The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-15
FUTURE OF THE WEST INDIES
ANNEXATION OF BRITISH Is
LANDS TO CANADA.
British Guiana Could Easily Be Ac-
quired By the United States
Value of Such An Acquisition.

| New York, Sept. 1.-THE fate of the
movement for the annexation of ia
maica to the United States is sealed,
says the Kingston, Jamaica, CORE
| spondent of the Times. For week or
two the matter has been talked over;
talked to death and allowed to drop.
This has not been owing TO the lack
of sympathy from the better informed
colonistS and those whose material in
terests are involved in the future of
the island. 1t may safely be said that
these. to a man, favored the PROPOSE
ton. Otherwise, indeed, it would never
have reached the Importance that 1t
did at the outset. But the color preju-
dice proved too strong, and even those
who realized most clearly the magni-
tude of The crisis and the completeness
of the solution that annexation would
afford. dreaded to face the personal
antagoeism that their support of the
movement would invoke. Hence, when
the full strength OF popular opposition
was felt, open sympathy promptly van
ished.
The gravity of the crisis remains I'M
altered, however. and the darkness of
the shadow of industrial gloom cast
over the island by the prospective an
neXation of Cuba and Porto Rico into
the United States is in no way re-
lieved by this concern to an unreason-
ing popular prejudice.
In the best informed circles it is felt
that, facing a demand Cor annexation
to the United States as an alternative,
no representations that the Barbados
conference may make to the imperial
government viii produce the least eff
feet on the policy of the home author
tiles. For this reason there is already
on foot an alternative annexation pro-
foI, ap1xr
Using as that for admission to the Unit
ed States. yet holds out some prospect
for relief from the crisis that surely
threatens the island.
The proposal now is to seek admis-
sion into the Canadian Dominion.
While the sugar market there is not
so large as that of the United States,
it IS better than none at all. On the
other hand, there will be no change in
nationality, and the color question
would not be touched.
The West Indies would be easily
swallowed 10 in the Dominion. Their
entire land area is not more than three
fifthS OF that of the province of Nova
Scotia, while the aggregate population
is but a million and a half, and that
of Canada is about 5000, 900. The pres
ent expenditure is 100000, as against
a revenue of IS, 100000, but the read
justment under the Dominion. together
with the impetus given to industry and
commerce, is regarded as affording a
sure promise OF an immediate turning
of the balance.
British Guinana remains to be con-
sidered. 1t is by no means certain that
Canada would care to be burdened with
that enormous extent of additional I'M
developed and scarcely even explored
territory. She already has enough and
to spare Of that sort at home. But
provision must be made for the mag
nificent province. And with but little
encouragement from the United States
IL could be secured for the United
States. Its utility to the United States
as a foothold on the great southern
continent cannot be over estimated, al
though its positive value as such ap-
pertains to the future rather than the
present-the inevitable future when the
United States will have to assume au-
thority over the turbulent states of the
south.
So far as can be learned, there would
besn strong, if any, opposition in the
colony itself to annexation to the
United States. There the color ques-
tion is solving itself by slow emigra-
ton. and the coolie would not prove a
factor for consideration. For the rest,
the population is of polyglot nature,
such rs would render it readily sus-
ceptible to assimilation with the Unit
ed States. The acquisition of the col
ony could be arranged readily enough,
either by purchase or exchange. Eng
land has no interests in South America
that Guiana can conserve more pot
entity than Trinidad. while the conces-
sion of a coaling station to England at
some point in the Pacific would prove
ample compensation for the Guinese
territory.