merged into World History 587 called the Pan-American Union was founded in Washington and a handsome building erected to house it (see accompanying cut). 1069. The Venezuela Dispute. An old dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela over the boundary line of British Guiana roused the interest of the United States, and it offered to arbi- trate. This offer was rejected by the British prime minister, Lord Salisbury, who declared that the matter did not concern the United States. President Cleveland determined, however, to maintain the Monroe Doctrine (865), and urged Congress, December, 1895, to take the decision in hand, even at the risk of war with England. Parliament, horrified by the idea of a war between the two great English-speaking peoples, rebuked Lord Salisbury's policy and proposed that the matter be settled by arbitration, which was done. 1070. Dollar Diplomacy. During President Wilson's adminis- trations Haiti, Santo Domingo, and Nicaragua became American protectorates, at least for the time being. The extension of Ameri- can control over the last-named republics grew out of what was called "dollar diplomacy"; namely, intervention by the United States to assure the payment of debts due to foreign creditors. President Roosevelt had held that as the Monroe Doctrine would not permit European governments to intervene and collect debts by force of arms, the United States was in duty bound to assume a certain responsibility for seeing that the debts were paid. 1071. The Mexican Question. In the same way financial con- siderations as well as local disorders involved the United States in Mexican affairs. After the overthrow of President Diaz, in 1913, the Mexican republic fell into a revolutionary state. Three rulers rose to power and were overthrown. American lives and property were destroyed. American citizens who had invested in Mexico were in danger of losing their money, and occasional raids were made over the border into our territory. No gov- ernment seemed strong enough to maintain order and at the same time carry out the land reforms demanded by the peons laborers on the great estates, who were no better than serfs under the Diaz regime.