The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-18
TRANSACT
C0NSUMMATED
------
SENATE DIsPosEs OF THE TREATY
CEDING DANISH WEST INDIES
TO THIS COUNTRY
PRICE FIXED AT $4,000 ,ooc
Under Terms of Treaty United states
Will Take Possessions rs soon
as Notifications Are
Exchanged
ACTION OF HOUSE ON WAR TAX

WASHINGTON. Feb. 17--Today, In q
little more than an hours time, the sen
ate disposed of the treaty with Denmark
ceding to the United States fer a consid-
GRAFTON of $5,000,0G0 tie islanas of st.
THOMAS and st. Croix, COMPOSING the
group of the Antilles known as the Dan
ish West Indies and lying just east of
Porto Rico and thus, so far as this coun-
try is concerned, consummated a trans
action which has been under considera-
tion internationally since the administra-
ton of President Lincoln.
The treaty and the report on 4l were
read at length and more or less discus
sion of the proposition was INDUCED in.
Senator Cullom, as chairman of the COM
mittee on foreign relations, made a
speech explaining the advantages of the
acquisition of the islands, and Senators
Bacon and McLaurin of Mississippi, made
brief remarks, saying that while they
could not indorse all the provisions OF
the agreement, they would place no OBJ
stacles in the way of ratification.
Senator Bacon moved to amend the
treaty by striking out the second para
graph Of article three OF the treaty,
reading as follows:
THE civil rights and the political
status of the inhabitants Of the isIanas
shall be determined by the congress. sub
present convention"
He based his opposition to this pro-
vision on the general ground that the
constitution should extend to the islands
when they became part of the United
States. He said, however, that the fail
ure to accept the amendment would not
prevent his voting for the treaty, for
he believed in the Monroe doctrine I'm
der that doctrine this country could not
permit any European power to acquire
the islands and we could not in fairness
take this position and then ourselves re-
fuse to buy tnem when they are for
sale.
The amendment was rejected without
division.
Senator Cullom explained all the pro-
visions of the treaty and gave a detailed
account of their resources and of their
trade vale to the United States. He
said the provision affecting the civil
rights of the inhabitants was similar to
the provision on the same subject in the
Spanish treaty concerning Porto Rico.
Senator Cullom said that in taking the
islands the United States would assume
no burden of debt, as by the terms of the
agreement al claims held by Denmark
against the insular treasury would be
Cancelled. He placed the total of these
claims at coo. He also explained
the nature of the obligations the United
States would assume with reference to
the ST. Thomas Floating Dock company,
and the West India and Panama COM
pany, saying that on the telegraph fran
chise it would be. necessary to pay a sub
sidy Of $4,000 per year for; three or four
years. and that in both cases there was
an agreement to protect the charters for
the time granted by Denmark. He also
gave a detailed history Of the st. Croix
Sugar company, explaining that the gov
ernment of Denmark had assumed debts
amounting to about 100000 for that con-
Germ, but had agreed to wind up the af-
fairs of the company as soon as prac-
ticable. thus relieving the United States
of all complications on account Of that
company.
Senator Cullom explained that under