The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-25
ST THOMAS As 4 coaLIxG srir1oN.
The Revival Of the Project 20 ANNEX the
Daalsk Island,

The Revival o. the freject 60 Annex the
Dasish Island.
WARRINGTON. Sept. PA quarter Of a cen
tury has passed since the famous attempt was
made. under President Johnson's Administra.
tion. TO purchase ,Denmark's littlo group OF
islands in the Virgin archipelago. with q view
to securing thereby a coaling and repair sta
ton for our war ships in Caribbean waters.
Now we find this project renewed. as q result
Of the failure to acquire other points in that
region suitable for this purpose.
Tho original project dates from the year NJ
tar the close Of tho civil war. when the return
Of tranquility to the country set Mr.. Seward 3
thoughts aHeld in the direction Of annexation.
He had designs alike on the frigid and the
torrid zone. OF Russia he bought about $780,
600 square miles for SI.2OO.OOO. and stimuli
taneously he offered S7.JO0.0OO for a couple Of
little Danish islands. At. Thomas and st. John
aggresntine about nftY-four square niles
The big corner lot looked cheap. in comrari
son. per suuaro mile. but II was unimnroved
property. hard to get at: whereas the other
was welltenantcd. and right in a commercial
thoroughfare A third island of the Danish
group Santa Cruz. could not be nlicnated un-
der existing treaties. After somo hesitation.
with futiic efforts to get higher price. Den
mark. in 1887. agreed to sell the islands on
should consent TO the transfer. This condi-
tion was easily fulfilled, since rlebiscite was
ordered among those entitled to suffrage. md
out Of total Of .2aj votes. l.244 were In favor
Of annexation to the United States. To the
chagrin both OF Denmark and our Admins
ton. and obviously to tho disappointment Of
the islanders. the Senate ~ tho United States
in 1888 rejected the treaty. But 1t is n tar
suppositlnn that. with such vote at that time.
tho islanders" again be counted upon t,
favor a project Of annexation.
difference which has been suggested be-
tween Denmark's own relation to the sub.
ject now and that Of 1857 arises out ofthe allie.
cation that she would lie glad to rcacnuirc ~
her group in the Lesser Antilles. This.
VII; to" %tS ; rs.d t. in
There might possibly have been more chance
Of success in such q trndc when II was pro.
which would then tc offered t, Herninny in
sffsE1 TO, r";t & % ba rT Hss "nf hny
NOW samG pn,t Of German this rnn 4
to vast areas in Africa Tor that little rock OF
her coast Is anythins but promising for
project + n obtain valuabI" territ Try from hcr
group in ii" West Indies lies ''"e' W "
But would our own country find st. Thomas
~ suited sciI to its Purposes' The urinary ohisct
station: and tina. might be done under i"ase.
and santa Bart al N"le s at SS
BAY. AnneXation outright would very likely
Ss + Ens n y s2 y n as t1s, ,s
nary armament against colonial possessions
fGn1M s2pl ih t" this "sss sine" the system q
longs to North America. and st. Thomas is
only about twice as far separated as Sitkn from
the main body Of the United states. Still. the
was defeated was that it called for annexation
instead 81 Lease: and 1t has yet to be asccr-
other arrangement than annexation now. ''
K r. and has an arsa Fl about 81 sanar" miles.
r. time about s"Saf n Sans ss
nor =" fsaH ~ Sa m Tno sna
and n II ass mSse thp t. it
around It's port which is charIo 'tt Amaii".
auate anchorage. and has been the he Sc seat t' Of
considerable commerce. 1t possesses paved
Steam lines g" IN Varons dirrH,ons w nna FRI
I an.r are banks md hospitals in the. town.
nectton With foreign ports keeps It np t" mod
Is & f nn, the ' h outside sn hG
As r. its value as r"adstcnd. It has q certain
strategy" Importance in relation t. tho Mica
raGna anal although perhaps less than ether
points In the Gull and tho Caribbean Sea II
Is well supplied with wharvns. and Of course
Large steamers have for wears roaicd there.
and have found that they could do 40 with de-
SRA hl" rnpidty. Our vessels in those waters.
beginning their cruises to windward. would
Htn . ~ innmas convenient place for coaline.
Yet It SUBJECT to earthquakes. cyclones anil
drouRets, IN" earthquakes are not frequent
but in MI one occurred. together with a fear.
ful hurricane. and the hurricane DESTROYED an
ennrm'iS amount o. property. So great in fact
u was the Ios. that the PRINCIPAL station for the
VEST indies; which had been csta hlisheh there
forced I" tar" like stcr. and the trade If St
IN, thomas naturally suffered from that time Ii
that Denmark concluded T., part with the
island hut the fact Of it's liability :, such dis
asters was. Of course. urged against its pur-
chase Wit, great "ffort a few months lata-
ie me tEeafv cnme NJ IN tn" Senate for rat
made against it now. Besides tao enorm rusiy
devastating hurricanes. which arc compare
tlv"N rare. Their" are. ri course" violent tropical
storms. Will. drnuGhts pretty constantly pre-
vail. thcrs -heing no running water on the
island. and only one small spring. WV
rs possible TINT Denmark might arrange
Tor the lease OF u conlin; station t. our CIV
ernmrpt in the Antilles. since II she were pre-
rSSsed to Pet outright with two Of her, islands
of Welding us f"othold MS tn" Hnytisns arc
said - he But the exact form in which tho
current project will come before Congress, n il
shhnlh r''ach that body at all. rannot vet ln,
positively stnted. "