The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-18
OUR RIGHTS IN GREENLAND.

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Rear Admiral Peary is of opinion that the
use of our rights to and in Greenland as a
L make-sale'' is a bad blunder In letter to
the New York Times he gives much information
about Greenland and about the plan OF Secre-
tary Seward to purchase it in 1868, plan
thWarted by Charles Sumner. 1t was known
that Greenland had resources in coal and metals,
which with her rich supplies of fish and game
animals made the land no mere mass OF Ice
fields More has been discovered since to make
Admiral Peary's statement that Greenland
might turn out to be another Alaska, plausible.
But naturally the chief concern in acquiring
Greenland would be its value as a naval base;
here again Admiral Peary is probably right in
his claim that its harbors afford fine sites for
such base, as they are Of no more northerly
latitude than bases proved valuable by Eng
land and Russia and that fleet stationed there
by this nation would be strategically placed tc
hold the Atlantic sea road In time of war. But
with all these values to the credit of Green
land, it is not clear that we need the island
sufficiently to seriously consider buying it;
and as for the rights we are to surrender, they
are apparently so tenuous as to make them sub
stantial would mean virtually purchase ac-
quirement by diplomatic arrangement amount
ing to this.
-
to give up as what we might have got for
our money that appeals to casual consideration
in Admiral Peary's suggestions. He says we
might justly and with some assurance of sue,
cess have demanded for our $25,O00,OOO that
Denmark cede her rights to Greenland to us
along with the West Indies islands; the pur-
chase price is large enough, he thinks. This
view will find ready assent by many people
Our incomplete bargain mi ght easily have
been better made. And it is quite possible
that Admiral Peary suggests, we shall
find ourselves seeking Greenland at some fu-
ture time as necessary factor in our meas
ures of naval preparedness. 1t is hardly
probable, however, that what we have of rights
there now would be found Of high value.
A correspondent makes the suggestion that
lnasmuch as Great Britain is so much in our debt
for war purchases, we do thatgovernmenta kind
turn by offering to buy Jamaica, British Hon
duras, the Bermudas and any other stray
islands in the western world waters that Great
Britain no longer needs. At the price current
for islands such purchase would dwarf even
preparedness preparations; then there is some
thing engaging in a picture of Great Britain
as merchant in islands. These same islands
twenty years ago were in bad straits financial
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since then and now there is sufficient prosper
lity to warrant contentment both for them and
for the imperial government that controls
them.
Ell Paso, just this side of the Mexican bound
airy, has had a street car strike and riots.
Truly, an impressive object lesson for the
Mexicans in Anglo-Saxon civilization
Theatrical Producer Brady says the drama
is suffering from infantile paralysis, but the
stage plots frequently show symptoms of senile
debility.
Scientists assert that the climate is not af-
fected by the war. If such be fact, the
climate is about the only thing not affected.
When we've spent all our pride on the
British blacklist, we can still spend our money.
| He's lucky politician who can flop on all
| subjects and yet land on his feet