The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08

| quietly accepting 'nP tnn1Pf OUHEhl Us. y l'IN
j. very Int gained at tins late day hy becom.
Ing emotional. since these very emotions ~
which some PEOPLE speak, have been n.Iowsn
day present other Arguments that might clear
w the affair tor The tenent Of the, public"
An interview with Herr Moses Mclchlor. one
is printed IN Ibhiikrn Herr Melchior has epont
IA considerable time on the islands, and his
Urn ms Tor a Iomg PrrIa s% ~ s 3 r,%i, co ,h.
great banking firm and exporting concern mas
itt own establishment. :.
III sentiment alone il TO be- consiaer"d."
he said, then there IL every reason for object
iug TO the disposal ~ the islands. But II seems
10 mo thui thcrr is not the slightest comparison
between the conditions In. the. West indies ami
IN Iceland. tor instance. In the latter colo y.
Tor example. there reside many Danes who by
clos" tlrs ATE linked to DenmatE. while N ne
West Indies the pDuulnttOn Is almost "n' r"lY
composed Of foreigners. who much rather than
not would bc citt2"n- ol the United states.
1T ha- been sail that we shon,i Keep me
island l. 40 lint eventually W" might drive som"
sort Of bargain with Germany IN regard 70
S~chl"swig,. No one aeei WORRY that our trends
10 the south will give up a piece ot conquered
ground Hal such ne"n their Intention thew
would undoubtedly have made II known some
time s'nc'. lti1 also surml-ed thal even ! wa
decline the offer of the United States there
would b. no objection made 10y them to selling
Nh" islands to Germany. That IL simply
Tho whole thing resolves itself into the ono
question. whether we can manage the islands
In such u manner that they viii Eiy" INST re-
,HTn,, SnEa, rn =; I Is, n s"ro , TrG" wor ID r rS.
tuces about sixteen million poundr. ot sugar
annualv Two-third1 OF tn" rrodlction !. du"
10 beet rulture whi.c the Unr-thlr ri comes from
the cane. But;thc raisers o. hrcts have th's
advantage. that not only do they get a hourly.
averig NJ ABOUT 10 per cent; hut thcre Is also
n prohihitory duty which makes II dltflcult Tor
cane sugar 70 compete with that o0tainsn from
the beet.
cane sugar as cOntrastad with the other kind.
but science has now made IA. latter product
the more satisfactory, and the actual percent
age OF sugar is much higher IA regard, the
beet. This IL one 81 the reasons why sugar
raising has not netted a good result on ST.
CroiN during the last wears.
W. have tried to raise tobacco on ~. Crolx.
but with a poor result. The tobacco, plant re.
luires virgin soil and you do not md such I'M,
cultivated land on It. trolX as in CUBA AMI
Puerto Ricb. | rannot see the least possibility
tina, Denmark will advance the PROSPERITY of
the islands But this one thing must remain
clear, II the chance TO sell IL now thrown
away. then we assume n stu greater moral OBJ
legation az regards the colonies thnn before,
We must sacrifice cons irt ahla tor the sake Of
advancing the materal interests ot tho Islands
"a are compensation for what they might gam
the Wnited @.'Tfes. Fal comprnsation we shall
never be al lc to give them.
United States will try TO place the Islands in "A
better light than at the present tlin". That
which we cannot touch. Perhaps the same
conditions which will govern the duty ques-
tion Of Puerto Rico will be ma ~ 10 govern tho
islands should thsy pass from Denmark To the
great Western W. suppose there is some
truth In the argument that something might
be saved by nauguiat'ng a NOR e'onomical
the change in this direction will alter the main
question but little.
"It is sail that our aged King Christian Is
disinolnpd to be "a party to the transfer Of the
islands, But while | can well understand his
feelings in the matter from a patriotic stand.
point. yet am convinced that when the actual
lat 3 Fnn n y hA 7 md ia IA a N i'm NAn Ia
Grafton, our King will follow the counsel Of his
Cabinet. Ia conclusion ! desire To say that the
question AT issue. Personally. | should not
wish the Islands sold. 1t ia because OF
the benefit which vii! accrue to IN" islands
that take sides with those who want them
SOL"
4. II Hacemann. the leading manufacturer
ofthe Danish capital: has also Expressed him
West Indies t. the [ nitei states. Hs SAYS:
Pa. riotisnl has nothing to do with:thc affnir.
Neither IS ~ an uncommon, occurrence Tor
other countries to dispose OF their colonies.
whether IN exchange or sale. IL is not correct
TO say that The prestige ~ a nation d"penis on
her colonies. II il The develonment and cult.
ure Of the foreign uo--essiOns which determine
the prestige. But whore Is the prestige To- us
by owning the islands Of st Thomas. st. Gro X
and 81, 1Gh ma Tn iormsst iIland Is no, being
there. exists but one Danish business house.
the Melchiors.
reasons II is also nature. that they INCLINE to-
ward the country to the west. From 1870 to
from NorthAmerica, while only 20 recent was
derived from the mother country. Tho same
holds good with the export trade from there.
Eventually all the sugar exported will go to the
There are none bur English banks on the
islands. The large American ,"xrort houses.
are Danes intereste in the retail trace Of the
islands: so you, will notice that Denmark in
reality has very lIttie IA common with the West
Indies. The reason for the dpcadence in the
sugar industry, you ask? The bounty which
has been gwen TO the beet culture ~ not the
cause alone. The reason les deeper. but is mot
o mmission which England sent out some
years ago to visit the different islands Ia the
GUM gave to beet sugar naturally had soms
determining inf renee. but that. the main
reason for the decline on the islands was abso-
lutely due to technical deficiency. Neither in
thr field nor in the factory had the islands
III Fnglani hal had a beet sugar industry
there is no doubt that she would have looked
20 It that the cane industry In her colon o. toll
lowed suit and took advantage Q. the 'atost i'm
proyements in methods and machinery, The
English .ssion said emp alphabetically that
there was no rea,on why the sugar culture
beet product stood mode always, L Deqmark
wants to get any benefit out OF the West Inii.s
she must spend money 10 begin With; place
DuHlSn suIJ'tlS ul tue lSluIluS-lU tDp UtUks,
on the plat tatiOns-nnd then the result W II no
different. But after al. II will he u difficult
tning to do this now. and the United States
will be Ab'atO do what we shOul1 have done in
less time and more eTectually."
The bill introduced by Congressman Gardner
for the purchase Of the Islands has evoked much
Comment here. Az Tor the ~. 900 asked
by Mr.. Gardner for that purfO se. there Ia a
difference OF opinIon whether hi. sum is sufl-
cient. II Is quite certain. however. that the feel
ing which has taken possession of the Danes il
entirely different from that OF thirty oil years
ago when the negot atoms for the transfer
were Diplomatic and dii not seem to concern
the public. The various accounts which have
been published from time to time during the
past few months have stirred IN tho Danish
nation. The peonle tie themselves that they
must know something about this sale. That
j. the reason why mass meetings are
held. why the leading men Of the little
kingdom speak FOR and against the sale.
Here in Denmark the situation ia acute
enough to bring about the downfall Of the
present Ministry. which, It NAV be guessed ia
In favor Of the sale. Every DAY 1t is expected
that the crisis may arrive and the Cabinet
have 70 retire. Should their successors prove
eIra&y willing TO sell the islands then there
remains but title doubt that the con=umma-
ton OF the scheme will follow Immediately.
WORKERS HOY NEVER STRUCK.
IN.,lu-.- D-.-ns.- rN.A A. -tt- v..---