New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-02
DENMARK AND HER ISLES
JAMES HENRY'S GRANDFATHER TELLS
him HOW THE UNITED STATES HAS
GAINED NEW TERRITORY.

We'll grandfather" said James Henry. Il
zee Denmark refuses 20 sell her American
islands to us. I think that's right. don't YOU?
WHATS the use of the United States going into
the real estate business?"
IL seems 10 me. my boy, you don't know
enough on the subject to form an opinion. Do
you mink this the first real estate transaction
mat Uncle Sam has undertaken"
Il never heard Of any other"
IN AoO5 the government purchased from
France what was then Louisiana We paid
slooeOeto for a vast area OF land out of which
We finally made the States OF Louisiana, Ar
kansas. Missouri, Iowa, North and South Da-
kota, Nebraska, Indian Territory, Oklahoma
and parts OF Minnesota. Kansas, Colorado, Wy
oming and Montana. That was pretty bis,
transaction, wasn't il? And think the govern
ment made pretty good trade. You know the
Worlds Fair which will be held in ST. Louis
next year was arranged as a celebration of the
one hundredth anniversary of that real estate
deal. Why, the expense connected with the
celebration Will be nearly as great as the price
paid for the big farm. which contained I'LL
&5l square miles.
Then in 1921 We bought Florida with its
a.26s square miles, and in 1915 Texas came
n with S15.239 square miles. But in order TO
have clear title TO what is now Uncle Sans
farm We had 10 buy 45,5:}5 square miles OF land
IN New Mexico and Arizona, from the Mexican
Government, in 1853 and to show YOU how
land in this country had advanced in value our
agent, General Gadsden. paid 100000 for the
strip"
Yes. but that was all right here on our
continent but these Danish islands are far
away from US; why should we want them?'
If you had waited moment. until had told
you Of the later purchases. you would not have
asked that question. In 1867 we went away
beyond our own country for new territory and
purchased Alaska, which has about $4,000
square miles. for S7,200,0O0. But that is not
al. AS result Of our war with Spain l25 600
square miles Of territory in the Philippines
Porto Rico, Guam and Hawaii have been
brought under the guardianship OF Uncle Sam
80 you see the purchase OF the Danish West
Indies would not have been our first venture in
that class Of property"
But what do We want 10 do with the Danish
West Indies?"
In the first place. the islands occupy a COM
manding place in the Caribbean Sea. Batteries
and forts there could do much toward making
navigation difficult and hazardous. But aside
from that. they would be valuable for what they
would consume of goods. and for what we
could get from there in the way of natural
products"
How many islands there in the group?"
There are three-St. Croix, St. Thomas and
st. John-having in all a population of about
thirty-three thousand. The islands are small,
all three being only lbs square miles in area"
IF want them, and Denmark wants to
sell, why have they refused to make the trader"
The Danes are like the child that wanted TO
eat the cake and have it, too They promised TO
sell the three islands for s5,000,OOO, and they
need the money badly. But when the time came
20 settle the business they backed out. But they
still need the money, and 1 should not be sur
prised if the question would come up again soon.
and would get the islands after all"
What kind Of people live in the Danish West
Indies?'