Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-18
DANISH WEST
INDIES TREATY.
Can't, Considers and RatiA'' It u
Little Over an Hour
STATUS OF INHABITANTS
,.,, Of People of Porto Rico
'". United states Assumes No
burden Of Debt

Lexington, Feb, i1.-Today IN a li'-
'ra ,ban an hours time the s9n''v
disposed of the treaty ! WIZ" ,a l''' q con !.
0' ,0s 70 the United states FOR a con- y,
''a~s , :, Of $4,000 900, the islands OF st.
l l.a''a''1 s.. John and st. croix' com.
'nV"''I ,,o group Of Antilles known as
0'% n.n,sb West Indies and lying JUST
Wy ~ porto Rico, and thus 80 iar as
' s'' country % is concerned consumm nst.
w. transaction which has been unoer
" so,,iion internationally since the
administration of President Lincoln,
~so treaty and the report on 1t were
' length and more or less discus
'nn If the proposition was INDUCED IN
s.ns,or culon, as chairman OF the
..,0mittee on foreign relations made a
weoch explaining the advantages OF
ne acquisition of the islands ana SEN
,,o,o bacon and McLaurln of Mlssis-
',a made brief remarks, saying that
vble they could not indorse all the
,,oylsloos Of the agreement they would
plsce no obstacles IN the way OF fallh-
cation, s q, o,ond tho
,.eo,v by striking out the second para
'',ant NJ Article Ill Of the treaty, read
sIFas follows, "The civil rights and
me nollucal status of the inhabitants
Wv ,be Islands shall he determined by
The Congress, subject to the stlpuiatlons
contained In the present convention,
Hs based his opposition 20 this provi-
,Ion an the ground that the Constitu-
Kim should extend to the islands when
,bey became part of the United
STATES He said, however, that the fail
ure 10 accept the amendment would
Ma, preyent his voting for the treaty
ian Ne believed In the Monroe doctrine,
The amendment was rejected without
division
Senator Culom explained all the pro-
visions Of the treaty and gave detail
"a account of the islands resources,
of their trade value TO the United
states He said the provision affect
Ing civl rights OF the inhabitants was
similar to the provision on the same
subject In the Spanish treaty concern
Ing Porto Rico,
Senator Cull0m said that In taking
the Islands the United States would as
sumo no burden OF debt, as by the
terms q the agreement all claims held
By Denmark against the insular treas
ury would be cancelled. He placed the
total Of these claims at $2,0OO,OO0. lie
also explained the nature of the obli-
cation the United States would assume
with reference to the ST. Thomas
Floating Dock company and the West
India and Panama company, saying
that on The telegraph franchise IL
would Be necessary 20 pay "A subsidy
Of HM per year for three or four
years and that In both cases there was
en- agreement to protect the charters
iQr The time granted by Denmark.
lie also gave detailed history Of the
o. CrOk sugar company, explaining
'nal the government of Denmark had
ASSUMED debts amounting to about
N@M for that concern. but had
agreed to wind up the affairs of the
company as soon as practicable. thus
relieving the United States Of all COM
plcatons on account Of that company.
senator Cullom explained that under
tle terms of the treaty the United
STATES was 10 take possession OF the
sahls as soon as Publications could
DC exchanged and said that ii would
not be necessary to delay that act un-
VI the appropriation OF money to pay
lot them was to be had, The harbor
az 81 Thomas was described as one Of
lne safest and best in the West Indies,
ana Inc Importance Of its possession
upon,
senator Culloms motion to ratify was
ueh adopted by viva yoce vote.
Inc Danish West India islands, for
lne purchase of which a treaty was
Islihed by the senate yesterday, consist
u lhiee-Saint Thomas, Saint John and
sam SAINT VfolX-all in sight Of each other.
Inelt enllre area is about l21 square
rlueS Tue population Is about 10000.
denmark has owned these islands for
81 Years but has derived comparative
htIlle revenue from them. Only Is
FI cent Of the population is white, but
.ue Dlaeks are Of superior class, they
KAY, nsIe all the rights and privileges Of the
mnl'es under the law-no such thing
% color line IL drawn there.
Educallon has been made compulsory,
guy all children, white and black, go 10
sSnool between the ages of and 10.
Ihere is no distinction as to color in
.nurches nor In business. Intermar-
IaEe between natives and whites IN
hOhlhg unusual. The official language
DANISH hut everybody speaks Eng
isn, which Is used in the schools as
vel as In the courts Of justice.
ihe largest place on the island Of
es'nt Thomas is Charlotte Amalle. Most
" lhe buildings there are one story
ngh' me old ones Of stone, the modern
vuss Of wood All drinking water is
collected In clsterns.
uh me islam. OF Saint Croix there
ne Two towns, each having a popula-
s WA Oh about 1000 There are in those
tnaees Episcopal, Moravian, Catholic,
Du'cn Reformed and Methodist .hurch-
q Inc whole army maintained by
denmark is about 2JO.
va lne island OF Saint Croix there are
~ susar estates, the product OF which
~. GS 70 one concern In New York city.
nv. ' S Sonn has only 200 population. The
'uuse OF this island is also chief