The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-09
A RISING
WAR CLOUD
Over the Danish West
Indies.
lALE OF GERMAN INTRIGUE
Inc Kaiser May Defy the Monroe
Doctrine and Buy a Carib-
bean Outpost.

NEW YORK, April 27.-The animal
banquet of the Grant Monument Asso
cation to celebrate the seyenty-eigbth
anniversary of the birth of General II.
). Grant, was held at the Waldorf-As-
toria Elihu Root, Secretary of War,
presided. Secretary of War Root said.
IN part:
1t is well now, when the waiIing and
iamentatlon of men is heard who grow
ialnt hearted oefoie the tasks that face
the Republic, to recall the days of 63
and 64-the tasks greater than those
which confront us today. No one who
reads the papers can tail to see that
Toe course of the nations of the world
is the stretching out fer territory; and
ne Will hnally be brought to say that
the American people will be forced to
abandon the Monroe doctrine unless
they exhibit more interest In compel
ling them to keep off by preparation;
unless the people prepare to fight for it,
;hey VII, when the emergency arises,
be found unprepared. We will never
abandon the Monroe doctrine"
NEW YORK, May 1.-The Times pub
ashes en- elaborate article declaring
that Secretary OF War Roots address at
The Grant Dinner last Friday night, in
which he limited at tho possibility of
war to maintain the Monroe doctrine,
was called forth by an intrigue con-
cernlnS the DaniSh West INDIA Ialauus
1t appears that H. H. Rogers of the
standard Oil Company made a verbal
agreement with Denmark that if he
inf
he should receive a commission of ten
per cent OF the purchase price. Captain
w. Won Christmas Dircknck- Hohen-
field has also been acting as agent of
the Danish Government. All accounts
agree that Denmark is very anxious to
get rid of her West Indian possessions.
II. Rogers and Captain Christmas
having quarreled, and the former hav-
ng declared that it was in his power to
defeat any negotiations that did rot
recognize his rights as agent, Captain
Christmas advised Secretary Hay of a
plan to exchange the islands with Ger
many for territory in Europe. He stat
I'd that unless Congress acts on the
Danish West Indian Islands matter be-
fore June l. scheme will be carried
out to exchange the islands with Ger
many for the whole or a part of North
Schleswig, which, with Holstein, was
aiken from Denmark by Germany in
1867, and which country it has always
oeen the fondest hope of all Danes to
recover.
The sudden appearance in this coun-
try of Secretary White of the American
Embassy in London has also to do with
this matter of the sale of the Danish
West Indian Islands, according to the
Times.
Mr. White was the agent of the Unit
ed States in Denmark during the ne
and to him the Danish gov
named the price 1t wanted for
he islands, between $4,000, 900 and $4,-
DOC. .00O
Mr.. 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 abandon all
hope forever of getting possession of
them, and that he also did not impress
upon the State department the fact that
failing the negotiations with the United
States, Germany was sure to get pos
session of the islands, either through
cession or lease. 1t is to make these
matters more clear to the State depart |
ment while Congress S still in session
hat Mr.. White was summoned here.
1t was not until the early part of 1899 |
that negotiations concerning the Dan
sn West Indian Islands were taken up |
At that time Captain Christmas was
sojourning in Germany as a retired cap
ain OF the Danish navy. He had Just
'eturned from trip to the Danish West |
india Islands, where he had been max |
ng maps of the harbors and fortifica-
ions. He was approached by a syndic |
:ate or Germans, who asked him to use
MS influence in Copenhagen to obtain |
rom the Danish government contract |
With Germany by which the latter could |
the island Of st. John.
Captain Christmas was not slow in as |
serting that this would be next to i'm |
for the reason that the United |
States would neither allow Denmark to |
ell the islands to a foreign power, nor |
would it allow Germany to purchase it |
of the Monroe doctrine.
In his report to the Danish govern |
nent Captain Christmas attaches the |
of the syndicate to his pa |
oers. This shows that the head of the |
syndicate was Admiral Won ZirZow Of |