Evening star., 1902-02-07
TEXT OF THE DANISH TREATY
CEssION OF THE THREE WEST IN
DIAN ISLANDS.
Providing for Sale of st. Thomas, st.
John and Saint CrOix to the United
States for $5, ,OOO,OOO.

| Following is the full text of the treaty be-
| tween the United States and Denmark for
| the cession Of the Aanish West Indian Is
! lands, ST. Thomas St. John and st. Croix.
which was negotiated recently between Sec
| retary Hay, on the part of the United
| States, and Minister Brun, for Denmark.
Article 1.
His ma iesty the King of Denmark, agrees
to cede to the United States, Immediately
upon the exchange of the notifications OF
this convention, the Islands Of ST. Thomas,
st. John and ST. Croix, in the West In
| dies, with the adjacent islands and rocks'
comprising in said cession all title ana
claims of title to the territories IN ana
about said islands over which the crown or
Denmark now exercises, asserts or claims
| jurisdiction.
sates ahs the sss9a saa sands and
! in full sovereignty, entire and untncum-
| bered, except as stipulated In the present
! convention, with all the dominion, rights
| and powers which Denmark now possesses,
! exercises, asserts and claims therein; 1t
being however, understood and agreed that
| the conSumInation of said ceSSlon does
not import the transference to the United
| States of the financial claims now held by
| Denmark against the colonial treasures OF
| the islands, it being agreed that these
| claims are altogether extingu1shed IN conse-
| understood and agreed that the United
| States will assume and continue to dis
| charge from the time of the ceSSfon the ob-
| legations heretofore incumbent upon the
| Danish government toward the St THOMAS
| Floating Dock Company and the west IN
dia and Panama Telegraph Company.
| No responsibility of any hnd whatever IS
| incumbent on the Danish government, nor
| on the United States government, as 10 tne
! guarantee which, conformably to the ordl-
| nance of June 16, 1876 the colonial treasury
| Hoo, nod wit
| the payment of an interest of 5 per cent per
! annum to the holders of the shares of the
| St. Croix Observation-Disclosures Company,
J limited
| Article II.
The aforesaid title conveys to the United
! States the absolute fee and ownership of
| all public, government or crown lands pub
| lie buildings, ports, harbors, Notifications,
| barracks and all other public property of
| every kind and description belonging to the
government of Denmark. together with
| every right and appurtenance thereunto ap-
| pertaining; it being, however, agreed, that
| the arms and military stores existing IN
| the islands at the time of the cesston and
belonging to the government OF Denmark
| shall remain the property of that govern
| ment and shall, as soon as circumstances
| shall permit be removed by it, unless they,
| parts thereof, may before have been
bought by the government of the United
| States upon special agreement made with
| the government of Denmark; 1t being, how
| ever, understood that flags and colors, uni
| forms and such arms or military objects as
are marked as being the property Of the
Danish government shall not be included in
such purchase.
! 1t is moreover agreed and understood:
| First that the CONGREGATIONS belonging to
! the Danish National Church shall remain
| in possession of the churches which are
now used by them together with the par
sonages appertaining thereunto, and, sec
ondly, that sums due. to the Danish treasury
| by individuals are reserved and do not pass
| by this cession and where the Danish gov
| ernment shall at the time of the cession
| hold property taken over by the Danish
| treasury for sums due by individuals, such
property shall not pass by this cession, but
| the Danish government shall sell or dispose
| of such property and remove it's proceeds
| within two years from the date of the eX-
| change of ratiications of this convention.
| the United States government being entitled
| to sell by public auction, to the credit of the
! Danish government, what may not have
been sold before the expiration of the said
term Of two years.
The Danish government retains the claims
! held by the same as creditor against the
| st. CrOix Observation-Disclosures Company,
| limited; should that government acquire
| the ownership of property belonging to this
! company in the Island of St. Croix, the
above provision regarding a sale within
! two years shall apply to such property; the
| two years, however, to begin from the date
| of the requirement of ownership of said
| property, which shall be within three years
- oii tiC chtlhhSC VI tHC IdtiilCdllOHS OI
! the present treaty.
| Any government archives, papers and
| documents relative to the islands ceded
| and the dominion of the same which NAV
| now be existing there shall pass by this
| cession, but an authenticated copy of such
| documents or papers may be acquired
| will be at all times given by the United
| States to the Danish government or to such
properly authorized Danish officers or SUBJ
| jects as may apply for them.
Article III.
| The Danish subjects residing in said is
! land may remain therein or remove there
from at will; retaining in either event all
| their rights of property, including the right
| to sell or dispose of such property or it's
| proceeds; and in case they remain In the
| islands they shall continue, until otherwise
| provided, to enjoy all the private, munich
pal rights and liberties secured to them by
| the laws now in force. If the present laws
are altered the said inhabitants shall not
| thereby be placed In q less favorable posi-
| ton in respect to the above mentioned
| rights and liberties than they now enjoy.
| Those who remain IN the islands may pre-
serve their allegiance to the crown of Den
mark by making, before court Of record,
| within two years from the date of the ex-
/ change of ratifcations of this convention,
! a declaration Of their decision to preserve
such allegiance, in default of which decla-
ration they shall be held to have renounced
| it and to have accepted allegiance to the
United States: but such election Of Danish
! term of two years, be a bar to their re-
nunciation Of their preserved Danish allie
| glance and their election Of allegiance to
| the United States and admission to the ma
| tionalty thereof the same terms as
| may be provided according to the laws of
the United States for other inhabitants of
| the islands.
The civil rights and the political status
| of the Inhabitants of the islands shall be de-
| termined by the Congress subject to the
| stipulations contained in the present
vention.
Danish subjects not residing in the islands
but owning property therein at the time Of
| the cession shall retain their rights OF prop
| erty, including the right to sell or dispose
Of such property being placed In this re-
| gard on the same basis as the Danish sub
| jects residing in the islands and remaining
| therein or removing therefrom to whom
the first paragraph of this article relates.
Article Nv.
Formal delivery of the territory and
property ceded as aforesaid shall be made
Immediately after the payment by the
| United States of the sum of money stipu-
lated in the fifth article hereof; but the
| cession with the right of immediate posses