The morning call., 1890-08-11

our rule; they cost US nothing, and the
island pays its way. But after all 1t lives
on the German visitors; its food supplies
have to be brought from the German main
land, and practically residence on 1t Is
equivalent to staying on a ship anchored in
the North Sea within sight at night of the
lights at the mouths Of the German Eide
and Weser. There are no productions on
the island of any value to British COM
merce; the flights of passerine BIRDS, Ior
which it is dear to naturalists,. cannot De
restricted or affected for science by the Brit
ish or German flag. There is nothing but
boat harbor in or connected with tle
island; there could be no shelter Tor shlps
but occasionally on the lee OF the eastern
side, the western being too shallow; and
there are not and cannot be any DOCKS, ana
the fresh water supply is not satisfactory.
A natural harbor once existed by commu-
nication between the main island and the
Dune; but this, even if restored artiiclaliy,
could only be so at a large expense, ana the
harbor so formed, besides being en- ormouslY
costly, would be ruinously exposed to the
north and northeast. British hshsrmen
from tie Dogger or other North Sea fshings
would come occasionally to rest and refresh
on the island, but they might do SO II lt be-
longed to Germany. We cannot fortlIy 1t
without large expense, and with little or no
advantage. The island, from its distance,
does not in any true sense command the
a
BY BOATS CREW FROM A wAR-sHIP
And could be retaken in the same way. If
it were turned by the Germans into fort
ress it would be an enormously expensive
one, sure to be reduced by any power pos
sessed of a sufficient fleet to blockade 1T and
prevent provisions reaching 1t. 1t may
have been useful in the days Of sailing
ships, and when our purpose was to break
or eVade by smuggling the insolent paper
blockade by which Napoleon tried In vain
to shut us out from the Continent. 1t is not
easy to see what help il would give US even
if we were at war with Germany. 1t would
in all likelihood, in such an unWlshed-for
event, prove a hindrance rather than
help. a German gunboat could seize
it as it now stands, and we
might be tempted to waste effort upon
protecting aud defending it which. would
have yielded better results in other quar-
tiers. 1t is only toy, of no value in itself,
but which might be trap for our forces II
we were seriously engaged IN war. Mill
tary or naval value to us it has none 1t is
simply in war an isolated post which gives
us no power, and which might require, to
satisfy national amour propre, an eXpend-
iture of ships and men altogether uiSpropor-
tionate to its Importance. Its possession by
us is an annoyance to German feellnS ana
of no real benefit to the German empire.
The Germans undoubtedly, now that they
have come to their kingdom, take it as a
CALLING thing that we should have an
island so near the Elbe, and would regard
as a friendly and conciliatory act its cessiOn
to them as the heirs to HolStein and more.
If we crafty them by this cession, it is 10
be considered whether this could in any
way iDjure US. Were the Germans to make
Heligoland a fortress like Cronstadt there
would be nothing to prevent British fleet
having business in the Elbe to sail past It,
The fortress, if made, it would be a point
of honor with the Germans to maintain. 1t
would not shelter their fleet, nor prevent it
being attacked and destroyed, and it could
only be kept under the German flag against
a sea power by an expenditure of men and
material altogether diSproportionate to its
value. 1t might easily prove to the Ger
mans simply another Sebastopol.