The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-05-11
A RISING
WAR CLOUD
Over the Danish West
Indies.
TALE OF GERMAN INTRIGUE
The Kaiser May DEFY the Monroe
Doctrine and Buy a Carib-
bean Outpost.

VIEW iClNhH fApAii ht
banquet of the Grant Monument Asso.
citation to celebrate the seventy eighth
anniversary of the birth of General L.
S. Grant, was held at the Waldorf-As-
presided. Secretary of War Root said
in part:
1T is well now, when the wailing and
lamcntation of men is heard who grow
faint hearted before the tasks that face
the Republic, to recall the days of '63
and '6i-the tasks greater than those
which confront us today. No one who
reads the papers can fail to see that
the course of the nations of the world
is the stretching out fer territory; and
he will finally 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 1t,
they VII, when the emergency arises,
be found unprepared. We will never
abandon the Monroe doctrine"
NEW YORK, May 1.-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 at the possibility OF
war to maintain the Monroe doctrine,
was called forth by an intrigue con
corning the Danish West India Islands.
1t appears that II. Fl. Rogers of the
Standard Oil Company made a verbal
agreement with Denmark that If he
should negotiate sale Of the islands
he should receive commission Of ten
per cent of the purchase price Captain
w. Won Christmas Dirckinck- 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.
Mr. Rogers and Captain Christmas
having quarreled, and the former hav
ing declared that it was in his power to
defeat any negotiations that did not
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
ed that unless Congress acts on the
Danish West Indian Islands matter be-
fore June 1, scheme will be carried
out to exchange the islands with Ger
many for the whole OF part of North
Schleswig, which, with Holstein, was
taken from Denmark by Germany In
1867, and which country 1t has always
been 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
gotiations, and to him the Danish gov
named the price 1t wanted for
the islands, between 100000 and $4,-
300 600
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
falling the negotiations with the United
States, Germany was sure to get pos
session of the islands, either through
cession or lease. II Is to make these
matters more clear to the State depart
ment while Congress 8 still in session
that Mr.. White was summoned here.
1t was not until the early part of 1899
that negotiations concerning the Dan
sh West Indian Islands were taken up.
At that time Captain Christmas was
in Germany as a retired cap
lain of the Danish navy. He had inst
returned from trip to the Danish West
India Islands, where he had been max
ng mans of the harbors and fortifica-
ions. He was approached by syndic
ate or Germans, who asked him 70 use
his influence in Copenhagen to obtain
rom the Danish government contract
With Germany by which the latter could
purchase the island of st. John.
Captain Christmas was not slow in as
Ierting that this would be next TO i'm
possible, for the reason that the United
states would Lelther allow Denmark to
ell the Islands to foreign power. nor
would 1t allow Germany to purchase 1t
BECAUSE of tho Monroe doctrine.
In his report to the Danish govern
nent Captain Christmas attaches the
of the syndicate to his pa
,ers This shows that the head of the
indicate was Admiral Won Zirzow of
he royal German navy. and that he and
thers of the syndicate had, in antici-
alton of the cedi3g or sale OF the island
o Germany. bought up options on all
he land adjacent to the harbors. and
o, In the event or the acquisition OF .
heisland by Germany he and the mem
ers OF the syndicate stood in the po-
ition OF virtual owners OF the land.
nd could dictate terms to the purchas- /
lg power.
When the impossibility of this plan
'as pointed out to Admiral lon Zirzow
g asked captain Christmas to obtain
Their concessions for the syndicate,
mong them to form a German colony v
n the island under the Danish flag. ana e
emission to use the harbor as coal S
~ station for German war vessels. {
Captain Christmas. while apparently c
llling In with their scheme. laid the t
hole matter before Minister Hoerring C
! It's true light. The outcome OF this J
as that the permission was denied on +
plomatic grounds. the Danish govern II
ent recognizing that should any such e
implications arise, the sale OF the ISL Il