The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
PORTO RICOS DEFENCES.
THE IsLAND WEIL WORTH TAKING,
SAYS CONSUL HANNl.
fstrsnE Qualifications. but m Army or Doubt.
fat 0uaIty-LcAnlnEs OF the Population
ST. Thounas's Desire TO ne Annexed
p..-.. rnunn.nrnn ~ the nnnInh Ialnnn. 1

PsrneF Commerce OF the DRuIsh Island.
81. THOMAS, d. w. L., June 2.-Intorcst in the
spanish.American war has been very great in
this vicinity since tho beginning. Tho COM
munity is n modest one In size. Tho most ro-
cont census makes tho population OF st. Thomas
$4,000, but whore the 10000 people are con-
Ccaled around this small seaport village is pos
sibly q Government secret. Certainly the ordi-
mary tourist never sees them.
Notwithstanding the disadvantage of being
small. 81. Thomas musters n pretty coed quail.
ity OF civilized citizens and in many respects 1t
is far superior to other West Indian ports Of
two and threo times its size. Some kind provi.
dence many. many years ago directed a large
part Of the commerce OF tho West Indies to this
port and not an inconslderRble portion Of the
trade of Central America and the countries OF
that part OF South America which is washed by
tho Caribbean Sea. 1t was tho eastern outpost
Of the West Indies and the first American port
land and in many cases tho only one) of many
European trading vessels. The European
merchants and manufacturers and tho West
Indian merchants and consumers mot in st.
Thomas at one time for their common benefit.
1t was the market for q certain section Of the
Western world. Men Of talent and men of
means were attracted to tho market and some
were induced to settle to take advantage of the
growing volume of trade that came and went
In both directions. Fortunes were made and
fortunes were lost at st. Thomas In those days.
There are three hills that rise into a charming
background beyond the bay as one enters the
harbor from the south tho only entrance for
boats Of any siZeN, and on these three hills are
some handsome and commodious houses built at
great expense in the good old times. A house
that was built then for $40, 600 was sold In re-
cent years for $1,000. That one instance
oipaa N foir u,ureotion ~ how ST Thop,aa haa
lost a good deal of its glory and It's prosperity.
In the old days tho trading vessels from Eu-
rope and the United States frequently did not
have to go further than st. Thomas to dispose
of their entire cargoes, reload and return, hRv-
ing made highly profitable voyages. In these
days New York steamers are known to pass
right by the island to Santa Cruz, turning up
their noses tiguratlvcly speaking) at st.
Thomas. although they can actually be seen
with the naked eye from the hill at the mouth
of the harbor.
No one cause can be said to explain this back
ward movement. A number of circumstances
progress of 81. Thomas.
Immediately following the civil war the
United States negotiated with Denmark for st.
Thomas, st. John, and st. Croix Tor Santa
CRUZ. the three islands constituting Denmark's
territorial possessions in tho West Indies. The
history Of these negotiations has been too fire.
quently recalled of late to be referred to in de-
tail here. but tho combination of hurricanes,
earthquakes, and tidal waves which was so IA
tai to the islands in the importan. matter of n
change OF flag was equally disastrous in other
respects. The Compagnie Generale Transit
l%antique, the Hamburg American Packet Com.
pany, and the line of English royal mail steam.
ers, have each it's own piers in the harbor to-day,
and their steamers put in here on their regular
trips and coal and provision hero. but there
would be many more like them II it had not
been for the disturbances of nature in 1867 just
referred to. At that time another English
company had just completed building a fine
pier and others were in contemplation. The
tidal wave which swept with terrific havoc
across the bay and town on Oct. 90. 1867, car.
ried this dock away so completely that there
was hardly enough left to show where it stood,
parts being left up in the town and other parts
being washed out to sea. 1t was in this tidal
wave that seventy. seven vessels were stranded
1t was a long time before st. Thomas could re.
sumo anything approaching calm attention to
been repeated st, Thomas has not rcgained the
petition of the West Indies.
Nevertheless the natural advantages of n
deep and finely protected harbor and the facil-
tiles for repairing ships and a few other minor
considerations have retained something of the
former commercial importance of the island.
The fact that the language spoken Is English
sonabie an explanation Of the pro.Hmerican
sentiment as any that can be given. Some as
sort sort that ,ho the h Pr2,A m ntc i1,n sentiment sent R"in arises
lean some day. but that is hardly a good expla
nation. for the action Of the United States mas
been of such q nature that 1t might inspire the
people here with feelings of resentment rather
than sympathy and appreciation. But whether
1t he explained in one way or another the fact
is indisputable: the people of st. Thomas arc
overwhelmingly on the side Of the United States
In the present conflict &c The a arrival Of an amer,
for enthusiasm and every bit of war news that
reaches here Is spread all over town in an hour.
The governing authority here is acting under
the Copenhagen declaration in maintaining q
proper, neutrality, and while there appears to
Gov. Hedemann and his staff. it would be a
mistake to imagine that any loose or slow
States IS possible. Some say that the authori
ties are determined to observe the neutrality
obiGHtions in the very s%trictest manner for tn,
necessity of possessing the islands in war time
and the recent arrival of the Danish man. of-wal
would be of immense value to the United States
to-day,is true. but to impute any such motive
of the negotiations between the United States
and Denmark Is not such as to encourage Kini
ther be assuming entirely too much to say tina
the present war will make The purchase of tn
b tnrss i tSs ehtr lsISna 81 m Pnrto 6if ftiGyo in 1n the the s 9the'
tion rather leaves st. Thomas and her siste,
Islands a. q disadvantage. Before the begin
ming of the present war the island of Porto Ric,
meant no moro to the ordinary American eiti
zen than did the Isle Of Pines or the Isle, 0
Luzon. II well;informed men are to be be
/ lieved, however, Porto Rico will be an importan
) part of the United States before a great while
One of these Is Phil {. Hanna, until:the war be
gan Consul for the United States at San Juan
tho capital of Porto Rico. Mr.. Hanna Is so sur
, that the United States will take Porto Rico an,
. keep 1t that when he was notified, from Wash
ington to leave, he would not go back to rniO
I o little vacation at his homo In Iowa, but cam
: to st. Thomas, to be ready TO return to Sa
Juan as soon as the Stars and Stripes wer
carried there.
, Our people at home haven't the slightes
: idea what Porto Rico is worth. " says the Consu
: II dare say II Is the best and most profitable q
a all the possessions Spain has had in the nine
Z teenth century. and especially in the last twent
| years. 1t is n beautiful island-not full OF M
4 healthful and mAlarious sw0mps, like Cuba. bu
Il magnificent island that offers every advar
4 tage and inducement for the best people on cart
4 to go and make their hODes there.
. And the present population of Porto Ric
q show 1t, too. They are all q good looking
n happy" and prosperous set OF people, and the
a have had the time and have taken the troubl
TO acquire some education. AS "A class, | b,
lieye the people of Porto ri 20 are far SUPERIOR I
the Cubans. The negroes in Porto Rico do nc
- form "a vary pnn aid ern bls.Dnrt NJ the nnnulI