Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-20
TO PREVENT TRANSFER.
Agent of Danisn Government Wants 70
Prevent Cession of Islands.


Prevent Cession of Islands.
Washington, March 2O.-Niels Gron,
who claims to have been an unofficial
agent OF the aDnish government in the
negotiations for the transfer OF the
Danish West Indian Islands to the
United States, is in Washington for the
express purpose of defeating an appro-
priation by congress for the purchase
of these new possessions. Mr. Grons
ammunition in his effort to prevent the
transfer consists of written documents
which he claims are reports to the DAN
ish government from Capt. Dirdinck
Won Christmas, another so-called unof-
ficial agent of Denmark, In which state
ments are made that the author of the
reports brought about the arrangement
for the cession of the Danish West In
dies to the United States by free use
Of money among officials in Washing
ton and American newspapers.
Mr.. Gron says that he was Denmarks
first unofficial agent, and that he initi
ated the negotiations for the transfer
of the islands In 1897. He is a Dane.
who was educated at Harvard lived for
while In Boston, and has also lived in
New York. He came from Copenhagen
to Washington with the reports which
he claims were written by Capt. Christ
mas for the purpose, he says. af sub
hitting them to the state department
and to members of congress.
Mr.. Gron has a theory that, in view
of the acknowledgment contained in the
reports attributed to Capt. Christmas,
that bribery was practiced here to Sc
cure the consent Of this government to
the proposasl for the sale of the Danish
Antilles, it would be improper for the
house of representatives to appropriate
the purchase money, $b,00O,o00. He con-
tends that the ratification of the treaty
by Denmark would, under the circum-
stances. be discourteous to the United
States inasmuch as Denmark by ratify-
ing the treaty would sanction the al
legged bribery which Capt. Christmas,
as Denmarks agent, is charged by Mr..
Gron with having carried on.
Inquiry at the state department has
failed to develop that Mr.. Gron had
been known there as an agent of the
Danish government, unofficial or other
wise. Captain Christmas, however is
well remembered. The statement was
made in high quarter in the depart
ment that when Captain Christmas ap-
peared there last year he explicitly
stated that he was not an official agent
of the Danish government and had no
credentials but he claimed that the OBJ
ject of his mission, which was to ar
range for the sale of the West Indian
islands to the United States, was
known to the Danish government and
that it was cognizant of what he was
doing here.
Captain Christmas explained that his
statements as to his status could be
varifled by inquiry in the proper Off
cial circles in Copenhagen. This in
uuiry was made with the result that his
statments were confirmed. 1t was
learned in the same high quarter that
Captain Christmas was told that the
United States government would not
deal with any unofficial agent, but must
deal directly with the Danish govern
ment. Later on, formal official negotia-
tons were initiated directly between
the two countries and the treaty ces-
sion was the result.
Representative Grovenor, of Ohio the
only congressman specifically named as
having seen the alleged proofs of Cap
tain Christmas acknowledgment that
he used money here to secure the
transfer, said that he knew nothing
about the subject. The same statement