Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-02
Hints At an INTRIGUE
Secretary Roots New York Address
the Basis Of an Interesting
Story.
Germany Said to Have Intrigued to
Gain Possession Of Danish
West Indies.
Some Of the Secret Negotiations For
Sale Of the Islands Made
Known.

New York. May 2.-The Times pub
fishes an elaborate article declaring
that Secretary of War Roots address
at the Grant dinner last Friday night,
IN which he limited ct the possibility
of war to maintain the Monroe doc
.trine. was called forth by the intrigue
concerning the Danish West India is
lands II appears that n. II. Rogers.
of the Standard Oil Company, made a
verbal agreement with Denmark that If
lands he should receive a commission
of 10 per cent on the purchase price.
Capt. w. Won Christmas DircKineh-
sHotenfield has also been acting as
agsnt of the Danish government All
accounts agree that Denmark is Very
anxious 10 get rid of her West Indian
possessions. Rogers and Capt. Christi
mas having quarreled and the former
having declared il was in his power
tosdefsat any negotiations that did not
recognize his rights as agent, Capt.
Christmas advised Secretary HAY of a
- ~ =.
plan to exchange the islands with
Germany for territory in Europe.
He states that unless congress acts
on the Danish West India islands mat
Ter before june scheme Will be car
ried out to- exchange islands With Ger
many for the whole or part OF North
Schleswig. which. With Holstein. was
taken from Denmark by Germany in
try N,
been the fondest hope of all Danes to
recover.
The sudden appearance in this coun-
try of Secretary White, of the Anleri-
can embassy in London has also TO do
With this matter of the, sale of the
Danish IVES India islands. according
TO the Times. White Wis agent OF the
United States in Denmark during the
negotiations and 10 him the Danish
government named a price II wanted
for the islands, between $1,000, 900 and
s4,00O.oOO.
White it is said failed to tell the
state department that the United
States would have TO buy the islands
during this session of congress or aban-
don all hope forever of getting pos es-
sion of them, and that he also atd not
impress upon the state depart he
fact that failing negotiations me
United States. Germany WAS sure 70
get possession of the Islands, either
thru cession or lease.
It is to make these matters more
clear to the state department while
congress is in session that Whit was
summoned here. 1t was not until the
early part of 1899 that negotiations
concerning the Danish West India IS.
LANDS was taken up. At that time
ACapt Christmas was soiourning II
Germany as a retired captain Of the
Danish navy He had just returned
from a trip TO the Danish West India
islands. where he had been making
maps of the harhors and Qualifications
there. He was Approached by a syndi-
cate of Germans who asked him 10 use
i,is influence in Copenhagen 10 obtain
from Denmark a contract with Ger
many by which the latter could pur-
chase the island of ST. John. Capt
laCn.istnlas WAS not slow III asserting
that this would be next To Impossible
for the reaon that the United States
would neither allow Denmark to sci
1.-the island to foreign power, MOI
would it allow Germany to purchase y
because of the Monroe doctrine.
In his report to the Danish govern,
ment Capt. Christmas attaches tn
proposition of the syndicate 10 his pa
lspars. This shows that the head of tbs
syndicate was Admiral Won Zeiszow. o
/ the royal German navy. and he ant
/ pthers of the syndicate had, in#antici
patton of the sale of the island 10 Gar
/ many. bought up options on all land 9
1.-THE adjacent harbors so that in even
dE of acquisition of the island by Ger
many he and members of the sYndi
q cate stood in a position of virtual own
H gers of theSland and could dictate term
Ito the purchasing power
Il When the impossibiiity of thi
scheme was pointed out to Admiral yo
Il Zierzow iio asked Capt. Christmas i
Il obtain other concessions fer the syndi
cate among them 10 form A Gerina
colony in the island under the DAMS
Il flag and permission to use the harbo
las a coalng station for German wa
vessels.
Il Capt. Christmas While apparent
& falling in With their scheme laid TIL
i whole matter before Minister Hoerrin
Z in its true light The outcome OF thi
s. was that permission was denied o
4 diplomatic grounds. the Danish govern
4 ment recognizing that should any sue
{. complications arise, the sale of the is
Hands to the United States would b
next to Impossible. This led TO Cap
Christmas coming to America.
Capt. Christmas, according to tn
Times had an interview with Presider
a Mckinley, and pointed out the impor,
ance Of purchasing the islands. AS
result Secretary Waite was sent frol
London to negotiate directly with Der
mark. His mission became known
Rogers. Insisting on his 10 per cer
commission and declaring he woul
prevent the sale to the United State
unless he received 100000, Rogers be-
came involved in a quarrel With Cap
II Christmas. and thereupon the capital
revealed to Secretary Hay the entil
81 story of German intrigue. 1t seen
a Denmark is now disposed to make
deal with Germany 1t has been sal
by those who are close to the DAMS
g government that King Christian wi
not allow the United States to plea
the Monroe doctrine as a bar to neg.
citations with Germany for cedjng Il
LANDS to other countries. He Will mali
, tain that he already has given Il
Monroe doctrine sufficient consider.
ton in that he offered number
!. times To sell the islands to the Unite