The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-02
WEST INDIES PURCIIl
Senate Puts 10 the Time i,
Secret Session on Il. 4
WILL NOT BUY THE ISLANDS !
They Arc Fifteen Hundred ~
Away and We HIVE Neitbc. &C.
Nor Guns 10 Fortify The. q

| Washington. April L. The senat. (.
| cret session spent almost the entire u
discussion of the resolution reportsd .
terday from the committee on foreivt. n
lions. fer the purchase of the wes. N
islands owned by Denmark, and ,ha "a
was closed by the practical witbdr,,.,
the resolution by Senator Lodge. its MI
He stated that the debate had dsys
such a wide difference. of opinion /.
senate whore there had heretofor.
such unanimity, that he would not s.3
press the matter at the time whes Y
presideIc needed the support OF ali 49,
of all parties.
This action ON the part OF Senato. 4.
was preceded by an animated debst.
which many sharp words were exon.
over the policy of bringing about
tion liable to divide the senate at
when unanimity was especially dsxi,
and when all parties had shown AN
tion to give their uttermost support i.
administration In preparing for tbs n
which almost all. the senators corsH
probable. Many speeches were mad
this line and went so far as to intlrE
that advantage had been taken OF IN b
uat!on 10 press a proposition which n
considered questionable, with the hope r.
the senate, In it's desire to support h
president at a critical time, would s8
sioer the matter favcrably now, wbatS
IT. would not do so In times OF Quia IS
Senators Gorman and Pettigrew ~
among those who took this position. u
Mr.. German referred to the uuanins
action OF congress in cntrusting the y,
sum of $5000G000 to the president IA q
expenditure in maintaining the digniuH
the country and said that since the tyx
of Washington no such confidence had MI
imposed in a chief executive OF the NJ
ton, but that while it was a great m
it carried with it great responsibn3f
So far the executive branch of the NIX
eminent had been united in suppoIi &
The president. Ii was evidently the a
tention to preserve this unanimity aa 1T
considered this an inopportune tins II;
present this resolution. The islands va33
he said. fully 1900 miles from our w
coast and to attempt TO acquire them ~
would be in violation of our policy Of e.
annexing territory which is not contigus1
He said Senator Lodge had report
favcr of the policy now undertake. =
his desk for year and that the FREE
OF the measure sought to get it thrs3
now under the stress of war presstx ri
there was going to be war the Utsl
States could secure all the coaling strx&
on the island of Cuba and that IL there 81
no war, none would be needed. M
Senator Lodge replied briefly to t
admitting his long advocacy of the ace1
ton Of the Danish possession and exph&
ing his efforts to secure action at ther<
ent time. He said he had called upA M;
president with reference to the purrffH
ST the islands and that not only he, butt 81
naval officials had concurred in the ot4
ion that their possession would be y s
estimable value in case of hostilihh
the West Indies. nv
Senator Bacon CAD spoke against IA
resolution. saying for present or immedf
war purposes they would be useless Ez
that they could be acquired If wanted
come future time. The acquisition o. ns5|
ritory, in his opinion, should be BY ll33
and not by legislative act. He GN
would take a year to fortify either q 5 xS
West Indies so as to make them ay0Hs5
for any purpose.
At present we have not guns nor VIII
to complete the work of terrifying any f RAJ
ton of the islands. RAJ