The Washington times., 1905-07-03
WAR APPR[H[NDED
IN WEST INDIES
Would Be Involved in
FrancO-German Clash.
ANNEXATION is HOPED FOR
Aamburg-American Company Secures
Big Harbor For Coaling on
Danish Island.

Danish Island.
SAN JUAN. P. R.. July 3.-Keen in
terest Is manifested throughout the
West Indies in every runor of a pos
sibility of war between France and
Germany, as it would seem inevitable
that in event Of such a struggle naval
clash would take place In the Caribbean
sea.
1t would be Germany's chance to at
last try to secure her long-coveted
naval base in the West Indies, either
at Inflated Martinique or Guadaloupe.
French Guiana. too. would be open to
attack
None of these places could resist land
invasion, but would be forced to depend
upon protection by fleets
Again. too, the Danish West Indies
particularly st. Thomas, must be taken
into every consideration because Of the
present requirement OF controlling
interest In Water Island, at the morth
of Charlotte Amaiia Harbor, St.
Thomas, by the Hamburg American
Company.
Got Foothold.
It Is most significant that the Danish
Asiatic Company. wealthy corpora
ton doing business with the Far East.
recently acquired Water Island. and at
once commenced to erect there a ccal-
Ing station on an extensive scale. The
company then turned over a controlling
interest to the Hamburg-American
Steamship Company. and thus. under a
Danish make-believe, Germany gets
long and openly-coveted occupation.
To what extent this great German
company would be able to offer aid to
German feet, in the shape of coal,
water. and docking privileges. at St.
Thomas. would remain to be seen, but
1t certainly would not be difficult for
the Hamburg people to send
coal from st. Thomas into neutral
waters even If German warships could
not coal in Danish waters.
Neither England. from her West In
dian coaling stations, nor America, from
Porto Rico, would be likely to do this.
The French could not coal at Port
Royal. Martinique. or at Basse-Terre,
Guada1oupe, nor could those islands Of
fer them supplies of any sort.
Martinique is crushed and Guadalupe
Is poverty stricken. French Guiana is
not much better of, but all land In this
vicinity would be good for German pur-
poses.
Germans Know Waters.
The Germans know West Indian
waters thoroughly. The Kaiser's war
ships frequently visit them. The Ger
mans are perfectly familiar with the
American defenses In Peito Rico and at
Culebra, and until the Danish authori-
ties interfered recently men from Ger
man warships indulged N land maneu-
vers at st. Thonfes.
Evidences multiply 10 ahow that Ger
many intends to press flard for CONNER
cial supremacy in the Caribbean sea;
that the people of tNe British West In
dies are aroused to tfs fact: that Eng
land Is voluntarily realizing the forcd
Of the Monroe J,octrine. and that Ger
many will not rest until she has foot
hold
It is also matter for reflection that.
while Great Britain is practically aban-
donin3 positions ''f vantage which she
the power from whose aggressiveness
she has most to fear is striving persist
emily and by every means to secure a
strategic base In the Caribbean waters.
Struggle in New World.
The irony OF fate may bring 1t about
that the realization OF the dream of a
Hchenzoilern world empire may be
struggled for on the same stage as that
on which SO many other momentous
world issues have been decided.
st. Lucia is alarmed at the prospects
Of losing her coaling trade, and the
Castries Voice recently declared:
st. Thomas is our most formidable
competitor. We had succeeded In draw
ing from her all the coaling business,
apart from that OF a few regular lines
- ,<xue,vv md Of cnr Fnv
Of war The visits of tramps for coal
or orders had become quite excep-
tionaL
s.Since, however, the geographical
value OF the island has been brought
home to Denmark by the United States
attempts at a deal. the attention of
Copephagen capitalists has been drawn
to responsibilities offered by their West
indian possession. especially in view of
the opening OF the Panama canal, In re-
spec. Of which St. Thomas is certainly
placed more fayorably than any Of the
lesser West Indie
British Powe7 .,Iessening.
Dominica, Trinidad and Barbados
are also clamoring for harbor Improve
mentS to catch a share OF the coalng
and other trade that the Panama caiial
will surely bring to West Indian water,
Jamaica Is openly discussing he an
nexation of all the British West IT.
dies to the United States. and believes
Il must come soon.
The abolition OF the West Indian
agricultural department. the proposal
TO withdraw all white troops, The aban-
Comment Of Port Royal as a naval sta
ton and the cutting off of Tie West
Indian mail subsidy are all freely crtli-
cised. Indeed. throughout the West In
dies all eyes seem 10 turn now II Uncle
Sam with a pleading look, SO .ho,.h
to say: please take US and do fer us
what you have done for Porto Rico -
A three days visit this week in ST.
Thomas convinces that German occu-
pancy there is resented by 90 per rent
OF the people. and that prompt union
with the United States is desired If
the prevailing pro-annexation feeling is
lessened, 1t will be by the promises and
influence of the new governor Col c.
M r. Cold. young Dane D. charming
personality and evident executive abil-
His first meeting with the :nsuIar
council will be 1s July ~. when he " III
present proposed reforms. Naturally, he
viii not now discuss his plans He told
me. however that he hopes TO improve
the financial condition of the Danish
Yves. Indies, which he admits is at i
low ebb.
. Colonel Cold arrived at ST. Thomas
six weeks ago, and is studyin;, hard to
fu m, lila rfxe himself with the nraayen. .