Evening star., 1902-01-11

opposltion TO anne3at5OIS In order that II
that it win illfiuen@ th& &aecision in regard
to the sale OF the &andXz There is only a
small minority he! mfzppesition to rhe
sale. If the counc Wei dissolved and an
sor asetsn the people nsa IT Il 1t soe
of the opposition iaksincxEe, but most of 1t
is based either on salaky, positions held.
or because of nj <Ropd&ss being endan-
gered." EEH
There are two Httie daily newspapers
published here. botx Of Them about as big
as the ordinary handbiIls that are scat
tered around the sNeetsa One of them is
Lightbourns- Mail sNotA The editor Is
Mr.. John N. Lightbour,l, and he has spent
a good deal of his time in the United States
and is familiar with the big republic and
is an earnest advocate of annexation. He
was on the Tribune in the old days OF
Horace Greeley He said to me today that
the people Of ST. Thomas depended absolutely
upon the United Statesefor everything they
received. They have spoken the English
language here for forty years, and their
future prosperity and their well being de-
pended absolutely upon the big republic
The Opposition.
The other paper is the Bulletin, published
by Mr.. Leroy Nolte. He also prints large
these papers are published in English.
Nolte's papers are strongly opposed to an
nexation. After walking through a gar
den and climbing steep pair Of steps I
invaded Mr. Notes editorial headquarters
and asked him why, he was opposed to an
nexation to the United States.
What we want is to have this question
settled" " he said, Settled one way or the
other. The present uncertainty Is bad for
business and bad for everything else. These
Islands have offered themselves once to the
United states and their offer was rejected.
Now the talk comes up again and we have
no idea where we stand We eeel sure Of
our condition under Denmark but we can
not tell what would happen If We Were
under the United States This port IS pure
ly a maritime port and its prosperity de-
pends upon its being a free port. We are
comparatively sure that Denmark will not
get into any trouble, nor have any war that
will close st. Thomas to the ships Of the
World we are not SO sure that this Will
be the case under the United States, just
branching out as it is as a world power,
and feeling its success in that role. We are
not sure, then, that under the United o.ates
the port or st. Thomas would be neutral
port, and we know that It would not re-
main free port. Then again you must re-
member that the people here aave never
been taxed directly. They hardly know what
taxes being placed in Porto Rico and of the
strong native opposition there. We see
these things coming closer to US and
we state our objections before they are
accomplished. We think this Is the time to
do so. because if annexation becomes an c.
complished thing we will all Of US become
loyal Americans as today we are loyal
Danes Mr.. Nolte is a native of yhe is
lands He Is an intelligent, aggressive man,
and apparently is the manstay of the op-
position to annexation in the island.
A prominent Dane, who has a large COM
merclal business here. said to me that he
would regret exceedingly to see his country
lose these islands. St. Thomas he said
was the safest and best harbor in this
part OF the world. and was the key to the
control of the whole Of the West Indies.
His interests, however, We're all here, and
If the American flag went UP he would be
loyal to that flag. but as long as the Danish
nag flew he was going to be loyal to it.
Before the islands were transferred, he
said, the people should be given a chance
to vote on the question so that the respon-
sibility would rest. with them. Then he
hoped there might be specifications in the
treaty as to the free Introduction Of Saint
Croix sugar to American markets and
guarantee as to the freedom of the port of
St. Thomas.
Another side Of the issue developed itself
when q member Of our party said to the
captain of our ship that the United States
was going to annex these islands. The
captain replied with emphasis: mo, no:
Germany must have this harbor."
Inc Runway Oh DeSt1ny.
st. Croix is a larger islard than ST.
and contains about 25,OOO or
10000 people. 1t has large sugar growing
industries, and is susceptible of much de-
velopment on that line. st. Johns the
third of the Danish Islands, is a smaller
body and not important.
There should be no question about our
government acquiring this place. After
through the West Indies 1t seems
essential tn n,1r
merce 1t Is practically the only safe har-
Dor which can be defended in the islands,
and with proper defenSeS, from here all the
West Indies and all the traffic through
the proposed Nicaragua canal can be COM
manded.
Branching out as we are as a world
power, our commerce invading the most
hidden ports Of the earth, and our flag car
ttce to all lands, such harbor is a neces-
sity-a double necessity, in that the destiny
of the nation to which we belong points
Enthusiastically to the south. When God
placed a scattered few on the North Amer
lean continent, and through short span
of years developed that few into a great
nation, stretching already from ocean to
ocean. his plan of development did not end
in the today. The past has been merely a
preparation for the future, a gathering Of
strength for the great work to be done
Now, and only now. this people, grown to
manhood in two centuries, is ready to be-
. 6AiiJ nv ~ SiiOI 40 WI n. Alo kAluGTlCdu
nation has watched. and is travelling along
the pathway of its destiny led by the hand
of God. Already that faith has left the
north continent. It has run Its line to
Cuba. to Porto Rico and now, clear as day,
1t stretches its course to these Danish
Islands, and then to the mainland there to
open a passage between two oceans and
to send the blood Of commerce flowing from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and back once
more, in a stream and with an energy
never known before.
Over the path, look there! Who can be-
lieve it7 From Nicaragua are the sign posts
not plain? Does not the pathway extend,
in rainbow of promise, to the south
where a great continent lies sleeping?
Through the providence of God the great
South American continent has been pre-
served. throughout the rise of modern oivi-
lization. with its surface barely scratched
by the hand Of man, and for what purpose?
For what purpose was an incapable race
placed there. for what purpose have those
huge forests remained virgin, that wealth
of minerals hidden? For what purpose
were our fathers inspired to draw a frown-
ing line Of war around that continent, and
SO preserve it from the iron hand of Eu-
rope?
The answer is manifesting itself every
day with more and more clearness. All this
empire Of the south has remained untouch-
ed because the pathway of the American
nation led directly there, and no other