New-York tribune., 1896-01-15
WILL THEY BE PURCHASED!
PROBABILITY OF SECURING THE DANISH
WEST INDIES

THE PROJECT FAVORED BY SECRETARY oI.NEY
AND A MAJORITY n BoTH HOUSES OF con
GREss MIR cLEvELAND's VIEWS
NOT KNOWN
rsy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Washington. Jan. 14.-There is strong prooa-
billy that this country will soon be the possesso'
Of the West Indian islands Of 81. Thoihas d.
Croix and St John. Unless the President shouid
oppose the consummatlon Of such programme
there seems to be no doubt that it Will be exc
cuted AT no distant day. Denmark is whlnS 70
dispose OF the islands to the United states ma
iortv in Congress Is anxious that the purchase
shall be made. and Secretary olney Is ia'o'dp'e ~
the proposition. Moreover. the residents ol tne
Islands desire annexation to the United states. Inc
v,ovrs NJ the President are not definitely known.
but It IS believed that under al the circumstances
H. Will not Prove averse to the acquisition. Inc
matter is Of much importance 10 the country -
Is receiving serious attention in the senate anu
House committees which have charge Of iore.sn
questions and to-day the Secretary OF State added
interest to TIE subject by saying that he was III
favor Of securing the isands by purchase.
few DAYS ago Senator Lodge brought up IN the
Senate the matter Of acquiring 81 Thomas 81
Crox and St John. lie then introduced a fe7o'u-
tion directing the Committee on Foreign he'd''o"S
70 inoulre and report to the Senate whether the
lelanas can now be purchased from Denmark, as
nrov,ded by the treaty signed a, Copenhaseh !"
october 1851 The resolution also called TOT '"io'
nation as 10 whether II the ISLANDS are Ho' - 80
cured bv the United States II is prooaDie thd' 'F
VIII be sold 20 some other Power senator Louss
resolution has attracted favorable consideration Tor
MANI, ,,racfical rea sons The proposition came up
q. a time when the importance Of naval stations
such ;,s 81 Thomas. st. Crox ana 81 'ohu "as' ri
generally recognized The Islands can oh'' Ue
peacefuly secured by treaty provlding lor t"e'i
transfer 10 the United States for supua'eu oo"
s,dera,lon and the initial step in the conclusion OF
,ro,, mus, ne taken by the Executive branch OF
-. Government II appears that the Danish Gov
eminent Is wiling to sell the islands and that II
nrefers that the United States should be the Pu'-
chaser.
No nroposltior from Denmark as to terms has been
made hui the state Department has been made aware
g., ,ai that the suggestion of treaty looking to
tho ACQUISITION OF St Thomas St Croix and ST Johh
would he favorably entertained at copenhagen IL Il
came from this country As 10 the terms Oh WIN"
Denmark would dispose Of the Islands, ohiy sueSSes
can be made The sum proposed IN the treaty oi
iN;, was s1.50OO00 IT is now thought that Den
mark would not accept less than S0"0.~o lnis
sum, &c regarded by Senators who spoke o. the matter
to-day as small considering the great advantages 10
accrue to this country. one Senator said that ne
wouil gladly vote for an appropriation OF TWICE wv
oooooo obtain thes" three valuaoie ou'pos.S' anu
thus prevent some European Power from obtaining
them England. he thought. would he bidder II
tho islands we're in the market. and would give even
A larger AMOUNT to possess them
WHAT WILL. THE PRESIDENT Do'
eo.ood only, in interes, in Congress to Denmarks
attitude has been the question OF what the Admins
,r,,ton yould saw and do While the President has
not natv said that he opposed to the acquisition
Of any foreign territory he has argued against secur-
ing that lying at great distance. ThIs ooJeruoh
yvoi,ld not hold in the present instance II has been
mil.
Islands II he should he Will act against the earnest
recommendations OF the Secretary OF state. MT
Olney sees the advantages OF securing the siahds III
IN. manner proposed. 50 far as can he iearhed'
he has taken no formal steps to negotiate treaty
for their purchase by the United States. He has
bcen made aware. however. that In case such
,r.,t, is sent to the Senate II Will probably he
promptly ratified and there IL good reason 10 believe
that he will at early day proceed on the line OF
this suggeston provided the President interposes
M ohiecton According to a story heard here to-
dav tho President Is disposed to consider iavoraoly
,rros,,ors n acaulre outposts the country's
coast provlded 1t appears that proposition TO that
effect originated with the Administrations that Is TO
saw If there is credit or glory for II In the matter
Senators who to-day discussed the case said tnat
there were no partisan considerations TO take into ac
count relative to the acquisition of the Islands They
mt the matter on high patriotic grounds and inti-
mated that the President might have all the credit
he wished II the country got them
THE PREVIOUS OPPORTUNITY.
This is not the first opportunity this country has !
had 10 acquire the Islands by purchase. twenty
seven wears ago Secretary Seward negotiated a !.
treaty for the transfer to the United States OF ST.
,rhomas and ST John The Danish Government was |
in favor OF the proposition. and the Inhabitants Of
the islands assened to 1t by popular vote The ap-
proval OF the Senate only WAS required to consum-
pato the scheme Partisan animosties defeated a |
nroeramme TO which Governor Seward had given |
much earnest patriotic thought. The Secretarys |
son Frederick W Seward. has said in the columns |
of The Tribune
Az through our Civil War the blockade-runners |
and Confederate cruisers found ready welcome IN
the West India ports especiay t at Hdssar as rnd @
Statesi naval vessels to check them were smut
out or detained by vexatious port regulations,
avoweily designed to prevent thelr Setthe coai ~
rcpars Il was realized then that the frst need or
the United States in any future war would be one
vr & toS we mtcht look for a chain OF hostile ports
close upon our borders. But the CONTINGENCY Was
remote The Civil War over. No foreign war
was impending The people not seeking FUR
ther enlargement Of their territory Inc senate re-
flected the popular indifference to the question
As Mr. Seward has also said
Now the proposition recurs. and with additional
reasons for consideration During me has VIA s,eaS
larriSs their domlnions II win not have Nest
n,,rh ia omr friend and one that has never done
and probably never VIII do US any Marin n' pouer D. ,e
ports pass into the control o, some 80 or own they viii
whose interests are opposeu " W" "' '' ~
do US incalculab.e injury
The present opportunity is regarded as great
ora for the Administration peacefully TO acquire
om,vina @ territory near the coast which Would
be- Of great value to the country as naval a s}aiiohs
n nd in time OF war be OF much importance W.i tns
= dprasdsnt i'd act promptly and wisely IN the case' |