The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-02-21

DANISH TREATY RATIFIED.

Monday the Senate disposed of tie
treaty with Denmark ctding to the United
States for IA consideration of 5000 600
the islands of st. Thomas, St John and
st. CroiX, composing the group of tue
Antilles known rs the Danish West Indies
and lying just east of Porte Rico, and
thus, so far as THIS country is concerned,
consummated Il transaction which has been
under consideration internationally since
The treaty and the report on it were
read, and more or less discussion {, f the
PROPOSE ion was engaged in. Senat or
CullOm, as chairman of the Committee on
tages of the acquisition of the islands,
and Senators Bacon and McLaurin Miss. J
made brief remarks, saying that while
they could not indorse all the provisions
of the agreement they would place no
obstacle in the way of ratification
Senator Bacon moved to amend the
treaty by striking out the second para
graph of Article ) of the treaty, reading
as follows
The civil rights and the political status
of the inhabitants of the islands shall be
determined by the Congress, subject to
the stipulations contained in the present
convention.
He based his opposition to this provision
on the general ground that the ,Constitu-
ton should extend to the islands when
they h. c.me Il part of the Unit"' S'a'ts.
He said. however. that the f.luIe to
accept tire amendment would not prevent
his voting n the treaty, for he believed
in the Monroe doctrine. Under that doc
tril.e this country could not permit any
European power t" acquire the islands.
and the United States C 'uld not in fair
ness takethiS position and then refuse to
my them when they are for sale.
- TIL" embodiment was rejected without
division: - IT,.
Senator, Cullum gave detailed account
of the islands, resources and of their trade
value to the United States He said the pro-
visions affecting the civil rights of the in
habitants was Similar tn the provision on
the same subject in the Spanish treaty con-
corning Porto Re-.
Continuing, he said in taking the
islands the United States would assume
no burden of debt, as by the terms of the
agreement all claims held by Denmark
against the insular treasury would be
cancelled. He placed the total of these
claims at $2,000 600. 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 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 Il detailed history of the
St. CroiX Sugar Company, explaining that
the very Government of Denmark had
assumed debts amounting to about 800,
600 for that concern. but had agreed to
wind up the affairs of the company as
soon as practicable, thus relieving the
Cn'ed States of all complication on &C
count of that company. Under the terms
of the treaty the United States will take
possession of the islands as soon as ratfi-
cations can be exchanged. 1t will not
be necessary to delay that &C; until the
appropriation of money to pay for them
could be made.
The barber at St. Thomas Island was
described as one of the safest and best in
the West Indies, and the Importance of
its possession from Il strategic point of
view was enlarged upon. He said that
the control of that harb0r commanded the
the military situation as far as necessary
in Cuba, and that if this country is to
build canal across the I>thmus of
Panama the ownership of the hai Dor by
the United States is essential, as it guards
the approach to it.
Senator Cul!om's motion to ratify, then
was adopted by a viva vocc vote.