The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1916-10-04
DENMARK.

The treaty providing for the pur>
chase from Denmark of. the Danish
West Indies for 25,O0O,OOO was rati-
fled by the United States senate Sep
TENDER Z. There was no roll call and
less than half dozen senators voted
against it. The vote followed sew
eral hours Of debate in executive ses-
sion. An amendment by Senator Nor
rls to reduce the purchase price from
$25,0O0,000 to $10,00O,OOO was defeat
ed by an overwhelming vote and the
treaty was approved just as it was
signed by Secretary Lansing and Min
lister Brun on August 4. On the previ-
GUS day the proposal Of the conserva-
tive party for the appointment Of
parliamentary committee of so mem
bers to consider the negotiations for
the sale was agreed to by the repre-
sentatives Of various parties in the
rlgsdag after a lengthy meeting. A
cable dated September 10 says
that the government will make an
other attempt to have the treaty for
the sale agreed to and intends to
submit a bill upon the proposal made
by the conservative party. The con-
servatives suggested that with the
formation Of coalition cabinet a par
liamentary committee be appointed to
examine into the negotiations for the
sale of the islands and to make re-
port thereon within a limited time. It
was proposed that after the making
OF the report plebiscite be held,
probably about the middle of Octo-
Der. The attitude of the left and con-
sentative parties toward the govern
ment's bill is uncertain and it is not
known if the general elections can be
avoided. Negotiations for the pur-
chase of the islands have been in
progress internationally for half cen
fury. Under the terms of the treaty
Denmark would sell to the United
states the islands of st. Thomas, st.
John and st. Croix together with adj
jacent islands and rocks and including
the right of property in. all public,
government or crown lands, public
buildings, wharves, ports, harbors,
Notifications, barracks, public funds,
rights, franchises and privileges and
all other public property Of every kind
of description now belonging to Den
mark, together with all the appurte-
nances thereto" st. Thomas and St.
John are a part Of the Virgin islands
so named by Christopher Columbus.
st. Thomas lies about SO miles east
Of Porto Rico with st. John immedi-
ately to the eastward. St. Croix, the
largest Of the three, is situated about
40 miles south of St. Thomas in the
Caribbean sea. St. Thomas, an i'm
portant coaling station and depot of
trade with an excellent harbor, is 70
miles long, east and west, and from
one to three miles broad. The only
article of export is bay rum. st.
John is eight miles long, east and
west, and Of irregular breadth. IT'S
area is about 40 square miles. 1t oc-
cupies an excellent position near st.
Thomas and it's port Of Coral bay on
the east side is said to be the best har-
Dor Of refuge from cyclones in the
Antilles. st. Croix, also named by Co.
lumbus is 10 miles long, of irregu-
lar breadth and contains 81, 800 acres,
of which over 10000 acres are de-
voted to the cultivation Of sugar.
Christianstad, commonly called the
Basin, is the capital city of the Dan
ish West Indies, and is situated at the
head Of an inlet on the north side Of
st. Croix. There are harbors ut the
capital and Frederikssted is the Sec
ond largest town. The islands are in
habited mostly by free negroes.