The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-01

Discussion regarding the annexation Of
Hawaii has started an inquiry as to how
many islands the United States already
OWNS 1t is probable the question could only
be answered definitely by the United States
coast survey Office at Washington, and the
complete information may not exist even
there. The length of the coast line of the
United States, according to the coast sur
vey, is 5,715 miles, embracing 2,S49 miles on
the Atlantic, 1856 on the Gulf of Mexico
and 1,S10 ON the Pacific. This is the length
of our coast line, without including inden-
tations Of the land, which would increase
it considerably. 1t is obvious that. so long a
coast line must embrace large number Of
islands within the legal and jurisdictional
control of the United States. A partial list
names $50, but this omits many islands in
the great lakes and many more in Alaskan
waters These include the Alexander
islands, the Kadiak, the Aleutian, the
Pribyloff and others. They dot the ocean
for a great distance in all directions, the
island of Attou, the farthest of the Aleutian
group, being as far west OF Seattle as Port
land, Me-, is east of Seattle Probably no
exact enumeration of these islands and
islets has been made, but Mr.. Bush in an
article in the current number of the Re
view of Reviews, says: There are eleven
thousand islands along the coast included
in this Alaskan area, and with the numer-
Gus iniets they give coast line eleven
thousand miles longer than the coast line
Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf-of the United
States, or greater than the circumference
OF the earth.'' Many of these are very
small OF the entire area of Alaska, $1,000
square miles, 81 200 square miles are islands
This is nearly the area of Indiana. OF the
groups above named the Aleutian islands
lie in both hemispheres and extend from
longitude 1853 degrees to 1SS degrees west.
Accepting the above estimate of eleven
thousand for all the Alaskan islands as APP
proximately correct, the total number
owned by the United States must be at
least 1850. Besides these we exercise
sort of jurisdictional control over little
island in the West Indies-Navassa- This is
a small guano island in the Caribbean sea,
off the west coast OF Haiti. President Har-
rison, in his annual message in December,
1891, said:
The island of Navassa in the West Indian
group, has, under the provisions Title 72 of
the Revised Statutes, been recognized by
the President as appertaining to the United
States 1t contains guano deposits, is owned
by the NavasSa Phosphate Company, and
is occupied solely by its employees.
The law referred to provides that when
ever any citizen of the United States dis
covers q deposit Of guano on any island not
within the lawful jurisdiction of any other
government and not occupied by the cit-
Gems of any other government, and takes
peaceable possession thereof, and occupies
the same, "such island may, at the discre-
ton Of the President, be considered as APP
pertaining to the United States" President
Harrisons action in this case was based on
the necessity OF the United States exercis-
ing criminal jurisdiction in a case which
had arisen on the island. So far as known,
Nayassa still ''appertains' to the United
States in jurisdictional sense, but it is not
likely that it will retain permanent possess
sion of it. There are other islands in that
quarter which seem. to be gravitating
strongly towards the United States which
are far more desirable-Cuba, for instance.