The Portland daily press., 1893-02-13

isiana, Florida, Texas, California, New
Mexico and Alaska.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, Feb. 9.-W hatever differ
tnces of opinion there may be as to the
wisdom of taking the Sandwich Islands
under Uncle Sans wing, there are plenty
Of precedents for the acquisition of for
eign territory by the United States and
for the government of extra territorial
possessions. The area acquired by the
United States since Great Britain ac-
knowledged the Independence Of her re-
VOTED colonies vastly exceeds that Of the
10 original states, and these acquisitions
have been made in variety Of ways.
Louisiana was purchased from France
in 1908 for $15, 100000. 1t then included
the Mississippi river from source to
mouth and territory extending indef-
nitely westward. 1t was believed also
to include much of what now constitutes
the state of Texas. In 1919, however, by
a treaty with Spain, provision was made
for the purchase of Florida and the re-
linquishment of all claims to the Texan
territory. The price paid for Florida
was Sc, 100000.
The next important acquisition was
that of Texas, and this presents nearer
parallel to the case of the Sandwich Is
lands than any other territorial acquisi-
ton of the United States. The south was
never content with that portion of the
Spanish treaty of 1919 which gave up
our claim of the Texan region as part of
the Louisiana purchase, and the talk of
annexation never ceased. The fact that
the coveted region became part of sis
ter republic did not altar the situation,
and the Mexican territory Immediately
west of Louisiana was rapidly settled by
citizens of the United States.
In due time the region revolted from
Mexico and set up for itself as the Re-
public of Texas, with Sam Houston as
president. This made annexation more
than ever a burning question, and when
Texas finally asked to be admitted into
the Union as a state her request was
granted. This was late in 1916. The
war with Mexico followed, and as re-
suit we acquired New Mexico and Cali
fornia. Shortly afterward we paid Mex
leo $1,000, 900 for part of the same re-
gion known as the Gadsden purchase.
California soon came in as a state, and
the rest of the newly acquired region
was made into territories
For nearly 20 years, after all this, the
United States acquired no new territory,
but in 1857 Alaska, with $50, 900 square
miles, or about one-fifth the area of the
United States as then existing, was ac-
quired from Russia. The price was ST.
200,0O0-at the time thought large. But
this, like every other purchase Of terri
tory by the United States, has proved
literally and fguratively dirt cheap, for
already the royalty paid to the govern
ment for the privilege of seal catching has
equaled the purchase price. Alaska was
taken in neither as state nor terri
tory, but was governed from Washing
ton and with no great difficulty.
This purchase was the first in which
the territory acquired was not immedi-
ately adjacent to some part of the pos
sessions of the United States. AS mat
ter of fact, the greater part of Alaska is
much farther from the nearest point in
the United States territory than the Sand
witch Islands are from the extreme south
western coast of California.
The case of the Sandwich Islands is
like that of Texas in that the request
for admission may be traced to the pres
ence in the islands of Americans with
important business and political inter-
ests. It is like that of Alaska from the
fact that the islands are widely separated
from American territory and have ma
tive population different in race and ira
ditions from the mass of Americans and
considerable body of European aliens.
Should the islands be denied admission
as a state, or even as territory, and not
governed as Alaska long was, as piece
Of government property, there is still
precedent for another form Of extra ter
ritorial jurisdiction, though this form
is hardly applicable to populous region
with an organized government. Accord
ing to federal law, guano islands dis.
covered by citizens of the United States
and not under the jurisdiction of any
other country may be considered as ap-
pertaining to the United States. Under
this curious provision Of law we now
exercise jurisdiction over the island Of
Navassa, spot in the ocean off the coast
of Hayti.
The situation Of Navassa is one of the
anomalies of territorial jurisdiction. The
island is named in the constitution Of
Hayti as part of that republic, but its
whole population is made up of persons
employed by a guano digging company
chartered in the United States under the
laws of Maryland. Hayti exercises no
jurisdiction over it, and when muir
der was committed on Navassa not many
years ago the accused were brought to
this country after having been seized by
officers and sailors of United States
man-of-war and tried in the United