Iditarod pioneer., 1916-09-09
DENMARK FINED $22,OOO, 900 FOR PERMITTING E-BOAT
 TO PASS TO THE BALTIC

| been forced to pay secret indemnity to 1 Germany for failure to maintain strict neu- trality. The indemnity exacted is under stood to be as much as 60,00O, ,O00 kroner | (about S22,00000O).
 The offense occurred last winter, when 1 the Baltic sea was invaded by submarine. | To enter the Baltic from the North sea 1t was necessary to pass through Danish waters, strongly guarded by forts Germany secured evidence that the English subma- rines could not have entered the Baltic without the permission or connivance of | the Danish government Of all the Scandl navian countries, the Danes are the strong est sympathizers with the allies, and have the strongest antipathy to Germany. German merchant ships plying between Swedish and East German ports with food rubber and copper constituted the only Ger man traffic which the war had not sus pended. But the havoc made by the British E-boats in the Baltic so terrorized the Ger man and Swedish shipmasters that there was a time when the traffic vas at stand still
 Tricked the Danes When the E-boat raids ceased Germany waited to see whether Denmark would pro test to England against the violation of the neutrality of the Sund An E-Doat com mander asked permission to pass through Permission was given, The E-boat passed through and headed straight for kel This E-boat was a German U-boat in disguise Its crew consisted of sailors who spoke good English, like the crew of the Deutsch- land Crew and officers wore English uni ferns At KieI they dropped their disguise The passage had furnished the German gov ernment the evidence of Denmarks willing ness to allow what was supposed to be an English E-boat to violate neutrality. Ger many thereupon made her demands How the Secret Leaked Out According to the beStlntormed bankers, it was agreed, when Denmark nnalIy con senteu to pay 6U,UUU,U kroner damages III satlslactlon of Germanys claims, that the u ansacuon should not be published. IL leaked out ill Curous way. About two months ago the rate of excnange between Copenhagen and Berlin began to tall sharply DuAkers were puzzled, as there was nothing Ill the balance ot trade to justify It.
 It was suggested that Denmark was to be inv adeu by Une ot the warning powers, and that wealthy Danes were sendlng money out oI the country. The fact was that Den mark was making its payments to Germany III lnStallments.
 Denmark then pressed the negotiations with the United States tor the Sale ot the Danlsh West lndleS tor s2o oOUOOUU. Al though Denmark was eager to sell the lSIanus o1 St. thomas, 0t. Crolx and St. John dozen or more years ago Tor @o,OOU,- UUU, she was able to take advantage ot war, prices tor naval bases Tn the Caribbean sea, and expects now to get SZoUOUUUO from the UnteQ States.
 It IS understood that President Wilson agreed to that prIce and that treaty has been signed Tn W WashlngtOn. The Danlsh parliament Is expected to ratlty It, but whether the United States will ao so IS un- known here. Denmark, 1t Is stated, takes grim satisfaction in selling these islands for two reasons:
 First. because the money IS very welcome; and second, because Germany wanted them very badly a few years ago.
 It is understood that German influence was used few years ago to prevent treaty gong through TOT the sale ol the 4slahuS to the United States when the late H. H. Rogers of the Standard Oil Company was prominent in the negotiations, But Ger man efforts have not been exerted to pre- vent the sale this time
 The only popular opposition on the part of the Danish press is the campaign started by Rockingham a Conservative but vlo- lently anti German newspaper
 Nevertheless Germany is, in an impor- tant sense, the cause of Denmarks efforts to sell the islands, since the indemnity which Germany demanded is responsible for Den marks need of money. Danish officials refuse to discuss any phases of the situa- tlon.
 After the recent Jutland naval battle sev- eral British cruisers badly damaged, en- tered Danish harbors. This time Germany sent an ultimatum. The cruisers were com peled by Denmark to leave within twenty four hours. One of them was so badly crippled that it was abandoned and the crew taken of in the North sea.