1885-April-01: In a follow-up inquiry, French official M.

1885-April-01: In a follow-up inquiry, French official M. Billot reaffirmed to the American legation that France was “far from seeking in the new World advantages of any sort” that would trigger the “redoubtable Monroe Doctrine.” However, Billot added with a smile that he personally did not believe in the “force of this doctrine.” Despite the underlying European dismissal of the policy’s legal validity, these exchanges marked the first time the United States used the Monroe Doctrine as a formal diplomatic shield to protect Haiti from specific European territorial encroachment.