"We had, after all, no other recourse to protect ourselves, no other document, let's say, than the Monroe Doctrine. So that could be cited as a cause for intervention if and when it might become necessary"

This quote by E. Howard Hunt is referring to the Monroe Doctrine, which was a policy of the United States in the early 19th century. The teaching declared that any effort by a European power to colonize or hinder the affairs of the recently independent nations of the Americas would be deemed an act of hostility and would be consulted with resistance. The quote recommends that the Monroe Doctrine might be utilized as a validation for intervention if needed. This indicates that the United States was willing to use the Monroe Doctrine as a method of safeguarding its interests in the Americas. The quote also recommends that the United States had no other option to safeguard itself from European interference, which the Monroe Doctrine was the only file that could be used to justify intervention. This quote highlights the importance of the Monroe Doctrine in the early 19th century and its role in safeguarding the interests of the United States.