The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-05
ENGLAND AND HER ISLANDS.

A London dispatch in yesterdays Journal
stated that during the debate in the House
OF Commons on the second reading of the
military-works bin Mr.. John Dillon objected
to the proposed expenditure on the defenses
at Halifax and Bermuda, adding that he
firmly believed all of the West India islands
would soon belong to the United States as
the inevitable result of the recent war. The
dispatch continued:
The inhabitants of the British West In
dies Mr. Dillon said, would find they must
nature intended those islands to form part
OF the United States. The people of the
islands iSa i.,- viii ultimately say So" declared
would not be so foolish as TO resist. If they
did they would have TO advance more loans
that. Do believers in an Anglo-American
alliance imagine that they are promoting
tions?"
Mr.. Dillon's speech must at least have
set the House thinking. The British islands
in the West Indies comprise six groups,
viz, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica,
Leeward islands, Trinidad and Windward
islands. They have a combined area of 1900
square miles, or little more than one
third of the area of Indiana. Their aggre-
gate commerce is not of very great value,
and Great Britain does not get all of It, but
she would be loath to part with any of them
Geographically they pertain to the United
States and eventually their commercial in
terests will draw them in this direction.
There has recently been a good deal of un-
rest in some of the islands, notably IN ia
maica, where the question Of annexation 10
the United States has been openly discussed
as a means of commercial relief The same
thing has been discussed in Trinidad. Com
missions have been sent to Washington to
negotiate reciprocity treaties and have been
urged to transfer their negotiations to Can
ada. Such a treaty has been actually con-
cluded with Bermuda. These movements
have attracted ,the attention of the home
government, and dispatch yesterday said:
The secretary of state for the colonies, Jo-
seph Chamberlain. has sent letter to the
i Mest dnaia committee saying a contract has
subsidies the Jamaica Fruit and Produce
Association with $4,000 annually for five
years, the association undertaking to eStab-
lish direct fortnightly fruit and passenger
line of steamers, to make fifteen knots. be-
tween Jamaica and the United Kingdom,
contracts TO improve the wharfage at Kings
ton and elsewhere, to build hotels and push
the fruit industry. The imperial government
pays half of the subsidy.
This means that the home government Is
going to try and promote revival of trade
in Jamaica, and no doubt something will be
done for the other islands.
The United States does not want these
islands, but the question of the future is
likely to be, will they not want the United
States? There is not the slightest probable
ity that the United States will ever make
any effort to acquire them, but If they should
ask to be annexed, can their request be
opposed by Great Britain or denied by the
United States? When this country shall
have a population of 2Oo.OOo0OO, with the
enormous commercial interests and attrac-
ton which that implies, 1t is highly prob
able that all these islands will ask for an
nexation as the only means of competing
with Cuba and Porto Rico in the American
market. Many stranger things have hap
pened during the nineteenth century than
the happening of this in the twentieth GEN.
fury would be.
Meanwhile Mr.. Dillon puts a very peril
nent question when he asks, do believers
in an Anglo American alliance imagine that
they are promoting good feeling by erecting
these fortifications?" meaning those at Ber-
muda and Halifax. There are enough Brit
ish guns pointing in our direction now if
we are to be everlasting friends