Evening star., 1916-08-17

States would go toward backing up
Denmark in case of trouble with those
two big European powers.
This troublous situation continued.
and 1t was not until two years and hVe
months after the original mention OF
| the matter had been made that the
paper.
May II. 1887, the Danish minister Of
foreign affairs said that She three
islands would be sold for $15.ooo,ooo;
for s1o.ooo.ooo and Santa Cruz for
$5.o00.000. and that the consent OF
France must be had in the case Of the
latter island. There was two-hun-
dred-year-old treaty, with France re.
quiring such consent. The consent OF
the people Of the islands was. of
course, an element in the deal
Offer to Buy Two Islands.
Tho United States, after five months
of most voluminous correspondence.
offered then to buy ST. Thomas and St
John for seven and a half millions. and
this offer was accepted. This was in
1857. Denmark afterward looked on
this as a Yankee trick, and wanted
to know what the United States was
going to do about Santa Cruz. The
government evinced a lively anxiety TO
sell the third island then and WAS get
in ratifying the diplomatic negotia-
tions. The Danish parliament had al
ready ratified 1t, and the pigeonholing
Of the treaty became a matter for bit.
ter partisan articles in the press of
the day
The way of the Senate was not an
honorable way" wrote the Boston
Daily advertiser correspondent at
Washington. On the other hand. SEN
ator Summers defenders claimed that
his action in standing at the door of
the committee room, flguratively, and
refusing to report out the treaty saved
ers pictured the proposed purchase as
a great folly. Contrast that with the
words of the late William E. Curtis,
who wrote: There is no harbor In the
merce or military purposes and 1t is
large enough to shelter all the vessels
in the world" This was the harbor at
st. Thomas.
Early Negotiations Fail.
The negotiations of that early day died
and the quarrel in Denmark became SO
bitter that the ministry was overthrown
and the United States lost much honor
able prestige in that little country. The
history of the case seems to show that If
Senator Summer had not become involved
in a bitter personal quarrel with the ad-
ministration the treaty might have been
ratified and the purchase OF the Islands
made.
1t is also charged that Secretary Sew
ard grew hot and cold on the proposition.
and that If he had maintained an even
attitude the sale might have been ef-
fected by bringing it to elimination
long before the Sumner quarrel.
made later by Senator Lodge: when the
purchase was UP for second time. this
time actually before the Senate. Den
mark made repeated endeavors in the
person of her minister and through the
medium Of other powers to conclude the
negotiations. but in vain. The treaty fell
a victim to the storm OF political hatred
then raging in this country.
In Schuylers American Diplomacy the
following is the comment made
No Particular Desire to Sell.
Denmark had no particular desire to
sell to the United States, but was per-
suaded to do SO. The Inhabitants of the
island had already voted to accept the
United States as their sovereign. The
late Charles Sumner. then chairman
of the committee on foreign relations
of the Senate, who was engaged in a
personal quarrel with the administra-
tion. simply refused to report back the
treaty to tho Senate. and he was sup
ported by a sufficient number of his
committee and of senators to enable
the matter to be left in this position.
1t required new negotiations to prolong
the term of ratification. and it was
with great difficulty that in a subse-
quent session the treaty was finally
brought before the Senate and re-
jected.
las may be imagined. our friendly re-
lations with Denmark were considera-
bly, impaired by this method of doing
business.
After a lapse of twenty-four years
the negotiations were opened again
by John w. Foster. Secretary of State.
The republican platform of 1895 In
dorsed the proposal to buy the islands
as a naval station. The diplomatic cor
respondence shows that the offer to re-
vive the negotiations came from Dem
mark. but nothing came of the second
attempt.
In 1900 the Secretary of State, John
Hay, was endeavoring to make a pur-
chase for $3.500,000, but these negotia-
tions seemed to get nowhere at all.
Now that the price has been raised to
$25. 5000. .000-will the Congress of the
United States agree to 1t?
If left to the big navy men, the
answer will be yes. as the greatest
American naval expert. Admiral Ma
han. has urged the elimination of the
deal in strongest terms.