Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-11-21
ROCKY HELlGOLAND.
Tho Little Island Cedoj to Germany b,
the british Government.

Tho Little Island Cedoi to Germany bv
the British Government.
Ieligoland, or tho Holy Island, so
sailed from having been missionary
station in early Middle Ages, which
lord Salisbury has agreed, subject to
the consent of Parliament to cede TO
Germany, is q little mass of ;ocks
thirty-six miles from the mouth OF the
Elbe and 100 from Hamburg. Heligo'
land proper, throwing out of considera-
ton the sand dune which extends it at
a low tide, but which is cut oil from 1t
at high water, is little more than n
milo in length, while its greatest
breadth is but Isis feet Its 1000 in
habitants live on tho summer bOarders
who resort to it for sea bathing. Though
every inhabitant of the island is Brit
ish subject they are to all intonts and
| purposes Fricslanders or Germans
The only genuine English people are
the members of the little administra'
lion that England keeps there, Gov
ernor and a few subordinates. When
the summer boarders go away, a great
many of the islanders depart for Ham
burg, where they PASS the winter, taxi
ing with them the few cows that CLEAN
| pasturage from the scant grass Of the
island, and which are kept to supply
milk for tho visiting British babies.
Heligoland came into England's pos
session in 1907, having previously be-
iongcd to the Danes, as one of the ilefs
of the old Duke of llol'tcin. England
took it by force, and found ii very
conyenient place whence to smuggle
| goods into countries that Napoleon had
| terrorized into adherence to his cont
mental policy" OF boycotting England
After the general peace England kerr
Heligoland, it being OF some impor-
tance while Hanover retained its in
dependence, AMI was regarded a.
in measure under England''
moral protection. England would no
fight for Hanover in 1860 and prusi,
made short work Of it. Then conquer
ing Prussia, after waiting a decOrou
time, asked for llcligoland. but Englan,
refused to give it up. Since then Ger
many has improved in the art OF asking
and English statesmen have made cor
responding progress in yielding. Stan
ley says Germany knows how tc
ask, and he probably means tha'
she knows when AMI whom to ask. Al
all cvenss, in evening up African pos
sessions, Germany ami England have
ccme to an agreement about llcligo
land. too, and Germany gct' it. The
desire of the Germans to sec lleligo
land under the German flag is vcry
natural, AMERICANS would be restive Il
Q foreign powor held an island within
thiPty-six miles OF New York harlor, o.
one commanding tho moutl o
the Misiissippi, OF threatening am
ono OF our great commercial cities n
lIeligoland might menace Hamburg
Germany once securely in possession o
the rock OF llcligoland, ii will sool
bristle with guns and be a formidable
watcher over the entrance to the Elbe
Some OF the Eagi sh papers say tina
: now that the process OF yelling mas bo
J. gun, possibly Lord Salisbury will heed
the request OF Spain for Gibraltar or o
Italy for Malta. There is little dangc
that he will do So Independent Of tn,
glorious traditions that make the rocl
of Gibraltar dear to Englishmon, ther'
Is another consideration that vii
govern Lord Salisbury Spain is not ;
, first-class power; and Italy is not a
strong as the nation that la, asked 70
!. iIeligolaRd and has got IT, Beside
+ Gibraltar Malta and Cyprus command
, England's short cut to the East an,
will not be given up. The least OF then
is a thousand times more importan
than the rock in the North Sea.-l'os
ton Transcript